Why is marching band good for kids?

I would think it teaches, them discipline, teamwork, accountability and responsibility. Not to mention, music.

I was in marching band through my sophomore year in high school. I was pretty talented musically, but there were two reasons I stayed in band: I lost weight and I got to go to Hawaii. I was a chubby kid who didn’t want to do P.E., so putting my talent to work seemed a good idea. I also got to travel to Hawaii with the marching band. I totally used this to my advantage, playing sick on the whole trip so that I got out of performing and lounging by the pool SOLO!!

But really, marching band treaches discipline. It takes a ton of hard work.

Band alone teaches discipline, teamwork, accountability, and responsibility. Marching band adds a physical element. So it teaches coordination, and how to survive the humid heat while wearing a polyester suit that is even hotter than hell.

Is it worth it? I dunno. My band conductor, way back in the early seventies, put it to us for a vote: did we want to march, or not? We didn’t. So I only have one day of marching band experience…. that’s how I know about the heat thing.

One is fairly anonymous in band, unless you are a soloist. There aren’t too many soloists, though. Some bands take the marching and formation stuff to extremes. Those are usually clubs, so the musicians are volunteers.

I would say that if a child wants to do it, I would encourage that. I would not force them into it. There are other ways of achieving the good things. Music alone is incredibly valuable.

If they beg you for permission to join the band, then hell yes! It is worth every single drop of blood and sweat to schlep them all over the place. They will remember the experience all their lives, and if the band has a decent conductor, they’ll travel, too, sometimes to exotic foreign lands. As the stupid cliche goes, it’s all good!

My daughter did Color Guard this year for the first time. She both loved and hated it, and wanted to quit on a number of occasions. She stuck with it though, and competition season is finally over. One more parade at Christmas and it’s done for the year. It seems to me that this is the first time she’s ever faced a real challenge and seen it through. That right there was worth the price of admission!

*teaches

What everyone else already mentioned, plus learning how to be true to themselves in the face of the unrelenting social cruelty that high school kids love to dish out to band geeks.

Marching band, orchestra,etc. provides the experience of working on a team under deadline with performance standards and individual contribution mattering.

My friends are in it, and it seems like it teaches them a way to stick together. Not to mention it gives them a whole demographic that is similar to them in almost every way. They seem to have a lot of fun while still working hard, even though the school doesn’t give them all that much respect.

I did marching band in high school. For me, it was a great experience. My school put a lot of emphasis on sports and looks. Neither of those areas worked out for me. Band and other music activities helped me to make a great group of like-minded friends. Plus, I developed music skills that I still use to this day.

those of you band graduates: how much would you encourage your children to participate in band?

I encouraged all three of my kids to join band. My daughter played flute in the band for two years, but then got too cool. My older son tried trombone for a week before he decided he was too cool. Now my younger son plays violin and is in his second year in orchestra. He decided that he was too cool for itblast year, and only joined this year because the orchestra teacher stroked his ego by letting him know that he is one of the strongest players.

This was my first year in Marching Band and it was one off the hardest and most fun experiences in my entire life. It gives you a chance to fit in and make friends in High School before it even starts. I felt like it was really hard and that I wanted to quit sometimes but in between all the hard times there were memories that I will remember for the rest of my life. It teaches musical skills and discipline also.