This week I want to shine a light on something I have been thinking about a lot lately. Marching Bands. I know this is a sports column but bear with me for a while. I’ve had a chance to see area bands perform during the season when attending football games in the valley, and I have noticed something. These band kids work hard. It can’t be an easy task to move and play music simultaneously. It must take serious concentration and coordination from every performer. I never had any music talent and neither did my children, so my experience and exposure to marching bands has been next to nothing so I went to an expert to ask questions. I talked to Matt Jennings, band director at Tyler Consolidated High School. Let me share with you his thinking and how it illuminated my opinion on marching bands. It just might change yours, too.

But first, this past summer we had guests for the Oil and Gas Parade. Friends from our old neighborhood in Scott Depot came to visit for the day. Their son/grandson was marching in the parade and then performing in the Band-A-Rama after. We adults stayed in the cool airconditioned house until the last minute and then went out to watch their “Generals” march by our home. It had to be near 95 degrees with horrible humidity as these kids paraded by us along Riverside Drive.

They had not reached the performance area of the parade or judges, but they still were at attention, dressed in full uniform carrying their instruments and marching crisply, oblivious to any distractions! This was the beginning of my indoctrination into what it takes to perform with a top-level marching band.

As a true sports fan, I have always tried to convey my belief to be the best at your game, athletes are required to hone their skills daily, forego outside distractions, commit to excellence, sets goals and maintain a strong self-confidence. All this commitment to their sport leads to one goal.

Get as far as you can and hopefully end up with a shot at the title. Is band any different?

Meet Matt Jennings, Band Director of the Tyler Consolidated High School’s Knights Marching Band. Matt received his bachelor of music and his master’s in Educational Leadership Studies from WVU. He also serves as organist at both Middlebourne United Methodist Church and Sistersville First United Methodist Church.

Marching bands have changed since I was in high school. Today’s bands are more colorful and entertaining with the goal of wowing the audience. I asked Matt about TCHS’s style of performance.

“High school marching bands have tended to trend toward drum-core-styled shows over the last 10-15 years. Our band remains more of a traditional marching band show in that we don’t have themes, we don’t incorporate theatrics, and don’t use a lot of sideline percussion,” explained Matt.

I have read a lot lately about whether marching band should be considered a sport. Band members are required to put in hours of practice and physical conditioning for endurance, very similar to what an athlete does to prepare for his/her sport. But I have always considered marching band an art form, so I again went to the expert for his interpretation. Matt shared, “Marching band is a very physically and mentally demanding activity. While practicing and performing, each student is thinking about a dozen or more things at any given moment. Between rehearsing and performing, marching band members commit as much or more time than athletic teams. Should it be considered a sport? I’ll leave that up to the reader to decide.”

Dig a little deeper than the halftime performance and most uninformed folks will be surprised to discover excellent marching bands battle with other marching bands in competitive showdowns. There is stiff competition between them as each team tries to impress the judges with their unique skills. Just like sports, marching band requires a lot of physical activity in their musical performance. Band members test their endurance, as well as their muscle strength and muscle memory every time they step on the field or parade route. I mentioned before it is not an easy task to hold a heavy instrument and perform in coordination with other members at the same time for the entire length of the performance. Athleticism is not always just based on how fast you can run a mile or how far you can throw a ball. Don’t these skill requirements for band members sound very similar to other popular “sports” we follow?

While we are at it, let’s run down some of the Knights Marching Band’s most recent credentials. As recently as Saturday, October 16th the band finished as 1st Runner Up to the Grand Champion of the Marco Division at the Marshall Tri-State Marching Band Championships (out of 21 bands). This competition features some of the best bands from WV, Kentucky and Ohio. The Knights Band finished 5th overall for the entire competition (29 bands total). Other highlights included: 2nd place field commander and 3rd place drumline in class AA. The band also captured several awards on Saturday in Charleston at Laidley field. We will have a more complete rundown on our local bands at a later date.

I am using TCHS Knights Marching band as an example, but other area bands have won similar awards. Paden City Wildcat Marching Band is very strong this year, despite their small enrollment, winning honors when performing at the Parkersburg South Competition, the Parkersburg High School Competition, and Saturdays big competition at Laidley Field in Charleston.

I believe the kids in these bands and their directors work very hard, and their members are committed to excellence. They deserve to be acknowledged for their dedication and elevated performance level. Though some folks might find it hard to believe, marching band most likely could be considered a sport. It checks all the boxes, but like Director Jennings, I will leave it up to the reader to decide.

If you didn’t get to see area Bands perform this year, you missed out on a heck of a show!