Marching Band T-Shirt and Hoodie Now Available

We are so excited to announce that the marching band t-shirt and hoodie are now available to buy!  Go HERE to order and see the available selections.  There are long-sleeved t-shirts and hoodies also available, since winter is almost here. 

Reward your favorite marching band member (or yourself) with this reminder of how hard they work.  

This is a limited edition hoodie/t-shirt. It will be available for the next 2 weeks - until October 31, 2013.  Once all the orders are in, they will be printed and shipped out. It's going to be agonizing to wait so long - but it will be worth it!  We have to sell a minimum of 20 total items or it won't be cost effective, so please share it on your favorite social media site, let your friends, fellow band members, parents, grandparents know. 

Marching Band T-shirt - Perfection Is The Norm

The Marching Band T-shirt is almost here.

We have a really awesome t-shirt designed that we will be offering through Teespring.  You can see a preview of it in the video below.  We're waiting for some administrative things to be finished up, like Facebook ads and a press release, but right now it looks like Thursday, October 17 is going to be the official launch.

Our stated goal is to celebrate how marching band develops character, which will prepare them for a successful life. We're celebrating:

Perseverance
Teamwork
Concentration and focus
Discipline

This t-shirt celebrates what every marching band kid knows - Perfection Is The Norm!  Now everyone else will know it, too.

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Great Bands To Watch

Another Great Marching Band

I love marching band videos, can you tell?  This is from Tennessee State University, another fine example of a well-oiled marching band.

The first amazing thing on this video from Tennessee State University was when they went in "chaos formation"...lol...and then coalesced into a perfectly aligned marching band as if by magic.  That takes some skill with a capital S!

Further into the video, they had girls in red dancing - and maybe it's just me, but all I could say was "WHY???"!  It was a little bizarre but they looked like they were having fun.

This band was groovin' - in precise drill, no less!  What is that formation called about 2:30 into the video?  I'm sure someone will be able to tell me.  The video thumbnail above kind of hints at it - like constantly moving circles.

At one point, they lie down on the field and the drum majors get their funky on - it's hilarious! Really innovative, and I really enjoyed it.

Let me know what you think!

Marching Band Prepares Kids For Life

I have to admit - before my son entered high school, I didn't give marching band a second thought. You know...it was mostly for geeks who couldn't play a sport (yes, I know it's horrible of me to say it).  Then when he joined marching band, it didn't take me long to find out how wrong I was.  Let me count the ways that I love marching band:-)

It requires mental discipline. This is in subtle, as well as some not so subtle ways. You have to be on time.  You've all heard the old saying, "In marching band, being early is on time and being on time is late", or something along those lines. (You guys probably know better that I do how it goes!)  So kids, especially freshmen in high school, who had their lives other-directed up until now (by teachers, parents, etc), now find themselves developing that oh-so-important skill of time management.

You have to make sure you have all your equipment with you that you will need for the day.  Imagine my surprise when I heard my absent-minded son (in honors classes, mind you, but still absent-minded) reciting something, which, when I asked, turned out to be a run-down of what he needed to remember to take for the band's out of town performance.  I was shocked, shocked I tell you.

You have to have the mental discipline of retaining math (counting), notes (music) as well as coordination of your finger/hands/mouth for whatever instrument you're playing, physical presence (where you are in relation to your fellow marchers), musical presence (where you are in relation to your fellow musicians), directions (from the band director), and the toughness, mental and physical, to maintain your best until the end without giving up. You can't teach these things!  They are learned in marching band.

Additionally, marching band, like other sports, fosters maturity by requiring good sportsmanship in the face of disappointing scores. Learning how to lose gracefully is equally as important as learning how to win gracefully.

One thing I noticed as my son entered high school is that he didn't seem to have any nervousness or difficulty in "fitting in."  It helped that he had a couple of friends in the neighborhood that he saw on the bus every morning, but marching band gave him a place to belong, a purpose.  Like the commercial says, "Priceless!"  I'm proud of my marching band hero.

Let me know in the comments what you think you (or your child, if  you're a parent) have learned from marching band.

Top 5 Gifts For The Marching Band Geek In Your Life

If you think it's hard finding a great gift for your favorite marching band member, look no further. There are ideas here for boys and girls.  And I tried to find gifts that would fit everyone's budget.  Christmas is right around the corner - with still lots of time to save up! Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Marching Band Clear Crystals Silver Chain Fashion Heart Necklace

Nothing gets the crowd fired up at the game like a great marching band. Shine bright and share what you love (or who you love?) in this head-turning and stylish necklace. Celebrate the sounds of your life, a great gift for a Band Mother, Grandmother, Sister, or Band Member! Featuring a Silver Plated Heart Shaped Charm Engraved with "Band", Adorned with Stunning Clear Crystals. All resting upon a gorgeous Silver Chain Fashion Necklace measuring approximately 18 inches in diameter.

2.  TUBA PLAYER Street Sign.

This sign is 4"x18" and made with an exterior grade PVC plastic and printed with the best inks in the industry. Perfect for outdoor use for over 5 years or will look great inside. No rusting or fading indoors or out. The sign come with round corners and 2 holes for easy mounting. 

3.  EAT SLEEP MARCHING BAND Steel Metal License Plate Frame

This High Quality Steel Auto, SUV, Truck License Plate Frame measures 12.5 X 6.5 inches, weights about 12 oz and has pre drilled holes that has a distance in between for 7 inches. Its dimensions allows this frame to fit over all US and Canada vehicles.

4.  The Marching Band Nerds Handbook

Hold onto your shirts and plumes...they're back! From the author of the hugely popular BAND NERDS Poetry From The 13th Chair Trombone Player, comes The Marching BAND NERDS Handbook, a humorously inspiring guide to surviving life in the marching band world. All the best (and funniest) secrets are revealed in this series of rules and illustrations that, if followed strictly, almost guarantees world domination. Did you know that clarinets are secretly ninjas? Or that even band parents need supervision? If you've ever taken a step on the marching field or have just driven by a field on the highway, this handbook can solve every problem in your life (actual results may vary).

5.   Heirloom Finds Colorful Enamel Marching Band Bracelet in Silver Tone with Magnetic Clasp

March on! This adorable bracelet features sweet charms for marching band fanatics! Drums, tubas, xylophones and a uniform - this bracelet has all the makings for a show stopper! The charms are colorful in enamel and silver tone. The bracelet measures 7 ½" long and ½" wide and features a magnetic fold over clasp for easy wear.

I wonder which one I can get my little marching band geek? I gotta make sure he doesn't read this page!

I Love To Watch Marching Bands

This is the University of Notre Dame marching band - don't they look great?  Or rather, I guess I should say they are the Band of the Fighting Irish.

I guess it's true that a great football team deserves a great marching band.  There are several reasons why I LOVE this picture.  

First of all is the sheer size of the band.  There are what, 400, 450, more? band members?  It boggles my mind to think of them all in perfect formation - it's epic! I watched a YouTube video with these guys marching and thought I was going to cry with the sheer perfection of it.  Then I watched the Purdue band at halftime at the Purdue-Notre Dame game, and OMG.  Absolutely Amazing!

Then, in a band this size, there is the discipline of knowing exactly where you are in relationship to the person next to you, behind you and in front of you.  It may seem obvious, but you can't be in formation without knowing this! Look at the perfectly straight lines they form - and they're perpendicular to the football field hash marks, so they're are going by their own internal navigation. 

Next, I love their uniforms - very subdued for a marching band, don't you think?  Yet the overall effect contributes to them functioning as one unit.  No dancing girls in skimpy outfits here! Lol. I think it takes guts for a marching band to wear white shoes - you can really tell the missteps (not that I saw any, of course) when the shoes flashing by are white. 

I'm going to try to get a band director to give me an interview to write about here so that I can get a professional opinion.  I'm strictly an amateur when it comes to the technical aspects and I'm sure a band director could really give some good pointers on great bands like the Band of the Fighting Irish, don't you think?

Let me know in the comments what your favorite band is to watch, either live or on video. 

Goose Creek Spirit of Gold Marching Band 2013

Take a look at "our" marching band, the Goose Creek Spirit of Gold Marching Band. They have historically done very well in competition - even their "rival" schools say so!

The video was taken less than a month ago and it looks like it's shaping up to be a great year. They sound great, they look great.  These kids are pretty amazing, considering that some of them are only 14 years old.  What a great experience for them to carry into their later years!  Not to mention the musical skills, coordination, stamina, teamwork, discipline...I could go on and on...what a great training ground for life.  I'm going to write something on that in another post, so be watching for that.  

And...dare I say it?...they're amazingly in tune!  I'd love to hear what you think - add a comment and let me know.