Marching band is and has always been a common fall ensemble that most music majors have performed in since they were in high school. This is true. It can be very beneficial to those who would someday aspire to be a band director. This is also true. But what would you say if I told you that the marching ensemble is the most detrimental ensemble to those who would aspire to be a professional performer? This is a truth that many would rather not recognize.
Marching band is not a required ensemble for the music performance degree. When the government decided on the minimum courses to satisfy the education of a performance major, they realized that performing in the ensemble no longer benefitted their musical education. The scholarships, however, do require the participation in the ensemble. According to Collegeboard.com Inc. the majority of students in America are dependant on a scholarship to go to school.
Marching Band and Hearing Loss:
According to a study done for the Duke University Marching Band by Joseph Keefe in 2003-2004, performing in marching bands will eventually lead to permanent hearing damage. Some studies have shown the decibel reading to reach as high as 130 dB in the large university bands. This is louder than a construction site (110 dB) and that of a jet aircraft taking off at 60 meters (120 dB). It is a fact that these ensembles can and do reach these high decibel ratings and sustained over time will cause irreparable damage to one's hearing. This is bad for a music educator, but far more catastrophic to a performer who relies entirely on the accuracy of his/her hearing.
Marching Band and Playing Life:
The style of playing in a marching band is generally "ver loud, fast, and exciting." This, over time, has become what football crowds expect. What if I told you that consistently playing in this fashion will drastically reduce your playing life? As Fred Shuster states in his article "When Your Chops Are Shot" which appeared in the October 1995 issue of Downbeat Magazine, "in sports and dance, performers often 'play through' injuries, attempting to put mind over matter in order to get through an important date." The article mainly tells the story of Freddie Hubbard, a great jazz trumpet player whose career "dates back to the gloery days of bebop, the growth of Blue Note records and the emergence of fusion and jazz-rock." According to the article, Freddie, now at the age of 57 (as of 1995) can no longer play for long stretches of time. This is due to a split lip that he got from overplaying on gigs regularly over a period of time which later became infected. As of the writing of this article, Freddie had been off the road for 18 months because it was truly too painful to play anymore.
Marching Band and the Practice Room:
It is a simple fact that the amount of time required to be a member of a marching band takes away extremely valuable time that needs to be utilized for practicing. Most music performance majors are required to practice a minimum of three hours per day. This is the bare minimum to continually make progress on the their instruments. Something that many people outside of the music programs are not aware of is that many music classes (namely ensembles) are only worth one credit hour a piece, marching band included. These classes still meet 3-4 times a week for a full class period, despite the minimal credit. Many music majors go from 8 or 9:10 in the morning to 5:40 for marching/concert/symphony band. When marching band season is in session there are also Friday rehearsals to 6 or 7, a rehearsal Saturday morning at 9 or 9:30, and a football game or marching band competition exhibition show. The old theory goes that each hour in class equals two to three hours outside of class for study. The simply fact is that there are not enough hours in the week for a music performance major to be in marching band, regular classes, study properly, and get the amount of practice time in necessary to be successful.
My Proposition:
I would propose to the university to put in place something in the way of a "Studio Scholarship" available to music performance majors that are upperclassmen (sophomore and above in credit hours). This is similar to a scholarship that has been available at the University of Kentucky for some years. I would suggest that it requires more playing opportunities for the individual; such as two juries, a midterm jury with a solo, and a final jury with a solo and scales. There could also be a performance major recital that the scholarship would require each semester. This would ensure that the students are putting in the same if not more hours than if they were in marching band, but it would be in an activity that would further their musical education beyond that of what performing in marching band can do.
In Conclusion:
The purpose of this has not been to in any way belittle the fine tradition of marching bands in this country of Morehead State University. Marching ensembles have a respected place in our society and our culture. It is simply my point that a music performance major need not be required to perform in an ensemble that may be detrimental to their musical growth, simply because they cannot afford to go to school on their own. It is my great hope that Morehead State University and any other university with a similar scholarship system in place will take this information under consideration in the coming years. The future of music in our world depends on those who will take the time to listen.
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