Thirty years too late

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I’ve been playing musical instruments since the 5th grade, when I started on violin. (One instrument that I failed to master.) In junior high school, I switched to French horn and, in 9th grade, settled on trombone as my main instrument. We had a marching band in junior high, although we mainly marched in parades. Phoebus High SchoolMy first year of high school was the first year of a brand new school so although we didn’t have uniforms, we had a marching band. The next year, we had uniforms and I got to be drum major. Still, this was small time compared to what I experienced the following year as a freshman at Hampton. Now that was a marching band 🙂 I had a heck of a good time participating.

ODU LogoI transferred to ODU the next year. No football, no marching band 😦 Yeah, there was a pep band that played at basketball games but honestly, it wasn’t the same. Now that ODU is starting football, it’s only natural that they will have a marching band. And, according to Saturday’s Virginian Pilot, there will be one.

As with the football team, 2008 will be a “redshirt,” or unofficial playing, year. They’ll practice, march in parades, and perform at high school games and in exhibitions at high school festivals.

“We’ll figure out what we are,” Treviño said.

But he’s thinking about 2009. Expect different shows each home game, he said. The drum major will twirl and toss a mace. They’ll play to all parts of the stadium, so no one feels left out. Pregame rituals will include the ODU fight song, as well as saluting opponents with their fight songs.

I’ve been looking forward to football at my alma mater. But I’m really looking forward to the marching band. Too bad it’s thirty years too late for me to participate. Maybe they should have an oldsters section for folks like me 😦

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3 thoughts on “Thirty years too late”

  1. To me… there is no greater sound than that of a well practiced marching band. To this day, some 25 years after my graduation, I still get chills listening to them.

    Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day parades are all the rage in my house. I get up and get coffee or another beverage during the floats and balloons, and my kids watch. When the marching bands come into view, they get up and get their drinks and snacks and I sit glued to the television.

    The kick of the base drum, the musical notes of the horns, and the heartbeat of the drum line… there is nothing else like it. Perfect cadence, perfect step, perfect sound.

    I was on the drum line. For 4 years. And I still miss it to this day. I live vicariously through every percussionist on every drum line in every marching band I see.

    Thanks for the memories Vivian.

    And congratulations to ODU’s Marching Monarchs!!!

  2. You know, before this goes any further, you should start a pool. People can guess whether or not a particular blogger/commenter is (because it will never be “was”) a marching band dork . . .

    ~

    I used to live a block away from Morris Brown and Clark Atlanta. They knew how to march 🙂

  3. Come on now Mark… you specifically stated “is” (present tense) vice “was” (past tense) yet you say that Morris Brown and Clark Atlanta “knew” (past tense) how to march. Indicating they are no longer able to, and there for “was” a dork as opposed to “is”.

    I’m confused.

    Oh, and for what it’s worth, I played football and baseball too. So I “is” a marching band dork and a jock too. 🙂

    Still no bike yet Mark… still shopping and looking and test riding.

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