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128-455: The Yale Precision Marching Band (affectionately known as the YPMB , or more simply The Band , for short) is the official marching band of Yale University . It is a scatter band (what some peers might call a " scramble band "), as distinct from university marching bands that emphasize precise movements and geometric field formations. Band members refer to themselves as "The Members Of...", which

256-902: A corps of drums unit that serves under the command of the President of Colombia at his/her residence at the Casa de Nariño . Pipe bands are also used in the Colombian Navy 's educational institutions (the Admiral Jose Prudencio Padilla Naval Academy and the Marine Basic School). The Military Symphonic Band of the Colombian Air Force (founded in November 1987) consists of male and females NCOs, many of which are part of

384-431: A crab step when moving sideways. During a crab step, the musician crosses one leg over the other, either marching on the toes or rolling the foot sideways. Percussionists may also substitute roll step when their instruments would interfere with performing the high step. A true direction change involving the feet moving in a new direction requires either a prep step or a pivot , both of which are sometimes referred to as

512-424: A drill book (also known as a dot book). Drill books, or drill charts, show where each person stands during each set of the show. The drill charts include yard lines and hashes as they would be on an actual football field, which shows the band members where to stand relative to the yard lines and hashes. There are many ways of getting from one formation to the next: Players may point the bells of their instruments in

640-419: A flank or “stab”. To perform a prep step, on the last count of movement in the first direction a marcher plants the foot with the heel turned outward at half the angle of the turn desired, with the upper body still facing forward. On the next count, the other foot snaps into position completing the turn. The upper body may or may not turn with the lower body. Some bands plant the heel on the prep step rather than

768-794: A "Good job" for their performance of The Star-Spangled Banner . Given the long history of the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic , it is no surprise that the military band tradition is a mix of the French and United States military band practice. Ceremonial bands are present not just in the Armed Forces but in the Dominican Republic National Police . The Armed Forces' senior band is the Band of

896-584: A Division I athletic program." Granata further pointed out, "Performers are constantly moving, and often running, at velocities that reach 180 steps or more per minute while playing instruments that weigh up to 40 pounds." Performers’ metabolic rates matched those of marathon runners halfway through a marathon, while the heart rate was more along the lines of someone who was running a "400 or 800-meter dash." Performance styles range from traditional block marching to elaborate productions with evolving drill patterns. WAMSB (World Association of Marching Show Bands)

1024-420: A band of musicians was formed for the whole. Military bands can vary in function and duties based on their specific mission. Bands may perform for a variety of reasons such as special events, military parades , military review, military tattoos , public relations, and troop entertainment. It may also play a role in boosting the esprit de corps or morale of the entire military, a particular service branch or

1152-426: A complete halt when not marching. Traditionally, the drumline would put their feet in a V-shape and lift their feet fully off the ground a few inches. This is to avoid hitting the drums. Even when marking time, it is considered good form for all band members to stay in step —that is, step with the same foot at the same time. A large majority of bands step off with, or start marching on, the left foot. Staying in step

1280-561: A day, my players think I’m a helluva lot easier.” In his presentation to the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in 2009, researcher and exercise physiologist Gary Granata presented research after studying members of the Avon High School Marching Black and Gold , noting "At the top levels of marching band and drum corps, you get a level of competition and athleticism that is equal to

1408-537: A few unique additions (a remnant of the former French influence in the armed forces). Another distinguishing feature is the presence of the Turkish crescent in the military bands when they are on parade and the band's conductor being assisted by a bugle major. The Military Forces of Colombia and the National Police of Colombia sport military bands and drum and bugle corps with formations similar to those in

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1536-439: A marching band creates sound waves . The waves from each musician, traveling at the speed of sound, reach the other musicians, field conductors, and listeners at slightly different times. If the distance between musicians is large enough, listeners may perceive waves to be out of phase . Typically, in this case, listeners perceive that one section of the band is playing their parts slightly after another section. This delay effect

1664-720: A marching band organized in the British format. There are currently 9 main military bands currently under the auspices of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) that are speed across the four different branches of the SANDF ( Army , Navy , Air Force , Health Service ). Outside of marching bands, which follow the British influence, the SANDF also follows the British/Commonwealth precedent for utilizing pipe bands , with some of

1792-416: A more fluid appearance, allowing for better control of more difficult formations and various styles of music. With this control also comes the ability to perform a much broader range of tempos . Proper execution of a roll step gives a player marching at 40 beats per minute the same smooth tone as a player marching at 180. The roll step allows for much better control of the upper body, and thus better control of

1920-682: A result. The Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF) maintains multiple military bands that are based on the British pattern. The two main bands are the Zimbabwe National Army Band (shortened to the Zim Army Band) and the Air Force of Zimbabwe Band. The latter band has a traditional Hosho player serving in its ranks. A smaller band, Crocodile Sounds , is part of the Mechanized Brigade. The ZDF also maintains

2048-558: A similar function to that of a military band. Military band instruments such as fife, drum, and bugle were historically used to communicate orders to soldiers in battle. 11th century book Diwan Lughat al-Turk mentions a prototype of the Mehtaran , as a "nevbet", Turkish military band tradition. Bands were formed by soldiers. 17th century traveler Evliya Çelebi noted that the Ottoman Empire had 40 guilds of musicians in

2176-408: A specific unit (usually regiment/brigade-sized at least). Military bands play ceremonial and marching music , including the national anthems and patriotic songs. A concert band 's repertoire includes original wind compositions, arrangements of orchestral compositions, light music , popular tunes and concert marches found in standard repertoire. Modern-day military musicians often perform

2304-581: A variety of other styles of music in different ensembles, from chamber music to rock and roll . Military bands take place in Algeria. The Algerian People's National Army maintains military bands in the country. The Angolan Armed Forces maintains Portuguese-style military bands, primarily in the Army, Navy and Air Force and then in individual units of the FAA. The primary band is the 100-member Music Band of

2432-586: A youth program sponsored by the Canadian Forces, also maintain their own bands. Bands of Cadets Canada are modeled after their respective sponsored service branch. Two Chilean mounted bands are of high interest: the Mounted Band and Bugles of the 1st Cavalry Regiment "Grenadiers" and the Band and Bugles of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment "Hussars" of the Chilean Army . Other bands include the band of

2560-430: Is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces . A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments . The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of bandmaster or music director . Ottoman military bands are thought to be the oldest variety of military marching bands in the world, dating from the 13th century. The military band

2688-491: Is an international organization holding many competitions throughout the world. Its World Championships are held annually in the summer in a different country. Past host nations include Canada, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, & Australia. WAMSB sanctioned events happen in 32 nations. In the United States , there are two national competition circuits in which bands can compete: Bands of America and

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2816-418: Is called an 8-to-5 step because the marcher covers five yards (about 4.6 m ) in eight steps. A step size of 30 inches is called 6-to-5 because five yards are covered in six steps. Because yard lines on an American football field are five yards apart, exact 8-to-5 and 6-to-5 steps are most useful for field shows. A drum cadence , sometimes called a walk beat or street beat, is usually played when

2944-537: Is capable of playing ceremonial and marching music , including the national anthems and patriotic songs of theirs and other nations, both while stationary and as a marching band . Military bands also play a part in military funeral ceremonies. There are two types of historical traditions in military bands. The first is military field music . This type of music includes bugles (or other natural instruments such as natural trumpets or natural horns ), bagpipes or fifes , and almost always drums . This type of music

3072-556: Is composed of 74 musicians who play instruments ranging from instruments for marching bands to traditional instruments. Individual military units operate music bands. Currently, the 3rd Army Division Music Band serves one of the largest military garrisons in the country. Military bands are also active both in the Military Police and the Military Firefighters Corps, one of the most notable of which being

3200-674: Is currently the country's most senior military band, having an area of responsibility out of its base in Windhoek . The Namibian Navy and the Namibian Marine Corps also maintain their own ceremonial brass bands. Nigerian military bands follow the British Household Division format and are heavily influenced and aided by British military bands. Military bands in Nigeria share similar practices with

3328-472: Is derived from their introduction at Yale events. Aside from Director Thomas C. Duffy and Business Manager Stephanie Theodos Hubbard, the band is largely student-run. In October 1985, six YPMB members were suspended after dropping their pants at halftime during the Yale-Holy Cross game. Only one week earlier, the band was forbidden by West Point officials from performing its halftime show during

3456-426: Is even more important during backward marching. When a band is not moving, the members may mark time , or march in place. The step used usually resembles the step that is used for marching forward, though mixing a high step mark time with a roll step march (or vice versa) produces an interesting visual effect. For a typical mark time, the foot is raised to the ankle bone of the opposite leg. The toe should not come off

3584-465: Is generally easier when the band is playing music or when the drums are playing a marching cadence. When the band and percussion are not playing, rhythm may be maintained in a variety of ways: a drummer may play taps or rim shots, the drum major may clap or use a woodblock, a drum major or band member may vocalize a sharp syllable like "hit," "hut," or "dut," or band members may chant the military call of "left, left, left right left." Band members may count

3712-582: Is hosted at a college or professional stadium. Bill Clinton , 42nd President of the United States , was a member of a marching band in high school. He attended Hot Springs High School in Arkansas and performed as a saxophone player while later serving as drum major for the band . He is the only U.S. President to have been a member of a marching band . Most marching bands in Canada are organized by

3840-417: Is informally referred to as ensemble tear or phasing (not to be confused with the music composition technique of the same name ). Many marching bands serve as entertainment during American football games, which may also be known as pep band. For college and high school marching bands, this is the primary purpose of the ensemble. Three National Football League teams designate an official marching band:

3968-538: Is most common in the U.S. among secondary school bands and drum and bugle corps. Competitions at the national level, such as the Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championships. Although its legitimacy is often called into question, competitive marching band is sometimes considered a sport, due in large part to the physical exertion required in combination with teamwork. Many HBCU marching band fans refer to marching band as marching sport. Sports Illustrated considered

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4096-427: Is on the wrong foot, for instance, odd on the right foot and even on the left, this is referred to as being out of step . When a band member is completely off tempo, it is referred to as being out of phase . In parades , bands usually line up in a marching block composed of ranks and files . Each member tries to stay within his or her given rank and file, and to maintain even spacing with neighboring musicians. It

4224-640: Is the central military band of the Ethiopian National Defense Force . With its headquarter in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa , it performs on ceremonial and state functions. Given the British influence, its current formation on parade is modeled on those of the British Army line infantry bands. It is composed of a marching band , a big band , a Corps of Drums , and a youth cadets section modeled on similar bands in

4352-410: Is traditionally the responsibility of the people at the end of each rank and the front of each file to be in the correct location; this allows other band members to use them as a reference, also known as guiding . Band members also try to keep a constant pace or step size while marching in parade. Step sizes usually vary between 22 and 30 inches (56–76 cm ) per stride. A step size of 22.5 inches

4480-445: Is typically led by one or more drum majors , also called field commanders, who are usually responsible for conducting the band (sometimes using a large baton or mace ) and are commonly referred to as the leader of the band. Commands—such as vocal orders, clapping, or a whistle—may be used to issue commands as well. The following overview is heavily focused on the U.S. marching band tradition. The glide step , also commonly known as

4608-461: Is usually confined to competitive marching bands. Drum Majors , the field commanders and band directors, usually do not wear the regular band uniform, to better distinguish them from the rest of the band. Some wear more formal outfits or costumes that match the theme of the music, or most commonly a differently designed version of the regular band uniform, often employing different colors (especially white) or features such as capes. Some (especially at

4736-768: The Argentine National Gendarmerie and the Argentine Naval Prefecture . The Barbados Defence Force Band (also known as the Zouave Band), is an element of the reserve units that are composed of members of The Barbados Regiment and the Barbados Defence Force . In Bolivia, the use of the Turkish crescent with the addition of vertical banners and standards is standard practice in its military bands (only

4864-675: The Luanda Naval Base. All bands follow both the Portuguese and British precedent with the percussion at the front ranks of the band. Cameroonian military bands solely follow the French precedent for military music and military bands. The Yaoundé based Music Band Company of the Cameroonian Armed Forces under the baton of Captain Florent Essimbi is the main military band of the country. The band

4992-603: The Malaysian Armed Forces , however, in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of show bands and drum corps in the country. Although the Ministry of Education organizes most school marching bands, other organizations have made consistent efforts to organize local marching bands. In Russia , there are not many school or local marching bands in existence, with most being government-sponsored military and police bands, as well as several bands operated by

5120-634: The Musique du Carroussel spécial de l'armée , the Musique de la Garde Présidentielle and the Musique de la gendarmerie . Although Ethiopia has a very long militarily history dating back to the Kingdom of Axum its bands were firstly of the French manner of a fanfare band. The first regular band was established by the early 20th century before the Italian invasion of the 1930s, based on the British and German tradition. The first permanent military band in

5248-837: The Nigerian Army and in the armed forces. Other bands maintained by the Nigerian Armed Forces outside the NABC include the Nigerian Air Force Band, the Nigerian Navy Band, and the Nigerian Defence Academy Band. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Band also serves as a paramilitary band. The Nigerian Navy Band was established in 1963 months prior to the country becoming a republic. The Air Force Band

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5376-524: The Nigerian Police Band, which was considered to be the pioneer military band formation in the country, being established in 1892. Being mostly composed of buglers at the time of its founding, the band was originally composed of British servicemen, rather than native Nigerians. Over the years, however, the Nigerian Armed Forces have taken enormous steps to indigenize military bands due to the overuse of American and British military music and

5504-956: The Presidential Guard Battalion , the Independence Dragoons, and the Brazilian Air Force Academy Band. The band for the Presidential Guard Battalion is the only band in the Brazilian Army to include both a pipe band section and a drum corps. Personnel from both the Presidential Guard Battalion Band and the Band of the Independence Dragoons form part of the newly formed Army Marching Band and Pipes and Drums, formed in 2016. The Brazilian Marching Band and Pipes and Drums

5632-713: The Royal Canadian Air Force . The Music Branch includes both concert bands, made up of brass , percussions , and woodwind instruments ; and pipe and drum bands , formerly the Branch provided corps of drums and drum and bugle corps for ceremonial duties. In addition to the bands of the Regular Force and Primary Reserve, the Royal Military College of Canada also maintains a pipe and drum bands . The Canadian Cadet Organizations ,

5760-582: The Singapore Armed Forces Bands soon inspired the creation of the Singaporean marching band tradition. By the 1960s, school and college marching bands, corps of drums and drum and bugle corps began to be commonplace (the latter in cadet units), as well as bands of youth uniformed organizations and universities, all following the armed forces pattern and British and Malayan (later Malaysian) precedence. The People's Association became

5888-610: The Toronto Signals Band , have military roots and were formerly Canadian Army bands. In the case of the aforementioned bands, their lineage is shared with the bands of The Ontario Regiment , the 6th Northumberland Militia and the 2nd Armoured Divisional Signals Regiment respectively. In the early to mid-20th century, the Canadian Forces maintained drum and bugle corps, which were similar in instrumentation and organization to civilian marching bands. In Taiwan ,

6016-469: The United States , Italy , Germany and France . Military bands first reached Bogotá in the 16th century and were developed into active musical ensembles in the 20th century. In the late 1890s, military bands in the country were implemented based on the French model of these ensembles. The 37th Infantry Presidential Guard Battalion of the National Army of Colombia maintains a military band and

6144-664: The United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA, more commonly referred to as USBands), involving over 700 high school bands compete during the Fall season with bands of similar size and talent. Each competition provides approximately 40 professional judges who give feedback on the show's programming and design. At the season's end, the top 50 bands are invited to compete in the US Scholastic Band Championship, which

6272-548: The Washington Commanders , Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens . Marching bands are otherwise uncommon at the professional level. Nearly all marching band personnel wear some kind of uniform . Military-style uniforms are most common, but there are bands that use everything from matching T-shirts and shorts to formal wear. The school or organization's name, symbol, or colors are commonly applied to uniforms. Uniforms may also have substantially different colors on

6400-419: The roll step, involves bringing the heel gently to the ground with the toe pointed up, and then rolling forward onto the toes before lifting the foot to continue forward. While marching to the rear, the weight is placed continually on the ball of the foot with the heel elevated. This style is used by both marching bands as well as drum and bugle corps. The style, in comparison to high step, gives drill formations

6528-536: The 1670s Istanbul . Ottoman military bands influenced European equivalents. Each regiment in the British Army maintained its own military band. Until 1749 bandsmen were civilians hired at the expense of the colonel commanding a regiment. Subsequently, they became regular enlisted men who accompanied the unit on active service to provide morale enhancing music on the battlefield or, from the late nineteenth century on, to act as stretcher bearers. Instruments during

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6656-441: The 18th century included fifes, drums, the oboe ( hautbois ), French horn, clarinet and bassoon. Drummers summoned men from their farms and ranches to muster for duty. In the chaotic environment of the battlefield, musical instruments were the only means of commanding the men to advance, stand or retire. In the mid 19th century each smaller unit had their own fifer and drummer, who sounded the daily routine. When units massed for battle

6784-570: The 4th Armoured Cavalry Regiment (Mountain) "General Lavalle's Cuirassiers". They wear uniforms similar to those of the French Republican Guard Cavalry and 19th-century cuirassier units. This band uses the same brass and percussion instruments as in the Mounted Grenadiers, when either mounted or dismounted. There are currently 54 bands in the army. Other bands in the Army include: The Argentine Navy fields

6912-739: The Argentine Army: Germans gave Argentines Alte Kameraden , while Argentines gave Germans the Marcha de San Lorenzo , which was used in 1940 during the victory parade on the Champs Elysées following the defeat of France. Argentine military bands have field drummers and occasionally buglers and fifes (as is the case with the Tacuari Drummer military band of the Regiment of Patricians , which has two fifers) accompanying

7040-1204: The Army NCO School and the Bernardo O'Higgins Military Academy, also of the Chilean Army, the Band of the Chilean Marine Corps Basic School, the Band of the Arturo Prat Naval School and the Band of the Naval Politechnical Academy, all of the Chilean Navy and the National Band of the Carabineros . Band formations on parade, mounted bands included, follow the German model, however only the Chilean Air Force Symphonic Band does not participate -

7168-399: The Army and the cavalry of the National Guard, fanfare trumpeters are the equivalent to their infantry counterparts. In 1884, the 76-member Band of the 8th Mexican Cavalry Regiment under the direction of Encarnación Payén visited the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition , which was seen as a massive PR campaign for American investment by Mexican President Porfirio Diaz . It

7296-401: The Army, is composed only of timpani, fanfare trumpets, a snare drum, single tenor drums and sousaphones (when mounted), the military band, which serves as the official presidential band, has a similar formation like the Military Academy but with the large size (around 60 musicians). European influence of military bands in Guatemala began when an Italian opera company arrived in the country in

7424-470: The Army-Yale game for the script's insinuation that certain government officials were communists. The following season, in the Yale-Army game at New Haven, the YPMB took the unusual step of marching in straight lines for several minutes before breaking into its usual scatter formations. (NYT 10/7/86, B4) Before the band left the field, members removed their blue blazers on the field, spelling out "USA." The Band's repertoire includes hundreds of songs arranged by

7552-413: The Band of the NCO School "Captain Andrés M. Díaz", which wears the service full dress and marches with the school drum and bugle corps. Since the late 1960s, the tradition of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Military Bands Department has been based mostly on the Russian tradition but also with a mix of the former American and Caribbean musical influence. The previous regime of Fulgencio Batista ,

7680-509: The Big Ten. Four primary sub-variants of the high are used: An integral part of this style of marching is known as stop action, meaning that all movement ceases momentarily at the apex of each step. This requires a band to have a great deal of stamina, though is effective visually. High step marching is often accompanied by a horizontal swing of the player's body or instrument. When band members are marching in one direction but want to focus their sound on another, they may rotate their bodies at

7808-423: The Bolivian Navy and Air Force. As a general rule the bandsmen of these two services wear the service full dress uniform on parade, regardless of rank held (the Navy has an exception, as US dixie hats are worn with the full dress by bandsmen who are in lower-ranked ratings). Brazilian military bands descend from the small unit bands of the Portuguese Army in what was then Colonial Brazil . The last of these bands

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7936-487: The Bolivian Navy fields bagpipers and fanfare trumpeters in its bands), while the drumline is stationed at the front of the ensemble, thus following both German and French practice. The bands of the Bolivian Colorados Regiment , the presidential guard infantry regiment, and of the Bolivian Army Military Music School are both designated as the country's most senior military bands of the Bolivian Armed Forces . The Military Music School ( Escuela Militar de Musica del Ejercito )

8064-413: The Brazilian Marine Corps and the Brazilian Navy in all activities it participates. Its formation mirrors Portuguese and Italian military band traditions, as well as those of the United States drum and bugle corps of the early 20th century. The Brazilian Marine Corps also fields for public duties the Brasilia Marine Corps Band and the Central Band of the Marine Corps. Other military bands include those of

8192-416: The Canadian Band Association or by Canadian universities: Although many bands have still retained the British tradition for marching bands, most have also adopted the style utilized by their American counterparts. Canadian military bands are often associated with civilian marching bands. Many of the civilian marching bands that exist today, such as the Oshawa Civic Band , The Concert Band of Cobourg and

8320-559: The Commonwealth (for example Fiji 's Military Forces ) and many ex-Soviet nations (with the USSR inheriting the tradition from the Kingdom of Russia). Many bands perform a wide selection of both traditional styles of music such as marches, with film scores, or adaptations of contemporary music. The goal of each band's performance is different. Some aim for maximum uniformity and precision; others aim to be as entertaining as possible. Some show bands also involve comedic elements, such as Scramble bands which generally do not march in time with

8448-466: The Commonwealth of Nations. It has received assistance from the British Royal Corps of Army Music , most recently between 2007 and 2012. The band itself has trained other marching bands in the country like the Tigray and Somalian marching bands. In Addition to the EDFMB, there are some notable marching bands in Ethiopia, including: The Namibian Defence Force maintains many military bands throughout its service branches and even its own central band for

8576-424: The Drummers Group of the Boarding School for Girls of the Ministry of Defense of Russia and the Moscow & District Pipe Band. The country has hosted many marching band tattoos within the last 70 years, including the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo in Moscow and the Amur Waves International Military Bands Festival in Khabarovsk . The traditions of both the Singapore Police Force Band and

8704-448: The Imperial Bodyguard Band included Tilahun Gessesse and Mahmoud Ahmed , Bizunesh Bekele, Colonel Sahle Degago and many more. It was the first African nation to implement western style military music conventions. It came under the direct command of the Derg in the 70s and went into its current form in 1991. Current marching bands in Ethiopia Today the Ethiopian National Defence Force Band (ENDFB) ( Amharic : የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ መከላከያ ባንድ)

8832-407: The Military School of Music (MSM), currently based at Imbizo Barracks in Bulawayo . In the now dissolved Rhodesian Security Forces , musical duties were provided by the Band and Drums of the Rhodesian African Rifles , notably led by Captain Ken MacDonald, composer of Rise, O Voices of Rhodesia , the Rhodesian anthem. A military band was also maintained by the Rhodesian Corps of Signals. Given

8960-431: The Music Society of Nigeria to improve its performances. Like Cameroon and Niger, the Armed Forces of Senegal follows the French military band format in all of its musical formations. The Mounted Squadron of the Red Guard of Senegal , being the premier ceremonial unit of its 1st Infantry Regiment, maintains a 35-member mounted fanfare band similar to that of the French Republican Guard Cavalry. The mounted band leads

9088-468: The National Marching Band Association is the main organizer of local marching bands in the country. It is currently located at its headquarters in the Neihu District of Taipei City . The Taipei First Girls' High School currently sports one of the most acclaimed marching bands in the country. The first marching bands were introduced in Malaysia during the British colonial period and has since grown and increased its importance. The most common are found in

9216-883: The Navy Staff Band, the Band of the Argentine Naval Academy and the Band of the Argentine Navy NCO School. The Navy Staff Band is particularly unique that aside from buglers it also sports a bagpipe section. Representing the Argentine Air Force are the Band of the Argentine Air Force Academy, the Band of the Argentine Air Force NCO Academy, and the 1st Air Brigade Band. Military-styled police bands are present in both

9344-676: The Presidential Guard Regiment, the seniormost of the infantry of the Dominican Army, which serves as the protocol band for the President of the Dominican Republic, who serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. As a general rule Ecuadorian military bands are manned by servicemen with formations modeled after the German, British and United States practice. In parades, the percussion forms

9472-624: The Presidential Security Household, which is the official security service of the President of Angola . The music band of the Army Command was created on 16 June 1994. 4 years later, on 15 August 1998, the National Air Force created a music band within the artistic brigade. Outside the navy's marching band, the navy also has a small musical group known as Banda 10 de Julho (10 July Band), based at

9600-628: The Prussian precedent with the wearing of the Prussian-styled full dress on parades. Two additional regimental bands wear War of the Pacific era full dress in the Army (the bands of the 2nd Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Infantry Regiment). A number of Army regimental bands wear either battle dress or combat dress uniform on parade, with combat helmets as headdress for the bandsmen. There's only one mounted brass band. Bands are also mounted by

9728-693: The Raffles' Institution, St. Joseph's Institution, Victoria School, Bukit Panjang Government HS and the Anglo-Chinese School. The SPF has the country's three uniformed pipe bands, the Women's Police, SPF and Gurkha Contingent Pipe Bands, all raised in the late 1960s. Civilian pipe bands were formerly present in the PA, Boys Brigade and the Port of Singapore Authority. Military band A military band

9856-564: The South Marching Band wear traditional Trojan helmets. It is also common for band uniforms to have a stripe down the leg and light-colored shoes, or spats over dark shoes to emphasize the movement of the legs while marching. Similarly, uniforms may feature additional components which highlight movement of the upper body, such as the "wings" worn by the University of Minnesota 's marching band to highlight flanking movements on

9984-780: The Symphonic Band of the Military Police of Paraná State . Years of French and later British rule made their imprint in the creation of the Canadian military band tradition. The Music Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces is composed of six full-time bands of the Regular Force , and 53 part-time bands of the Primary Reserve . These bands serve the Canadian Army , Royal Canadian Navy and

10112-788: The United States and largely parallel modern drum and bugle corps . Many marching bands are Military bands which often derive from instrumentation generally consists of brass, woodwinds and percussion and they typically march forward with consistent straight lines and a constant tempo to facilitate the steady marching of the military unit. Field music units include drum and bugle corps , fanfare bands , pipe bands and fife and drum corps . Military styled marching bands are present in many European countries due to its historical origins in 18th Century European field armies and are present in many other nations due to colonial influence, including Latin America and South America, South and South-East Asia and

10240-713: The YPMB Junta, the Band's own syndicate of arranger-transcribers. These dedicated and talented folks manage to add more than 30 pieces to the Band music library every year. The YPMB runs the gamut of genres, from Hip Hop to Techno, Pop to R&B, and, of course, plenty of straight Rock. Marching band Marching bands are generally categorised by affiliation, function, size and instrumentation. In addition to traditional military parades , marching bands are frequently seen at events as varied as carnivals , parades , sporting events , trade union events and marching band competitions . Instruments have been frequently used on

10368-570: The activity a sport in 1987, describing the Drum Corps International World Championships “one of the biggest sporting events of the summer.” In the same article, Sports Illustrated quoted basketball coach Bobby Knight , "If a basketball team trained as hard as these kids do, it would be unbelievable. I like to take my players [to watch drum corps] to show them what they can accomplish with hard work and teamwork. Besides, once they see them practice 12 hours

10496-443: The air support needed for playing. Some bands, and a select few drum and bugle corps, use a bent-knee variant of roll step, usually known simply as bent knee, in which the members roll from heel to toe but lead the next step with the knee instead of the foot, then planting the heel of the next foot by straightening the leg. The high step is a style of marching used by many colleges and universities, including most bands of HBCUs and

10624-530: The army music unit was the Band of the 1st Battalion, Royal Sierra Leone Regiment . Mustapha Sahr "Big" Fayia formed an army dance band in 1965 from soldiers in the newly formed armed forces. It earned money by playing concerts at home and abroad, winning in 1978 the top band prize with their performance at the World Festival of Youth in Havana . The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces today maintains

10752-444: The audience to emphasize the dynamics of the music. Auxiliaries can also add to the visual effect. Backdrops and props ( scrims ) may be used on the field that fit the theme of the show or the music being performed. In comedic shows, particularly for university bands, an announcer may read jokes or a funny script between songs; formations that are words or pictures (or the songs themselves) may serve as punch lines. Each musician in

10880-403: The band is marching, oftentimes alternating with a song, and is typically how a band keeps time while not playing music. Alternatively, a drum or rim shot may be given on the odd beats to keep the band in step. Between songs and cadences, a roll is usually given to indicate what beat in the measure the band is at. Cadence tempo varies from group to group. While playing music during a field show,

11008-402: The band makes a series of formations, called drill, on the field, which may be pictures, geometric shapes, curvilinear designs, or blocks of musicians, although sometimes it may be pure abstract designs using no specific form. Typically, each band member has an assigned position in each formation. In many show bands and most drum corps, these positions are illustrated in a handheld booklet called

11136-700: The battlefield (for example the Iron Age carnyx and the medieval Ottoman military band ) but the modern marching band developed from European military bands formed in the Baroque period , partly influenced by the Ottoman tradition. 17th-century traveler Evliya Çelebi noted the existence of 40 guilds of musicians in Istanbul . In the 18th century, each regiment in the British Army maintained its own military band. Until 1749 bandsmen were civilians hired at

11264-423: The chaotic environment of the battlefield, musical instruments were the only means of commanding the men to advance, stand or retire. In the mid 19th century, each smaller unit had their own fifer and drummer, who sounded the daily routine. When units massed for battle a band of musicians was formed for the whole. In the United States , modern marching bands are often associated with American football games, with

11392-405: The college level) still employ the tall wool-lined shako or much larger bearskin (both often derisively referred to as a "Q-Tip hat"). Sousaphone players may use a military-style beret or entirely forgo the use of a head covering, as most hats may be in the way of the bell. Some auxiliary groups use uniforms that resemble gymnastics outfits: Often, these uniforms are themed, drawing inspiration from

11520-526: The country to represent their own branches. The Uganda People's Defence Force sports a military band for each of the three services: Army, Air Force and Special Operations Command. All bands follow the British precedence. The senior band is the UPDF Band, part of the army, which serves ceremonial duties in Kampala . In the 1970s, military bands under President Idi Amin gained official sponsorship grew as

11648-624: The country took the form of the Imperial Bodyguard Band ( Kibur Zebegna ) of the Ethiopian Empire , being formed in 1929 under Swiss conductor Andre Nicod. It originally consisted of just over a dozen uniformed musicians, majority coming from Welega province. Members of this band got their training originally from the Arba Lijoch fanfare band led by their Armenian bandleader Kevork Nalbandian. Notable members of

11776-439: The direction they are moving, or slide (also called traverse) with all the bells facing in the same direction. They may also point it towards the center of the field. Bands that march in time with the music typically also synchronize the direction of individuals' turns and try to maintain even spacing between individuals in formations (called intervals). Sometimes bands specifically have wind players turn their instruments away from

11904-597: The entire NDF. These bands followed the South African/British precedent due to the country's administration as South West Africa from 1915 to 1990. In recent years, it has gained a more German and Prussian tradition when marching and performing based on the country's 19th century colonial era as German South West Africa . Since the early 2000s, regular music training has been provided by the South African military. The Namibian Defence Force Brass Band

12032-454: The expense of the colonel commanding a regiment. Subsequently, they became regular enlisted men who accompanied the unit on active service to provide morale enhancing music on the battlefield or, from the late nineteenth century on, to act as stretcher bearers. Instruments during the 18th century included fifes, drums, the oboe ( hautbois ), French horn, clarinet and bassoon. Drummers summoned men from their farms and ranches to muster for duty. In

12160-606: The exposure of the military to Nigerian art. Some of these steps include the establishment of the Nigerian Army School of Music (NASM) and the creation of new military music. Nigerian military bands are today under the command of the Headquarters of the Nigerian Armed Forces in Abuja . The Nigerian Army Band Corps (NABC), which provides official military records for the armed forces, is the most senior band in

12288-420: The field. Competitive bands, however, many times opt for matching uniforms, especially pants and shoes (usually white or black) to hide the visual effect of members who are out of step as seen from a distance. Occasionally, a band forgoes traditional uniforms in favor of costumes that fit the theme of its field show. The costumes may or may not be uniform throughout the band. This kind of specialized uniform change

12416-470: The first civilian organization to form a dedicated marching band in 1965-66, and the Ministry of Education followed suit with a teachers' band made up of band instructors. Today the Ministry of Education is responsible for overall control over the school, college, university and polytechnic bands within Singapore, with two dedicated cadet bands. Some of Singapore's oldest high school marching bands are from

12544-418: The front and back, so if band members turn suddenly ( flank ), the audience sees a striking change of color. Band members at many Ivy League schools wear a jacket and tie while performing. The Southern Methodist University band wear a different combination of jackets, vests, ties, shirts, and pants for each half (changing before halftime) of each game and no clothing or uniform combinations are repeated during

12672-673: The front rank of the band or massed bands during the march past segment of parades. The Mounted Band of the Ecuadorian National Police uses brass, woodwinds and percussion (sans the timpani). The Ecuadorian Army's Eloy Alfaro Military Academy uses the same format as French bands but without the bugles, as they are part of the Corps of Drums. The fanfare band of the Presidential Mounted Ceremonial Squadron " Tarqui Grenadiers ", also of

12800-423: The ground and the knee should not come out much past the still-straight leg. Some bands mark time by bringing their feet up to their knee—known as high-mark time . Some bands practice marking time during concert arch with the toes coming off of the ground to give the marcher a greater sense of marching while standing still. The heel should hit the ground on the beat. Some bands forgo marking time and instead come to

12928-566: The history of the military forces in the Americas, the military band heritage in this part of the world is a mix of various traditions, primarily drawn from Europe. Countries in the Americas belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations are generally modelled after their British counterparts. Trinidad and Tobago take this tradition a bit further with the use of steelpans in its bands. Military bands throughout Latin America draws influence from

13056-801: The late 70s, with the NABC beginning the process of manufacturing steelpans and was the only steel band in the country until 2001. The Army School of Music in Ojo and the Navy School of Music in the Ota both provide musical instruction as it pertains to incoming musicians. In September 2019, Ibok Ekwe Ibas , the Chief of the Nigerian Naval Staff , announced plans for the Navy Directorate of Music to partner its foreign counterparts as well as

13184-585: The latter half of the 19th century to bring orchestra conductor Pietro Visoni to the country, where he was asked by President Miguel García Granados to take control of the bands of the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Guatemalan Army , after which Visoni merged the two and established the Martial Symphony Band, which is still in existence today. The School of Substitutes (known today as Military School of Music Maestro Rafael Alvarez Ovalle)

13312-755: The local governments. The marching bands of the Russian Armed Forces are organized by the Military Band Service in the Ministry of Defence . Also known as Marshiruyushchiye orkestr (loosely translated to Марширующие оркестр, which means Marching Orchestra in Russian), notable Russian marching bands include the Band and Corps of Drums of the Moscow Military Music College , whose cadets are famous for setting

13440-691: The main band. Three bands belong to the oldest cavalry, artillery and infantry regiments of the Argentine Army , using band formations modeled on German and Italian traditions. All of them report to the Buenos Aires Garrison Command and are administrative, as with the other bands, fall under the Inspectorate General of Military Music. Another notable band of the Argentine Army is the Mounted Band of

13568-451: The marching season. The Alma College Kiltie Marching Band is famous for wearing kilts made of the official Alma College tartan . The components of a band uniform are numerous. Common design elements include hats (typically shakos , pith helmets , combination hats or other styles of helmets) with feather plumes, capes, gloves, rank cords, and other embellishments. The USC Spirit of Troy Marching Band and Troy University 's Sound of

13696-528: The military bands found in France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, and Spain. However, Haiti remains the only state in the region whose military bands are primarily modelled after the French. Argentina has longstanding connections with Germany, and their army bands reflect these traditional links. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was an exchange of marches between the Imperial German Army and

13824-789: The military sported to military bands: the Music Band of the Cuban Navy (officially named as the Music Band of the Constitutional Navy) both of which were established 5 years apart in the first decade of the 20th century. The Band of the Ceremonial Unit of the Revolutionary Armed Forces has acclaimed high praise by many foreign leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama , who greeted bandleader Ney Miguel Milanes Gálvez and said that they did

13952-838: The most notable pipe and drums coming from the Transvaal Scottish Regiment . Since 1969, the South African Army is currently represented in musical support by the Corps of Bandsmen, a military band service that presides over the country's five military bands and the National Ceremonial Guard (NCG) Band. The South African Navy Band, the South African Air Force Band and the South African Military Health Service also operate in

14080-526: The music, but, as their name implies, scramble from design to design. Many bands have auxiliaries that add a visual component to the performance such as a color guard or even dance lines and majorettes . In the USA, these auxiliaries may even perform as independent groups (such as winter guard ). While military color guards were typically male, band color guards tend to be primarily female, though for both, mixed groups are becoming more common. A marching band

14208-402: The music. Many auxiliary groups change the outfits they use from season to season based on the needs of the band, although some that do also have a "base" uniform for occasions such as parades or other ceremonies. Bands may compete on criteria such as musicality, uniformity, visual impact, artistic interpretation, and the difficulty of the music and drill. Competition exists at all levels but

14336-635: The oldest (the University of Notre Dame Band of the Fighting Irish ) first performing at an American football game in 1887. After World War I , the presence and quality of marching bands in the American public school system expanded as military veterans with service band experience began to accept music teaching positions within schools with developments such as Precision Drill , a disciplined geometric march, based in part on military-style drill. Today, marching band competitions remain popular in

14464-542: The pace for the annual Victory Day Parades on Red Square . These types of bands only came into existence after 1991 when the Soviet Union ceased to exist. During the Soviet era, civilian like marching bands were extremely rare, with one of the only non-military bands having been employed in the late 1930s and early 1940s during National Sports Day parades in the capital of Moscow . Other Russian marching bands include

14592-552: The precedent set by British and other Caribbean military bands. The Jamaican Combined Cadet Force also maintains its own unit band. Military bands in Mexico follow the precedent of the Spanish military, with the band being on ceremonial occasions backed up by a drum and bugle corps mainly composed of snare drummers and buglers, both of which are provided by military units and educational institutions. In cavalry and artillery units of

14720-476: The reset of the squadron in military parades and ceremonial processions in the capital of Dakar . Band musicians ride on white horses whose tails dyed red to match the official colors of the Red Guard. The Armed Forces of Senegal is represented by a joint services band which, unlike the Red Guard mounted band, has a repertoire of a mix between Senegalese folk and classical music. This band was created in 1961 at

14848-791: The service is represented on parade by the Bands of the Captain Manuel Avalos Prado Air Force Academy and the Air Forces Specialities School. Another band formation and one with increasing public awareness is the military band of the Chilean Gendarmerie , which reports to the Ministry of Justice. Military bands in Chile have the same instrumentation with added bugles on the Corps of Drums, as German military bands, with

14976-400: The steps of the move out loud to keep the entire band together. Typically, most moves consist of any number of steps that are a multiples of two or four, due to most marching band music being in even numbered time signatures . Even-numbered time signatures aid in staying in step because they assign odd-numbered counts to the left foot, and even-numbered counts to the right foot. If a band member

15104-800: The time of the founding of the armed forces and the independence of the country. The main music of the Senegalese Armed Forces was at the time formed by a majority of newly recruited young people with no musical knowledge. It was then necessary to count on the Captain Jean Avignon who directed, for 12 years, the Paris-based Musique des Troupes de Marine . Its official duties were prescribed in November 1981. The Senegalese Gendarmerie also maintains its own fanfare band. During colonial rule in Sierra Leone ,

15232-412: The toe but preserving the angle of the foot. To perform a pivot, the marcher pivots between directions over the ball of the foot on the last count instead of using a prep step. A back march may be used when the band wishes to move in the opposite direction from where it is projecting its sound. There are several ways to back march, one of which is to walk backward, putting each foot down and rolling from

15360-493: The toe to the heel (the exact reverse of the roll step). Another variation involves marching on the platforms of the feet, dragging the toe of the moving foot on the ground. Backward marching usually employs the same preference for leg straightness as forward marching (if the band marches with legs completely straight while marching forwards, they also do so while marching backward, to preserve uniformity of style). Using peripheral vision to align oneself to formations or field markings

15488-452: The waist, so that only the upper portion of the body faces in the direction of play. This is known as lateral marching , but is more commonly known as either shifting , traversing , or sliding . A lateral march is not a change in the direction of march, only in the direction the upper body faces. Percussion players, whose large drum harnesses often prevent them from twisting their torsos, and sometimes tuba and sousaphone players, instead uses

15616-435: Was also designed to showcase Mexican military music, which was rarely if ever done before. Five years later, Diaz ordered the creation of the Music Band of the Supreme Power, which is now the Representative Music Band of the Mexican Armed Forces . In February 2015, it was reorganized to include personnel from the Secretariats of the Mexican Army , the Mexican Air Force and the Mexican Navy . The Symphonic Band and Chorus of

15744-424: Was created by Supreme Decree on 20 May 1889. Today the anniversary of the school is celebrated on 20 May of each year. In 1951, it received the honorific "Lt. Col. Adrián Patiño ". It wears the service dress with the peaked cap. In addition the Band of the Military College of Bolivia served as the senior band of the military educational institutions, having been established in the early 20th century. The Band follows

15872-531: Was created shortly after due to the lack of trained military musicians in the country. The school of music is today a middle level military training center. Many bands, when in concert formation, include the marimba as it is the national instrument of Guatemala. The Jamaica Defence Force funds and oversees two full-time military bands - the Jamaica Military Band (JMB) and the Jamaica Regiment Band (JRB). During war time, musicians will take on operational roles as Medical Assistants. Jamaican military bands follow

16000-470: Was founded in 1959, a year before Cameroon gained its independence, as purely a brass band company. Because of its increase in musicians it was upgraded to a musical section 10 years later. It has retained its current name since 2004. The band currently and has previously relied on its cooperation with the French Military and specifically its connections to musicians from the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon . Other band include

16128-449: Was the Band of the Brigada da Real da Marinha. The Armed Forces of the Empire of Brazil kept this tradition alive through the 19th century. Military bands became more common from the 1840s on, expanding into services such as military corps and the National Guard. Since the late 1940s, the Brazilian Marine Pipes, Drum and Bugle Corps uses brass (formerly bugles) and percussion instruments, as well as bagpipes and fifes. They represent both

16256-407: Was the most recent military band established, being founded in 1970. Enlisted musicians only joined a year later, and did not have its first director of music until 1975. On 9 April 2019, the NAF graduated its first set of pipers from an air base in Abuja who would later comprise the newly formed NAF Pipe Band. A pipe section can also be found in the Guards Brigade . Steel pans were introduced in

16384-420: Was used to control troops on the battlefield as well as for entertainment. Following the development of instruments such as the keyed trumpet or the saxhorn family of brass instruments, a second tradition of the brass and woodwind military band was formed. A third type, that of a mounted band , serves cavalry and sometimes artillery formations. Some police forces have their own police bands that provide

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