this is not how a marching band works at all, but of course hollywood has to ruin all art including marching band.
"Hey, why does Andrew get to get up. If he gets up, we'll all get up, It'll be anarchy!"
It might not be what your marching is like, but my dad was in an HBU marching band, and he said, for the most part, that it was correct.
We're going to the Winchester!
I was in marching band for seven years and I'd say it's pretty close to it.
"excuses are tools for the incompetent"
I haven't seen it but all of my friends who have seen it say it is close to the real thing.
shareWhich is why I would never take band because I would punch out somebody's lights, or everybody's, after the first day.
shareI love this movie. It depicts the realities of marching band extremely well.
shareSo why would anybody want to be in it?
sharepff, this movie is so far from the real thing its laughable.
shareI have to agree with you on that.
This movie is SO stand tune oriented, it hardly depicts what serious, competing bands are like. Look at REAL band competitions of merit such as BOA, or UIL.
DCI!? Hello?! Cavaliers Frameworks?!
I'd have to say that this movie is terrible at depicting what real marching band, drumline, and colorguard is like. If A&T played at a competition like BOA, they'd be put last place so fast, it'd be scary.
YES!!!
Cavaliers 2002 show "Frameworks":
Undefeated season
2 world record high scores, 99.05/100 at semi-finals, 99.15/100 at finals.
They wrote their own music even.
One of my favorite DCI shows.
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Maybe a lot of the deep south bands are like that, but I know that the bands like mine that go to Grand Nationals make it more of an artform rather than a show.
I am an American Airman...I will never falter, and I will not fail.
yeah dude I play clarinet and percussion. This movie was obviously more centered around eprcussion lines than actual wind instruments.
it wasnt exactly spot on with the drumming. ex., some of the stickings are sloppy and it doesnt look real sometimes. the wind instruments, since it didnt really dive into the them were correct for the most part. although in the final competition when Morris Brown performed with the rapper(i forget his name), the rapper had to be doing some serious counting. because in a huge dome like that theres gotta be sound issues and phasing problems that would split the band up with a band that size performing with a rapper.
This is pretty close to how show bands work. Obviously it is exaggerated (and extremely sloppy) but still close. I've been in corp bands and this movie is nowhere near what that's like. Now I'm in university and our band is a show band and I'm in TBS (the sister chapter of the frat in the movie) and we dance and chant and all sorts of stuff... but like I said, we're a lot cleaner. Also, we don't do the hazing-like crap. You should check us out on youtube, we're the OU marching 110.
shareAs far as drive, dedication, the occasional prodigy, and getting kicked out for fighting, this was spot on. Of course a lot has been exaggerated, but the practices, the hurt and disappointment and feelings of pride are all real. I've gotten into fights with rival high schools at both football games and marching competitions. I broke my clarinet on someone's head once. I've punched cheerleaders and made out with football players. Band is gritty...and band camp is the worst thing in the world. That and the Tuesday night practice. It makes me tired to even think of it...
I got cake like every day is my birthday
This summer will be my 9th season marching in high school and college marching band, winter drumline and drum and bugle corps. I was and still am thoroughly insulted by this movie whenever I see it. the hornline is disgusting, both in their musicianship and posture. The drumline had clarity issues all throughout the movie, sometimes in mind numbingly simplistic cadences or passages. Plus it was obvious that few people knew what they were doing, in their visual inaccuracy to be united.
I'm sorry for any and all of you out there who have never experienced competitive marching. My first year in college, I went from a competitive highschool to a pep band marching band, and I felt disgraced. There was no point to my presence at football games. I got no credit for the effort and work I put in, which was no where near the effort put in in drum corps. And there was no focus on efficiency of marching style and musicianship musically. the music we played was meant to entertain, not to challenge us musically.
The point to my little tyrad is that yes this movie is a good likeness of one part of marching band. The part, however, that it represents is the less respectable, less challenging, simplicity of an activity. No wonder the general public doesnt understand competitive marching band or Drum Corps, movies like this only tarnish and destroy our causes, talents and efforts.
NONE of them were prodigies
a prodigy is a CHILD who has achieved the level of skill and professionalism of an adult
Devon all though very skilled would not be a prodigy because he was no longer a child
Actually this movie is very authentic in its portrayal of predominately black southern college bands. Watch football on BET sometime and you'll see exactly this type of performance during halftime.
shareI know. Most of this movie was fake. We've been talking about this movie in band camp all week.
Ego=Church song gone wrong!
i agree with balboafan, this isn't even close to what my marching band is like.
sharethis movie is representation of hbcu bands in the south and yes this is exactly what they are like google bands like jackson state and grambling you may learn something
shareI was born and raised on bands. My mom, aunt and uncle were in Drum Corps. We went to State Corps competitions (Jr & Sr) every year. I was in my HS band, as were my 2 kids. I attend a local University's football games every year and they have a good band.
Now, while I have always been enthralled with these bands and their committments to excellence I find that I like to be entertained as well; especially at football halftimes. I don't want to take anything away from the musicianship and precision of most College Marching Bands, but I wait with enthusiasm to watch Texas Southern's "Ocean of Soul" every year. I am a rock n roll era adult who'd rather rock out at halftime than hear some drawn out suite by some obscure composer or a U2 song played at 3/4 it's original signature time. And don't get me started on the dance teams.
I've watched the Bayou Classic (on TV) for as long as I can remember (and that's a long time) just to catch halftime.
In case you're wondering, I'm white, middle class and originally from the north.