Musical Benefits of Marching Band Part II

Looks like I haven't posted here in almost a month. My apologies to the loyal readers. Then again, I don't think that the guy who got me into this blogging thing has posted here in awhile either. Anyway back to the topics at hand.

Aside from the musical benefits mentioned in the other post, there are more benefits to marching band. The biggest one of these is the health benefit for the students.

In today's society where it is too easy for kids to plop themselves in front of the computer, tv, DVD, or gaming console, where it is also too easy to run down the street and pick up fast food for a meal, it is nice to have students to be able to get some form of exercise. Marching band does that in a big way. During a performance, whether it is a marching band competition or during a football game's halftime, the students will use up enough oxygen and will have their heart rate increased to the point where they are comparable to a marathon runner. Granted, the marathon runner is running for several hours, where as the marching band kids are going for just about 15 minutes or so. Even still, there is exercise that is being gained. Doctors will always tell you that is a good thing.

During a two hour marching practice, the students are probably really exercising 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes. Figure that two times a week, plus a Friday football game and a Saturday marching band competition, you are looking at a good healthy exercise of four days a week. At the end of the marching band season, even the most out of shape band member will be able to do more and accomplish more than they would be able to during the rest of the year.

Okay so maybe this part of it isn't so much a musical benefit as a health benefit. However, if the students are feeling healthier, they will have better emotional image as a result. The healthier emotional image will allow them to be able to express themselves more and thus be more expressive with the music. Okay, that might be a far stretch. But I know from my own experience, that through the course of the exercise that I got during marching band, I was better able to put more effort into the music when it came time for the concert band season.

Just something to think about.