[Dixielandjazz] Band Directors on PBS

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

Today on PBS radio a couple of band directors, one of whom I know, were talking about all the benefits of marching bands.  There is a big contest here in St. Louis tomorrow.  I wanted to scream BULL.....

Over the years I have met and worked with many band directors.  They, privately, are almost never happy with marching band and I believe it leads to retirement as soon as the thirtieth year rolls around.  I think marching band among other things leads to director burnout. 

Directors are almost uniform in believing that musically it's detrimental to good playing habits, tone and intonation.  It takes several weeks after football season to get the kids back into some shape.  This of course was not discussed on PBS.   

I heard a statistic one time and I don't know how true it is but band directors have a much higher divorce rate than other teachers.  Another less than flattering statistic is that band directors are charged with molesting students much more often than any other teacher group.  Since I have known a few that have lost their jobs that way I suspect it may be true.  

My very first job interview blew up in my face because I knew the band director and used his name as a reference.  I was instantly thrown out of the office.  How was I supposed to know that he had just gotten fired for getting a little too familiar with a student.  This guy was a friend of mine too.  I was best man to a friend who gigged with me.  Two years later he was fired for the same thing.  He was bringing high school girls on gigs and smoking pot in the parking lot with them.  That scared the you know what out of me.

I did marching band for three years and again for five years much later.  The styles had changed from formations to Corps style.  I found the new corps style to be easier but that was a personal preference.  When I was a young teacher I liked doing marching band but I changed my feelings about it over the years. 

At that time I was working as an assistant Band director.  The band director finally threw in the towel but performed as a pep band in the stands.   That allowed him to work on real music more and for the concert band to get an earlier start.  Doing that did raise the quality of the ensembles and concert band while at the same time supporting the sports department and to make all that lovely money that football brings in which by the way is almost never shared with the band.  That's why bands have to have all those money raising projects and a very active parent's club which again takes a lot out of a band director.  All those hours are almost never compensated and the band kids often have to kick in money to take some trip or another.  I kicked in $250 so my grand nephew could go to the Rose bowl.  That's above all the d****d candy you get to buy.  It's a lot of work.

In pre corps times, bands did some sort of story and the band played ten or more tunes while moving into several, usually block, formations then next week they started all over and did a whole new show.  

Today you start with a few line movements, pin wheels and a couple of tunes.  Then the band plays a little concert and moves off.  During the next week they add more movements to the original ones.  By the end of the first few weeks the movements become very intricate but everything keeps building on the original.  Since you don't have to re learn each week it becomes a continuous project.  There aren't that many kinds of line movements and as your students become better they become the leaders next year.  

By the end of football season the shows can get to be something to see. I will say one thing, some of the bands put on really spectacular high energy shows that are quite thrilling. 

I wish I could go tomorrow but I have a gig.
Larry
St.L