Drum Major Tryout

I never thought much about drum majors, even though I love marching bands.  I noticed them strutting in front of their bands and occasionally tossing batons.  And I knew they had major leadership responsibilities.  But it was the band's marching and music that always drew my attention.

This video of a try out for Ohio State University's Drum Major was among the related videos highlighted with a band performance video I watched, so I clicked on the link out of curiosity.  This guy's talent talent blew my mind.  Incidentally, he won the try outs.

USC Drumline Cadence

This is a video featuring the drumline of the University of Southern California. Absolutely fantastic. But I pity their poor parents!

Don't eff With a Marching Band

This is one of my favorite YouTube videos. It has had close to a half-million views.

A band is playing in a public square in I believe Denmark when some Mother's "little darling" runs out of the crowd right into the band's ranks, where he receives quite a surprise.

Halftime at the Rose Bowl - 2011

In my opinion the most exciting, the most fun to watch and the hardest working college band in America is the University of Wisconsin Marching Band.

They are unlike any other band, with their unique marching style in which they high step, hitting the ground toe down at a 45 degree angle. This not only requires great strength and excellent condition to maintain but also is physically jarring. For the drummers it is even harder because they have to perform the step with legs spread outwards to avoid contact with their drums.

How they are able to produce a steady sound on their instruments with the jarring and the physical demands of their marching step amazes me. Oh, and in my opinion they also have the neatest uniforms.

This YouTube video was made of the halftime show at the 2011 Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, California. It was taken at ground level, so the formations they create can not be seen, but it provides a close up view of how very hard they work.