Editing Marching band (section)

=== United States ===
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: the [[Washington Commanders]], [[Buffalo Bills]] and [[Baltimore Ravens]]. Marching bands are otherwise uncommon at the professional level.{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2020}}
[[File:Big Ten Conference Marching Band Uniforms West-East.png|right|thumb|700px|Diagrammed example of marching band uniforms of the [[Big Ten]] athletic conference in the United States.]]
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 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 the marching season. The [[Alma College]] Kiltie Marching Band is famous for wearing [[kilt]]s made of the official Alma College [[tartan]].

The components of a band uniform are numerous. Common design elements include hats (typically [[shako]]s, [[pith helmet]]s, [[Combination cap|combination hats]] or other styles of helmets) with feather plumes, capes, gloves, rank cords, and other embellishments. The [[University of Southern California|USC]] [[Spirit of Troy]] Marching Band and [[Troy University]]'s Sound of 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 (footwear)|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 Marching Band|University of Minnesota]]'s marching band to highlight flanking movements on the field.<ref>{{Citation|last=The University of Minnesota Marching Band|title=New Uniform Video for the University of Minnesota Marching Band|date=2015-05-08|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn0hBLx-33k|access-date=2017-08-11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508090133/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn0hBLx-33k|archive-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> 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 is usually confined to competitive marching bands.

[[Drum major (marching band)|Drum Major]]s, 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 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 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.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Paxton|first=Holly|date=2020-05-02|title=Color Guard on a Budget|url=https://musiceffectdesign.com/color-guard-on-a-budget/|access-date=2021-04-30|website=Music Effect Design|language=en-US}}</ref>


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 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|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 the activity a sport in 1987, describing the Drum Corps International World Championships "one of the biggest sporting events of the summer."<ref>{{Citation| title = Scorecard| newspaper = Sports Illustrated| date = 10 August 1987| url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066257/4/index.htm| access-date = 19 July 2012| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131216032152/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066257/4/index.htm| archive-date = 16 December 2013}}</ref><ref name='Halftime Mag "Musicians as Athletes"'>{{cite web|last=Greenwald-Gonella|first=Haley|title=Musicians as Athletes|url=http://halftimemag.com/articles/09-2010/09-2010-features/musicians-as-athletes.html|work=Halftime Magazine|access-date=19 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616043558/http://halftimemag.com/articles/09-2010/09-2010-features/musicians-as-athletes.html|archive-date=16 June 2012|date=2010-10-03}}</ref> 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 a day, my players think I’m a helluva lot easier."<ref name='Halftime Mag "Musicians as Athletes"' />

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 (Indiana)#Marching band|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 a Division I athletic program."<ref>{{cite news|last=Rauscher|first=Megan|title=Marching in the band as tough as playing sports|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-marching-sports-idUSTRE5514O420090602|access-date=19 July 2012|newspaper=Reuters|date=2 June 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823004749/http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/06/02/us-marching-sports-idUSTRE5514O420090602|archive-date=23 August 2012}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web|title=Marching Band And Sports On Level Playing Field|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/151703.php|work=Medical News Today|publisher=MediLexicon International|access-date=19 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712181406/http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/151703.php|archive-date=12 July 2012}}</ref>

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."<ref>{{cite video| people = Dr. Jeff Edwards | title = DCI Musical Athletes | medium = Television production | publisher = [[ESPN]] | location = Naperville, IL | date = 2005 }}</ref>

Performance styles range from traditional block marching to elaborate productions with evolving drill patterns.<ref>The [http://www.vikinglandbandfestival.com Vikingland Band Festival] parade marching championship in Alexandria, Minnesota, is held annually on the last Sunday of June. The event was founded in 1985 and has drawn parade bands from seven states, two Canadian provinces, and Norway. Another popular street marching competition is [http://www.osseobandfestival.org The Osseo Marching Band Festival] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111191643/http://osseobandfestival.org/ |date=2016-01-11 }} held on Saturday of the last full weekend in June.</ref>

WAMSB (World Association of Marching Show Bands) 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wamsb.org/about.htm |title=WAMSB &#124; About |access-date=2014-11-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101214041/http://www.wamsb.org/about.htm |archive-date=2014-11-01 }}</ref>

In the [[United States]], there are two national competition circuits in which bands can compete: [[Bands of America]] and 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 is hosted at a college or professional stadium.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yea.org/site/PageServer?pagename=USSBA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822025119/http://www.yea.org/site/PageServer?pagename=USSBA|url-status=dead|title=Youth Education in the Arts|archive-date=August 22, 2006}}</ref>

[[Bill Clinton]], 42nd President of the United States,<ref>{{Cite web |title=William J. Clinton |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/william-j-clinton/#:~:text=Bill%20Clinton%20is%20an%20American,States%20(1993-2001) |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Clinton's High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas |url=https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/34524 |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=RoadsideAmerica.com |language=en}}</ref> He is the only U.S. President to have been a member of a marching band.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Between Bands - Who Are These Band Members? |url=https://www.betweenbands.org/famouspeoplewhooncewereinband.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=www.betweenbands.org}}</ref>