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91-522: The Marching Southerners is the marching band of Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Composed of students from all over the country, the Southerners and Marching Ballerinas perform for thousands each season. The first band at Jacksonville State Normal School was formed in 1923–24. At that time, students only attended the school for two years and there was no full-time director, which hindered growth of

182-431: A crab step when moving sideways. During a crab step, the musician crosses one leg over the other, either marching on the toes or rolling the foot sideways. Percussionists may also substitute roll step when their instruments would interfere with performing the high step. A true direction change involving the feet moving in a new direction requires either a prep step or a pivot , both of which are sometimes referred to as

273-424: A drill book (also known as a dot book). Drill books, or drill charts, show where each person stands during each set of the show. The drill charts include yard lines and hashes as they would be on an actual football field, which shows the band members where to stand relative to the yard lines and hashes. There are many ways of getting from one formation to the next: Players may point the bells of their instruments in

364-419: A flank or “stab”. To perform a prep step, on the last count of movement in the first direction a marcher plants the foot with the heel turned outward at half the angle of the turn desired, with the upper body still facing forward. On the next count, the other foot snaps into position completing the turn. The upper body may or may not turn with the lower body. Some bands plant the heel on the prep step rather than

455-584: A Division I athletic program." 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." 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." Performance styles range from traditional block marching to elaborate productions with evolving drill patterns. WAMSB (World Association of Marching Show Bands)

546-426: A complete halt when not marching. Traditionally, the drumline would put their feet in a V-shape and lift their feet fully off the ground a few inches. This is to avoid hitting the drums. Even when marking time, it is considered good form for all band members to stay in step —that is, step with the same foot at the same time. A large majority of bands step off with, or start marching on, the left foot. Staying in step

637-540: A day, my players think I’m a helluva lot easier.” 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 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

728-849: A football league in the near future. Until that time, Jax State was a de facto associate member of the Western Athletic Conference , competing in a football partnership between the two leagues officially branded as the ASUN–WAC Challenge. The school fields varsity teams in 14 sports: baseball , men's and women's basketball , cross country , football , men's and women's golf , rifle, women's soccer , softball , men's and women's tennis , women's track and field , and volleyball . The football team plays in 25,000-seat Burgess-Snow Field . The men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams play in Pete Mathews Coliseum . Prior to

819-439: A marching band creates sound waves . The waves from each musician, traveling at the speed of sound, reach the other musicians, field conductors, and listeners at slightly different times. If the distance between musicians is large enough, listeners may perceive waves to be out of phase . Typically, in this case, listeners perceive that one section of the band is playing their parts slightly after another section. This delay effect

910-416: A more fluid appearance, allowing for better control of more difficult formations and various styles of music. With this control also comes the ability to perform a much broader range of tempos . Proper execution of a roll step gives a player marching at 40 beats per minute the same smooth tone as a player marching at 180. The roll step allows for much better control of the upper body, and thus better control of

1001-520: A performance that included 1,500 former Southerners alumni , during halftime of Jacksonville State University 's college football game against Samford University . 2012 – The Southerners led the New Year's Day Parade in London, England, which also kicked off the 2012 Summer Olympics celebrations and Queen Elizabeth II 's Diamond Jubilee . 2016 – The Southerners played on the U.S.S Missouri in honor of

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1092-744: Is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama . Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's , master's , education specialist , and doctorate degrees in addition to certificate programs and continuing education opportunities. The university was founded as Jacksonville State Normal School , and in 1930, the name changed to Jacksonville State Teachers College , and again in 1957, to Jacksonville State College . The university began operating under its current name in 1966. JSU currently has an enrollment of more than 9,000 students, with nearly 500 faculty members (more than 300 of whom are full-time). It

1183-862: Is a member of Conference USA, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks men's basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Jacksonville State University. The school's team currently competes in Conference USA. Their head coach is Ray Harper . The Jacksonville State Gamecocks women's basketball team is the women's basketball team that represents Jacksonville State University. The team currently competes in Conference USA. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks softball team represents Jacksonville State University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in

1274-551: Is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The university was founded as Jacksonville State Normal School, a "class A" normal school , it was chartered by the state of Alabama and Gov. Edward A. O'Neal on February 22, 1883, in order to prepare teachers for work in public school. It was established within campus of the former Calhoun College in Jacksonville. The first board of directors for

1365-484: 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. In the United States , there are two national competition circuits in which bands can compete: Bands of America and

1456-418: Is called an 8-to-5 step because the marcher covers five yards (about 4.6 m ) in eight steps. A step size of 30 inches is called 6-to-5 because five yards are covered in six steps. Because yard lines on an American football field are five yards apart, exact 8-to-5 and 6-to-5 steps are most useful for field shows. A drum cadence , sometimes called a walk beat or street beat, is usually played when

1547-426: Is even more important during backward marching. When a band is not moving, the members may mark time , or march in place. The step used usually resembles the step that is used for marching forward, though mixing a high step mark time with a roll step march (or vice versa) produces an interesting visual effect. For a typical mark time, the foot is raised to the ankle bone of the opposite leg. The toe should not come off

1638-465: Is generally easier when the band is playing music or when the drums are playing a marching cadence. When the band and percussion are not playing, rhythm may be maintained in a variety of ways: a drummer may play taps or rim shots, the drum major may clap or use a woodblock, a drum major or band member may vocalize a sharp syllable like "hit," "hut," or "dut," or band members may chant the military call of "left, left, left right left." Band members may count

1729-566: Is hosted at a college or professional stadium. Bill Clinton , 42nd President of the United States , 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 . He is the only U.S. President to have been a member of a marching band . Most marching bands in Canada are organized by

1820-417: Is informally referred to as ensemble tear or phasing (not to be confused with the music composition technique of the same name ). 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:

1911-534: 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 (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

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2002-427: Is on the wrong foot, for instance, odd on the right foot and even on the left, this is referred to as being out of step . When a band member is completely off tempo, it is referred to as being out of phase . In parades , bands usually line up in a marching block composed of ranks and files . Each member tries to stay within his or her given rank and file, and to maintain even spacing with neighboring musicians. It

2093-479: Is the intercollegiate American football team for Jacksonville State University. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of Conference USA. Jacksonville State's first football team was fielded in 1904, nicknamed at the time as the "Eagle Owls." The team plays its home games at the 24,000 seat Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama. The Gamecocks hire former Division I football coach Rich "RichRod" Rodriguez for

2184-410: Is traditionally the responsibility of the people at the end of each rank and the front of each file to be in the correct location; this allows other band members to use them as a reference, also known as guiding . Band members also try to keep a constant pace or step size while marching in parade. Step sizes usually vary between 22 and 30 inches (56–76 cm ) per stride. A step size of 22.5 inches

2275-445: Is typically led by one or more drum majors , also called field commanders, who are usually responsible for conducting the band (sometimes using a large baton or mace ) and are commonly referred to as the leader of the band. Commands—such as vocal orders, clapping, or a whistle—may be used to issue commands as well. The following overview is heavily focused on the U.S. marching band tradition. The glide step , also commonly known as

2366-461: Is usually confined to competitive marching bands. Drum Majors , 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

2457-588: The Malaysian Armed Forces , however, in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of show bands and drum corps in the country. Although the Ministry of Education organizes most school marching bands, other organizations have made consistent efforts to organize local marching bands. In Russia , there are not many school or local marching bands in existence, with most being government-sponsored military and police bands, as well as several bands operated by

2548-558: The NCAA . The university's football team gained national attention in 2001 when junior (3rd-year) placekicker Ashley Martin became the first female football player to score a point in a Division I game tallying 3 points against Cumberland University. On July 1, 2021, Jax State moved to the ASUN Conference , a league in which it had been a member from 1995 to 2003. The ASUN does not currently sponsor football, but has announced plans to launch

2639-564: The Singapore Armed Forces Bands soon inspired the creation of the Singaporean marching band tradition. By the 1960s, school and college marching bands, corps of drums and drum and bugle corps began to be commonplace (the latter in cadet units), as well as bands of youth uniformed organizations and universities, all following the armed forces pattern and British and Malayan (later Malaysian) precedence. The People's Association became

2730-594: The Toronto Signals Band , have military roots and were formerly Canadian Army bands. In the case of the aforementioned bands, their lineage is shared with the bands of The Ontario Regiment , the 6th Northumberland Militia and the 2nd Armoured Divisional Signals Regiment respectively. In the early to mid-20th century, the Canadian Forces maintained drum and bugle corps, which were similar in instrumentation and organization to civilian marching bands. In Taiwan ,

2821-631: 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

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2912-539: The Washington Commanders , Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens . Marching bands are otherwise uncommon at the professional level. 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

3003-419: The roll step, involves bringing the heel gently to the ground with the toe pointed up, and then rolling forward onto the toes before lifting the foot to continue forward. While marching to the rear, the weight is placed continually on the ball of the foot with the heel elevated. This style is used by both marching bands as well as drum and bugle corps. The style, in comparison to high step, gives drill formations

3094-499: The 1993–94 academic year, Jacksonville State competed in NCAA Division II athletics, winning national championships in men's basketball (1985), baseball (1990 and 1991), football (1992) and gymnastics (1984 and 1985). Jacksonville State University sponsors one co-ed rifle team, six men's, and ten women's teams in NCAA sanctioned sports: Men's Teams Women's Teams The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program

3185-560: The 2012 London Summer Olympics. The invitation to lead the parade came in September 2010, just as the Southerners learned that they had been awarded the nationally recognized George Washington Honor Medal for their patriotic 2009 show, "Of Thee I Sing." In February 2006, Jacksonville State University was named the "winner" of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) Speech Code of

3276-571: The 2021 season. Glass had a 72–26 record during his tenure as head coach which included 6 Ohio Valley Conference championships. In 2021, the Gamecocks upset the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee, Florida on a 59-yard touchdown pass at the end of the game. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Jacksonville State University. The team

3367-444: The 2022 season. Rodriguez was previously head coach at football power Michigan (2008–10), as well as West Virginia (2001–07) and Arizona (2012–17). His luster has dulled in recent years, and he seeks his return to the head coaching circle here at Jax State. He comes from Louisiana Monroe, where he served as the offensive coordinator under head coach Terry Bowden. "RichRod" replaces former Gamecocks head coach John Grass, who resigned after

3458-695: The 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Additionally, the Southerners perform regularly at the Bands of America contest in Atlanta , and they host a Bands of America contest in Jacksonville, Alabama . There are no organized competitions for college marching bands in the Southeast , so the Marching Southerners do not engage in direct competition with other college bands. However, Jacksonville State University sponsors several competitive marching and pageantry units that draw their membership in whole, or in part, from

3549-559: The Big Ten. Four primary sub-variants of the high are used: An integral part of this style of marching is known as stop action, meaning that all movement ceases momentarily at the apex of each step. This requires a band to have a great deal of stamina, though is effective visually. High step marching is often accompanied by a horizontal swing of the player's body or instrument. When band members are marching in one direction but want to focus their sound on another, they may rotate their bodies at

3640-593: The Canadian Band Association or by Canadian universities: Although many bands have still retained the British tradition for marching bands, most have also adopted the style utilized by their American counterparts. Canadian military bands are often associated with civilian marching bands. Many of the civilian marching bands that exist today, such as the Oshawa Civic Band , The Concert Band of Cobourg and

3731-711: The Commonwealth (for example Fiji 's Military Forces ) and many ex-Soviet nations (with the USSR inheriting the tradition from the Kingdom of Russia). Many bands perform a wide selection of both traditional styles of music such as marches, with film scores, or adaptations of contemporary music. The goal of each band's performance is different. Some aim for maximum uniformity and precision; others aim to be as entertaining as possible. Some show bands also involve comedic elements, such as Scramble bands which generally do not march in time with

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3822-422: The Conference USA. Jacksonville State University's marching band, The Marching Southerners, was founded in 1956 by John Finley. He also conceived the band's precision dance line, The Marching Ballerinas. David L. Walters, for whom JSU's music department is named, served as band director from 1961 to 1991 and is credited with bringing the Marching Southerners to national prominence. The Marching Southerners feature

3913-928: The Drummers Group of the Boarding School for Girls of the Ministry of Defense of Russia and the Moscow & District Pipe Band. The country has hosted many marching band tattoos within the last 70 years, including the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo in Moscow and the Amur Waves International Military Bands Festival in Khabarovsk . The traditions of both the Singapore Police Force Band and

4004-486: The Governor of Alabama to set the policies of the university and select senior management personnel. Under the doctrine of collective responsibility, the entire board is liable for the financial and other consequences of the organization's activities. The President oversees his or her Presidential Cabinet, composed of the university's vice presidents and other senior personnel. Through Jacksonville State's six academic colleges,

4095-705: The Iron Age carnyx and the medieval Ottoman military band ) but the modern marching band developed from European military bands formed in the Baroque period , partly influenced by the Ottoman tradition. 17th-century traveler Evliya Çelebi noted the existence of 40 guilds of musicians in Istanbul . In the 18th century, each regiment in the British Army maintained its own military band. Until 1749 bandsmen were civilians hired at

4186-785: The Marching Ballerinas and the famous 20J's, named for the C.G. Conn 20J tuba that the Southerners proudly feature in its halftime shows. The Southerners were the 2021 recipients of the Sudler Trophy , the highest award for collegiate marching bands. Over ten percent of the undergraduate student body is said to be involved in Greek life. There are approximately 17 social and 22 other Greek-letter organizations. A total of 16 students were arrested in 2013 in connection with allegations of hazing ; news reports stated that Alpha Phi Alpha had been involved. In 2015, JSU's chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon

4277-817: The Month. At the time, FIRE called the University Code of Conduct "illegally overbroad." They considered the code to be in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution which protects offensive speech. The policy has since been changed. Jacksonville State's athletics teams are nicknamed the Gamecocks . Jax State is a member of the Conference USA in Division I FBS ( Football Bowl Subdivision ) in football, formerly I-A, of

4368-652: The National Marching Band Association is the main organizer of local marching bands in the country. It is currently located at its headquarters in the Neihu District of Taipei City . The Taipei First Girls' High School currently sports one of the most acclaimed marching bands in the country. The first marching bands were introduced in Malaysia during the British colonial period and has since grown and increased its importance. The most common are found in

4459-701: The Raffles' Institution, St. Joseph's Institution, Victoria School, Bukit Panjang Government HS and the Anglo-Chinese School. The SPF has the country's three uniformed pipe bands, the Women's Police, SPF and Gurkha Contingent Pipe Bands, all raised in the late 1960s. Civilian pipe bands were formerly present in the PA, Boys Brigade and the Port of Singapore Authority. Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University

4550-549: 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 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 's marching band to highlight flanking movements on

4641-693: The Southerners' performance can be seen in the opening scene of Episode 9.08 of Friends (" The One with Rachel's Other Sister "), which originally aired on Nov. 21, 2002. 1998 – First performance at the Atlanta Bands of America Regional at the Georgia Dome 1999 – B.O.A. Grand Nationals at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis 2002 – B.O.A. Grand Nationals at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis 2006 – The Marching Southerners celebrated their 50th anniversary with

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4732-783: The United States and largely parallel modern drum and bugle corps . Many marching bands are Military bands which often derive from instrumentation generally consists of brass, woodwinds and percussion and they typically march forward with consistent straight lines and a constant tempo to facilitate the steady marching of the military unit. Field music units include drum and bugle corps , fanfare bands , pipe bands and fife and drum corps . Military styled marching bands are present in many European countries due to its historical origins in 18th Century European field armies and are present in many other nations due to colonial influence, including Latin America and South America, South and South-East Asia and

4823-553: The activity a sport in 1987, describing the Drum Corps International World Championships “one of the biggest sporting events of the summer.” 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

4914-443: The air support needed for playing. Some bands, and a select few drum and bugle corps, use a bent-knee variant of roll step, usually known simply as bent knee, in which the members roll from heel to toe but lead the next step with the knee instead of the foot, then planting the heel of the next foot by straightening the leg. The high step is a style of marching used by many colleges and universities, including most bands of HBCUs and

5005-444: The audience to emphasize the dynamics of the music. Auxiliaries can also add to the visual effect. Backdrops and props ( scrims ) may be used on the field that fit the theme of the show or the music being performed. In comedic shows, particularly for university bands, an announcer may read jokes or a funny script between songs; formations that are words or pictures (or the songs themselves) may serve as punch lines. Each musician in

5096-453: The band began attracting more attention and received its name, the "Southerners", in 1958. Incidentally, Norman L. Padgett is credited with naming the band. The band's charter president, Harold Summerville, class of '60, of Bowden, Ga., recalls, "On April 21, 1958, I presented a letter of appreciation to Norman L. Padgett. It was signed by Dr. Finley and [me] at the beginning of band rehearsal that day thanking [Mr. Padgett] for his submission of

5187-417: The band in the early years. In 1930, the college was renamed Jacksonville State Teachers College, reflecting an increased role in higher education for the institution. The Great Depression and World War II put development of the band on hold. After the war, Walter A. Mason became head of the music department at the college. A veteran, he turned to fellow Army musician J. Eugene Duncan who he asked to become

5278-403: The band is marching, oftentimes alternating with a song, and is typically how a band keeps time while not playing music. Alternatively, a drum or rim shot may be given on the odd beats to keep the band in step. Between songs and cadences, a roll is usually given to indicate what beat in the measure the band is at. Cadence tempo varies from group to group. While playing music during a field show,

5369-402: The band makes a series of formations, called drill, on the field, which may be pictures, geometric shapes, curvilinear designs, or blocks of musicians, although sometimes it may be pure abstract designs using no specific form. Typically, each band member has an assigned position in each formation. In many show bands and most drum corps, these positions are illustrated in a handheld booklet called

5460-510: The band's first full-time director in 1948. The Marching Southerners were the 2021 recipients of the Sudler Trophy , the highest award for collegiate marching band. John T. Finley took over the director position in 1951 and immediately made changes to the band's musical and visual style. Finley removed the sousaphones , cornets and small-bore trombones , and replaced them with trumpets and bass trombones : instruments more usually associated with orchestras. The most radical instrumental change

5551-423: The chaotic environment of the battlefield, musical instruments were the only means of commanding the men to advance, stand or retire. In the mid 19th century, each smaller unit had their own fifer and drummer, who sounded the daily routine. When units massed for battle a band of musicians was formed for the whole. In the United States , modern marching bands are often associated with American football games, with

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5642-405: 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

5733-523: The company front formation helped to project the sound of the band. Finley also adopted a dance line as a visual focus instead of the majorette lines seen in more traditional marching bands, christening them the Marching Ballerinas in 1956. Primary music arrangers for the Southerners include David L. Walters (1960s-early 1990s), Mark Fifer (1995–2004), and Justin Williams (2005–present), as well as percussion program head Clint Gillespie (1998–present). In 1956

5824-463: The core classes of English, math, etc., are also housed in the building. The university recorded is highest all-time enrollment in Fall 2023 with an overall headcount of 9,672 students. On January 1, 2012, the university's marching band and dance team, The Southerners and the Marching Ballerinas, led the New Year's Day Parade in London, England, which also kicked off the year-long celebration of both Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee and

5915-439: The direction they are moving, or slide (also called traverse) with all the bells facing in the same direction. They may also point it towards the center of the field. Bands that march in time with the music typically also synchronize the direction of individuals' turns and try to maintain even spacing between individuals in formations (called intervals). Sometimes bands specifically have wind players turn their instruments away from

6006-454: The expense of the colonel commanding a regiment. Subsequently, they became regular enlisted men who accompanied the unit on active service to provide morale enhancing music on the battlefield or, from the late nineteenth century on, to act as stretcher bearers. Instruments during the 18th century included fifes, drums, the oboe ( hautbois ), French horn, clarinet and bassoon. Drummers summoned men from their farms and ranches to muster for duty. In

6097-420: The field. 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

6188-465: The first civilian organization to form a dedicated marching band in 1965-66, and the Ministry of Education followed suit with a teachers' band made up of band instructors. Today the Ministry of Education is responsible for overall control over the school, college, university and polytechnic bands within Singapore, with two dedicated cadet bands. Some of Singapore's oldest high school marching bands are from

6279-418: 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

6370-423: The ground and the knee should not come out much past the still-straight leg. Some bands mark time by bringing their feet up to their knee—known as high-mark time . Some bands practice marking time during concert arch with the toes coming off of the ground to give the marcher a greater sense of marching while standing still. The heel should hit the ground on the beat. Some bands forgo marking time and instead come to

6461-762: The local governments. The marching bands of the Russian Armed Forces are organized by the Military Band Service in the Ministry of Defence . Also known as Marshiruyushchiye orkestr (loosely translated to Марширующие оркестр, which means Marching Orchestra in Russian), notable Russian marching bands include the Band and Corps of Drums of the Moscow Military Music College , whose cadets are famous for setting

6552-412: The marching band: Marching band Marching bands are generally categorised by affiliation, function, size and instrumentation. In addition to traditional military parades , marching bands are frequently seen at events as varied as carnivals , parades , sporting events , trade union events and marching band competitions . Instruments have been frequently used on the battlefield (for example

6643-451: The marching season. The Alma College Kiltie Marching Band is famous for wearing kilts made of the official Alma College tartan . The components of a band uniform are numerous. Common design elements include hats (typically shakos , pith helmets , combination hats or other styles of helmets) with feather plumes, capes, gloves, rank cords, and other embellishments. The USC Spirit of Troy Marching Band and Troy University 's Sound of

6734-523: The music, but, as their name implies, scramble from design to design. Many bands have auxiliaries that add a visual component to the performance such as a color guard or even dance lines and majorettes . In the USA, these auxiliaries may even perform as independent groups (such as winter guard ). While military color guards were typically male, band color guards tend to be primarily female, though for both, mixed groups are becoming more common. A marching band

6825-402: 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. 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

6916-681: The name The Southerners." Despite the commonly used name ("The Marching Southerners"), according to the JSU Manual of Style and Usage, Point 7, the official name of the band at Jacksonville State is simply "The Southerners": the "Marching" title only being applied to the Marching Ballerinas. 1965 – Inaugural parade for U.S. President Lyndon Johnson 1976 – National Bicentennial Celebration Parade in Philadelphia, PA 1996 – 70th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. A segment of

7007-483: The normal school included S. K. McSpadden, John M. Caldwell, James Crook, W. P. Howell, William M. Hames, D. A. Alderholt, H.L. Stevenson, W. J. Alexander, J. Y. Nisbet, L. W. Grant, and John D. Hammond , who served as the state superintendent of education. The board of directors nominated James G. Ryals Jr. as the school's first president when it opened in the fall of 1883, and when Ryals died unexpectedly of pneumonia in 1885, faculty member Joseph Harris Chappell held

7098-623: The oldest (the University of Notre Dame Band of the Fighting Irish ) first performing at an American football game in 1887. After World War I , the presence and quality of marching bands in the American public school system expanded as military veterans with service band experience began to accept music teaching positions within schools with developments such as Precision Drill , a disciplined geometric march, based in part on military-style drill. Today, marching band competitions remain popular in

7189-532: The pace for the annual Victory Day Parades on Red Square . These types of bands only came into existence after 1991 when the Soviet Union ceased to exist. During the Soviet era, civilian like marching bands were extremely rare, with one of the only non-military bands having been employed in the late 1930s and early 1940s during National Sports Day parades in the capital of Moscow . Other Russian marching bands include

7280-446: The presidency for a year. Chappell departed for Milledgeville, Georgia where he served as the first president of a new normal school that eventually became Georgia College & State University . The first graduating class of Jacksonville State Normal School was in 1886. It was one of the first educational institutions in Alabama to have a library on campus. In 1930, the name changed to Jacksonville State Teachers College. In 1957,

7371-722: The public in 2009, and is a Jacksonville State University building located in Fort Payne, Alabama that adjoins the Little River Canyon National Preserve. A portion is leased to the National Park Service and the staff of the Little River Canyon National Preserve with a facility that features a Grand Hall, HD movie theater, gift shop, natural history library, exhibits, classrooms, back deck, outdoor amphitheater and trails for both education and adventure. The Jacksonville State University Higher Education Consortium

7462-517: The school name changed once again, to Jacksonville State College after the creation of the first graduate program, a master's degree in elementary education. In August 1966, the Alabama State Board of Education elevated the college to university status, which prompted a school name change to Jacksonville State University. On the evening of March 19, 2018 , an EF3 tornado struck the campus, causing minor to severe damage to every building. It

7553-400: The steps of the move out loud to keep the entire band together. Typically, most moves consist of any number of steps that are a multiples of two or four, due to most marching band music being in even numbered time signatures . Even-numbered time signatures aid in staying in step because they assign odd-numbered counts to the left foot, and even-numbered counts to the right foot. If a band member

7644-412: The toe but preserving the angle of the foot. To perform a pivot, the marcher pivots between directions over the ball of the foot on the last count instead of using a prep step. A back march may be used when the band wishes to move in the opposite direction from where it is projecting its sound. There are several ways to back march, one of which is to walk backward, putting each foot down and rolling from

7735-493: The toe to the heel (the exact reverse of the roll step). Another variation involves marching on the platforms of the feet, dragging the toe of the moving foot on the ground. Backward marching usually employs the same preference for leg straightness as forward marching (if the band marches with legs completely straight while marching forwards, they also do so while marching backward, to preserve uniformity of style). Using peripheral vision to align oneself to formations or field markings

7826-758: The university offers career-centered programs where students can prepare for the workforce. The JSU main campus has a 459-acre (1.9 km ) campus with 59 buildings in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Alabama . With this campus being the flagship campus for Jacksonville State, it offers large educational facilities, university housing and residence, on-campus dining, student centers, Greek housing, athletic facilities, student health and wellness facilities, administration offices, study centers, an international housing program, and an on-campus bookstore. The majority of students who study at Jacksonville State attend courses here. The Little River Canyon Center campus opened to

7917-452: The waist, so that only the upper portion of the body faces in the direction of play. This is known as lateral marching , but is more commonly known as either shifting , traversing , or sliding . A lateral march is not a change in the direction of march, only in the direction the upper body faces. Percussion players, whose large drum harnesses often prevent them from twisting their torsos, and sometimes tuba and sousaphone players, instead uses

8008-602: Was established in 2003, and it houses two state schools: Jacksonville State University–McClellan Center, and Gadsden State Community College–McClellan Campus. Since 2005, the McClellan Center Building 3181 has been home to the Institute of Emergency Preparedness, In-Service, and the Northeast Alabama Police Academy. GSCC houses the traditional college students. Their EMS and 911 programs, in addition to

8099-492: Was inflicted on the university and on April 27, 2018, President Donald Trump declared the event a federal disaster. The university continued its summer semester as planned, and President John Beehler stated all subsequent semesters will continue as normal. Since 2019, Jacksonville State is administered by President Don Killlingsworth, and the Jacksonville State Board of Trustees. Members of the board are appointed by

8190-564: Was the adoption of the C.G. Conn 20-J upright recording bass as the band's lead tuba, and Jacksonville State remains the only university marching band to use this heavy concert tuba on the field. Other musical changes included a departure from military-style marches in favor of slower, more dynamic, orchestral and symphonic, Broadway and Latin jazz pieces. Visually, the band abandoned military-style block drill in favor of precision marching and wide-open company front formations: designed to achieve uniformity in step height and body carriage, whilst

8281-510: Was the first day of spring break for both the university and the Jacksonville City School System. Classes resumed at the university on April 9, 2018, and the spring commencement ceremony was held on May 4, 2018, as scheduled, but moved to JSU Stadium from Pete Mathews Coliseum (which was also closed due to tornado damage). There were four injuries among city residents and no fatalities. More than $ 100 million in property damage

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