Before beginning a practice or competition, Marietta High School marching band members not only have to tune their instruments and iron their uniforms — they have to stretch and gear up for a fairly strenuous workout.

“They’re doing calisthenics, endurance training and marching for miles sometimes carrying instruments that weigh up to 20 or 30 pounds,” said Marietta band director Ann Druss. “The physical demands are very extensive. They’re moving the whole time.”

Druss said she has tried for years to get marching band students to get physical education credit for the activity and soon she may have her wish, through legislation passed in Ohio just last month.

The Ohio Core Curriculum, expected to go into place with freshmen entering high school in 2010, would allow local school boards to give students who participate in two seasons of extracurricular activities, including athletics, cheerleading and marching band, to opt out of taking gym.

Read the rest of the article at the Marietta Times.

Recently, halftimes at Montezuma-Cortez High School basketball games have taken on the look and feel of a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, albeit without the bad acting and voice overs.

Reminiscent of the music straight out of a fight scene in “Kickboxer” or “Lionheart,” the M-CHS advanced percussion ensemble has thrilled both home and visiting crowds at Ron Wright Memorial Gym with their traditional Taiko drums.

“It’s a good outlet for my percussion students,” said M-CHS band director Rodney Ritthaler. “It’s definitely aggressive, and they seem to like that.”

Read the rest of the article at the Cortez Journal.

(LOUISVILLE) -- Student members of the University of Louisville pep band are threatening a boycott of all basketball games and other athletic events. The threat comes as student musicians were told last night by Athletic Department officials that they are taking control of the pep band from the School of Music.

Dr. Greg Byrne will keep his position with the marching band, but will be replaced as director of the pep band.

Athletic Department officials told WAVE 3 the two bands will be separate due to a high demand for the pep band at so many athletic events.

Read the rest of the article on the WAVE 3 TV web site.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Marching Hundred has been named the recipient of the 2007 Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy, the nation's highest and most coveted award for college and university marching bands.

The award is often called the "Heisman Trophy" for college marching bands.

"No marching band will ever earn this award without many, many people being aware of the quality and traditions of the group," said Stephen W. Pratt, director of bands at the IU Jacobs School of Music. "The fact that the Marching Hundred has earned this trophy is a tribute to all involved and indicates recognition of the quality of the group on a national level."

The Sudler Trophy is voted on annually by all Bowl Championship Series (formerly Division I) band directors. Since its inception in 1982, it has been given to a college or university marching band that has demonstrated excellence in marching routines and musical standards, and has made important contributions to the advancement of performance standards of marching bands over a number of years. No school can be honored with the award twice.

You can read the rest of the article at the Indiana University Web Site.

Indianapolis - The Monrovia High School band will welcome the victorious Colts back to Indianapolis today by performing at a downtown rally.

The marching band will be the only high school band performing for the Colts, said band director Brian Willett, although as of 8 a.m. today he was unsure of whether the cold temperatures would prevent the band from marching outdoors. He said the plan was to march in a parade and then attend a rally at the RCA Dome, although the band may only perform at the rally if the weather is too cold.

Read the rest of the article at the Mooresville-Decatur Times.

MIAMI -- While everyone else was dropping the ball during Super Bowl XLI, Prince picked up the spirits of a soggy crowd and turned in what was arguably the best halftime show in Super Bowl history.

Prince's 18-minute show before 74,512 fans at Dolphin Stadium was a mixture of adventure, innovation and even a dash of innocence.

It was little surprise that Prince opened with a searing version of his 1984 hit "Let's Go Crazy," but in what had to be a sly nod to Nipplegate and other halftime show malfunctions, he spotwelded "Proud Mary" onto "Baby I'm a Star."

Much of Prince's profound beat was delivered by the 100-member Florida A&M University Marching Band. The kinetic corps also backed Kanye West and Jamie Foxx at the 2006 Grammys. It was a cool idea, and it worked magnificently.

Read the rest of the article at The Chicago Sun-Times.

Welcome back to the "Land of All Things Brass." This installment of Brass Advantage will focus on developing strength and control of the muscles of the face with the use of Lip Isometric exercises.

Isometric exercise is a form of exercise involving the static contraction of a muscle without any visible movement in the angle of the joint, which usually occurs while lifting weights and other types of exercises devoted to developing muscular strength. The difference is reflected not only in the name but in the action as well. The term "isometric" combines the prefix "iso" (same) with "metric" (distance), meaning that in these exercises the length of the muscle does not change. Resistance to isometric contractions generally involves the body itself (i.e. pressing the palms together in front of the body) or structural items (i.e. pushing against a door frame). Put more simply, muscle working against muscle.