HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BANDS
"The sport of the arts"

High school marching bands have for decades played an important role in the overall educational experience of young people providing a volunteer portal for musical achievement, entertainment, competition, and have been major contributors to community events and festivals.

There are currently 215 high school bands in South Carolina serving over 14,000 students. The band infrastructure includes teachers, instructors, and parent booster clubs that support the students in their volunteer activities reaching over 30,000 people.

Band offers much more than playing music. Students learn leadership, competitive skills, motivation, personal interaction, team concept, community involvement, and much more. Any interested student is eligible and will be found a place to contribute. No one "sits on the bench".

Another important aspect is the physical requirement of band participation. Whether marching or in concert, students undergo a carefully planned regime of physical fitness activities to prepare for the show, competition, or parade. They must be physically prepared before taking the stage. Therefore, a significant but often overlooked benefit to band participation is required physical activity now lacking in modern lifestyle and in public school program requirements.

SHOULD BAND STUDENTS RECEIVE PE CREDIT?

Education leaders are now confronted with emerging issues relating to physical fitness and life styles of today's youth, and the role played by the public education system in confronting these challenges. One such crisis is the nationwide obesity epidemic among adolescents, and the deterrence of this condition in developing productive citizens.

The US Surgeon General and the US Centers of Disease Control recently reported a dramatic increase in overweight and obese youth that now affects 13% of children ages 6-11, and 14% of adolescents ages 12 - 19. The impact has actually doubled in the past two decades for children, and tripled for adolescents. Obesity leads to serious complications including increased heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, respiratory and sleeping disorders, emotional distress, less self esteem, depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

High school students in SC are required to take one year of physical education prior to graduation. Although some physical movement is included, SCDOE's required Physical Education Criteria are based primarily on movement forms, development of a physical fitness program, participation in a health enhancing physical activity, and assessment. There is little incentive for students to actually engage in programs requiring physical activity that combats obesity and promotes a healthy lifestyle. The results of inactivity, both in and out of the school environment, are now becoming evident in society.

Required band activities meet and exceed the current PE standards, and supplement these benefits with an intense physical fitness component absent from the PE curriculum.

• PE criteria require a demonstration of competency in at least two movement forms. Band requires coordinated movement in multiple aspects of coordinated movement in all directions. To mention a few: forward march, backward march, slide movement, basic dance movement, horns up / down, marking time, precise group motion, instrument slides, flag coordination, step off initiation, interval control, and more.



• The criteria attempts to develop active participants. Band not only develops active participants, it requires intense physical activity. The regime calls for calisthenics, stretching, running, and stationary exercises.



• The criteria require the development of an appropriate physical fitness program to achieve a desired level of personal fitness. Student band members not only design a program, they actually live it during their high school band experience.



• Marching band members engage in cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, body composition in order to perform, and flexibility. Concert band members engage in a planned fitness exercise so as to meet the physical and respiratory challenges required of a performance. Assessment is monitored by the students and instructors.



• Band members live an active lifestyle for their high school careers which transitions to participation in health enhancing physical activities throughout their life.



• PE standards require 30 lessons to be given equaling the approximate time in band camp alone. Band involves up to 12 hours of physical activity per week during football season and weekend competitions.



• PE offers 1 credit for physical education training, marching band in most cases involves physical activity in all 4 years of secondary education.



• Implementation of block scheduling in schools has forced many students to sacrifice band activities. It has become a totally extracurricular activity. Providing PE credit for marching band will allow students to take a required academic course required for graduation during the PE timeframe, and participate in marching band while receiving PE credit.

The impact that a strong band program has on the entire student population and community is invaluable. The results are seen at football games, parades, concerts, and other performances throughout the community. Most of these performances take place after school hours increasing the physical and mental demands upon the student. However, this valuable activity remains completely voluntary.

OTHER STATES ALLOW PE CREDIT FOR BAND

According to the most recent edition of the Shape of the Nation Report published by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 6 states now allow participation in band programs to fulfill all or part of PE requirements in high school. They are California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, and Texas.