Ok, since Tocs is more or less in charge of this whole thing, I bet there's a fairly high ratio (at least for the moment) of band geeks in here. Here is the best high school marching band in the world.



Nishihara Senior High Marching Band from Okinawa, Japan - Ardiente Sentimentale 2000-2001

Important points:

• 50 hours of practice a week (a workweek is 40 hours), so imagine band camp every week for five months with school six days a week piled on top. o.o
  
• 5 months a year
  
• The whole ensemble is volunteer only, and there are NO tryouts or alternates.
  
• They guide off of masking tape 'X's spaced every 5 meters instead of nice fat yard lines

Of note:

• Amazing guard, I've watched the video probably 20 times and haven't found a drop
  
• Their brass has insane tounging ability, around 2:22 on the video, you can hear what seems to be triple tounging.
  
• You can't hear their woodwinds much in the video, but their feature sections sound pretty good. 7:52 for a beautifully clean run section.
  
• General shapes, spacing, and form are superb
  
• 4:42 for an amazing horn drop
  
• I don't like the Alto soloist's metered rhythm, but at least it's consistent. Probably just some stylistic thing.
  
• 7:09 amazing staccatissimo and dynamic contrast
  
• 8:04 for the stereotypical trumpet blast
  
• 8:55 for a flag tossed like a javelin. Amazingness.

If anyone disagrees that they own any HS band in the United States, watch Avon HS's video (reputedly the best here) and contrast them. :-)

Tocs and I both were in the Rose Bowl Parade this year in Pasadena, California.

Our band program is actually the official #1 Symphonic Winds band in the US. We've always gotten straight I's in every single band for years on end in each of our 4 bands.

Too lazy to go to YouTube and get a vid, so just go look us up. :p

Pssh. Lakota West = pretty good. Nothing compared to Nishihara. You really haven't watched the video, have you?

I have a lot of respect for Lakota West - I come from Beavercreek. btw, do you guys have tryouts/alternates? I know some of the bigger bands around here do, and I'm not sure about you guys.

*edit* and seriously, watch it. it's a lifeshattering experience.

Yah, we go to Florida every other year, and we do a lot of marching practice for that.

At B'creek we don't have auditions of any sort, and anyone that needs monetary assistance can apply for the orphan band kid's fun (that's what we call it anyways). 'Course, the "no auditions" policy can be a bad thing... and we usually have one or two bad eggs that can't get sense beaten into them. Our fees are also like the lowest in the state for a marching band in our (Lakota's + our) division, returning members it's 360 for the entire year. :-)

So is bands and marching bands big in your area? It's not so popular in south England.

Yeah, Marching Band is a big deal over here, at least for band geeks like me.