Marching Band Glossary

Auxiliary - see Guard.

Band camp - a week of intense daily Marching Band practice; Monday-Friday. SEND WATER w/ your students, and try to get them to slather on the sun screen.

Battery - Marching Band percussion section that carries drums and marches; is comprised of snare drums, bass drums, and quads (see Quads).

Bibbers - Marching Band pants; part of the standard uniform; provided by the band.

Boys’ bus - bus assigned as the boys’ “changing” area for Marching Band trips; kids don’t all follow this - many get into their uniforms out in the parking lot (uniforms go on over shorts and Tshirts).

Caption awards - various awards a marching band can win at competitions, such as “Best Visual” and “Best Music.”

Chaperones - the wonderful parents who are willing to ride on a school bus all day with 75 high school kids; a lot of fun - a good way to meet other parents, be indirectly involved in your kid’s life, and watch the work, determination and heart of the Marching Band.

Class B - Bands are placed into classes by ISSMA according to the size of the school. Class A schools are the largest. North belongs to Class B, having 1071-1800 students in grades 9-12.

Color guard - see Guard.

Commons - open area in the school between the Auditorium, the Gym, and the Cafeteria.

District - first level of competition in the march to state championship (see State); Marching Band District takes place in early October and is almost always held at Columbus East High School; the next step after District is Regionals. District competitions were eliminated in 2013.

Drill - the steps and positions that make up the Marching Band show.

Drill book - the notebook or cards that holds each individual student’s drill for the Marching Band show.

Drum major(s) - Student conductor(s) who direct the marching band as it plays.

Drumline - the entire percussion section of the Marching Band; includes both the Pit and the Battery.

Flags - flags used by the Guard during a Marching Band show.

Gauntlets - wrist and lower-arm covering; part of Marching Band uniform.

Girls’ bus - bus assigned as the girls’ “changing” area for Marching Band trips; see “Boys’ bus”.

Guard - a group of students who add color and style to marching-band performances with flags and other props.

Instructor - personnel hired to help out with various sections of the band, as in clarinet instructor or drumline instructor.

ISSMA - Indiana State School Music Association; high school bands are grouped into 4 classes: A, B, C, or D based on the size of the sophomore - senior class of the previous year. BHSN is in Class B..

Listserv - an email distribution list comprised of all band parents who have email addresses.

Pep Band - band that plays for the basketball games; members vary.

Pit crew - parents and volunteers who help assemble the pit instruments, push them onto the field and set them up for competition, A.K.A. “Pit Parents.”

Pit - Marching Band percussion section that does not march (plays on the sidelines), comprised of instruments such as tympani, xylophones, gongs, etc.

Plumes - the feathered portion of the Marching Band hats (very fragile); provided by band.

Podium - see Tower.

Quads - set of 4 connected drums carried by member of the battery.

Regionals - the competition that determines which marching bands will compete in the state finals (see District and State)

Rifles - fake rifles the Guard using in a Marching Band show. (They’re heavy!)

Run-through - practicing the Marching Band show.

Sabers - fake swords the Guard using in a Marching Band show.

Section leader - band student who is in charge of a Marching Band instrument section; such as “alto sax section leader.”

Shako - Marching Band hat.

State - competition for state championship (see District and Regionals).

Student account - financial account that holds funds designated for the student; source of funds can be from fundraising, parent/student payments, or scholarships.

Tower - raised platform upon which conductors stand.

Trailer - the back half of a semi-trailer truck; holds Marching Band uniforms and large instruments.

Uniform day - Saturday in late August during which all the Marching Band kids are fitted with uniforms.

Uniforming - getting dressed before a competition (see boys’ bus and girls’ bus) and Uniform Day.

Winds - the non-percussion part of the band; any instrument that is played by blowing air.