Stay Disciplined: Marching Band Showed Us How
We’re all starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel grow brighter, but now is not the time to relax. If we want drum corps this summer and marching band next Fall we need to stay diligent and disciplined. I know it’s been a hard year of shut downs and waiting, but we just need to hang on a couple more months!
The Director of the CDC has said “Where the pandemic goes from here is really dependent on our collective behaviors and continued commitment to follow the public health measures we know work to stop the spread of the virus: wearing well-fitted masks, avoiding traveling in crowds, social distancing and washing hands.”
I have often thought during this year of shutdown that I am thankful for the discipline I learned in the marching arts. This has served me well throughout my life, and I’ve been keenly aware of it as the quarantine and shutdown have demanded much of me.
When the issues of the pandemic first started there was a popular meme about not touching your face which showed band members at attention on the field and the line “You’ve trained for this!” Indeed we have. My time in the marching arts has taught me to stay diligent and follow rules even when it’s difficult or exhausting. I’ve called on that training repeatedly over the past year, and I’m sure you have also.
We truly are at a “moment” for this pandemic in this country. I am empathetic with the toll it has taken on people and I realize that not everyone has the advantage of self-discipline learned through the marching arts. But I implore you to continue to be an example in your community. If we stay diligent for just a couple more months as vaccinations expand and numbers drop, it seems likely we might get to hear a drum corps shower us with that wall of sound we all miss so much! I will be doing my part: setting an example, encouraging my family and friends and colleagues to stay diligent, and trying to stay hopeful. Our example is powerful. Now is the time to stay disciplined!
Tim Hinton
March 10, 2021
