Chapter 9
When America Discovered the High School Marching Band

By the early 1950s, America had entered a period unlike anything it had ever experienced.

The war was over.

The economy was booming.

New neighborhoods appeared almost overnight.

New schools were being built in communities across the country.

Thousands of returning veterans became teachers, principals, and band directors.

School music programs flourished.

Marching bands were growing larger every year.

But something else was happening that no one could have predicted.

America had fallen in love with television.

Families gathered every evening around a single television set.

For millions of Americans, it became a window into a much larger world.

And every Thanksgiving morning...

That window opened onto New York City.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

For generations, high school marching bands had traveled to New York to march through the streets of Manhattan.

Being invited to perform was already one of the highest honors a school band could receive.

Then, in 1957, everything changed.

For the first time, participating marching bands were invited to stop along the parade route and perform a two-minute showcase for the national television audience.

Think about that.

A high school marching band from a small town could suddenly be seen by millions of viewers across America.

Not just marching by...

Performing.

Parents watched.

Students watched.

Band directors watched.

Communities watched.

Suddenly, every band director in America wanted their students to experience that moment.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade didn't simply entertain the nation.

It placed high school marching bands in America's living rooms.

Then, every New Year's Day, another stage captured the imagination of the country.

The Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

Once again, high school bands marched before enormous crowds.

Once again, millions watched on national television.

For many students, receiving an invitation to Pasadena became a dream.

For directors, it became a goal.

For communities, it became a source of enormous pride.

The nation was no longer watching only college bands.

America had discovered the extraordinary talent, discipline, and pageantry of its high school marching bands.

The impact was impossible to measure.

Young students watching from home imagined themselves wearing the uniform someday.

Parents gained a new appreciation for the work required to build an outstanding band.

School administrators began recognizing that a successful marching band brought positive attention to the entire community.

Music education was no longer hidden inside the band room.

It had become part of America's culture.

As the popularity of marching bands continued to grow, another movement quietly gathered momentum.

If outstanding bands from across the nation could inspire millions on television...

Shouldn't there also be a way to recognize excellence closer to home?

Communities began asking for state championships.

Band directors wanted meaningful educational evaluations.

Students wanted the opportunity to measure themselves against the very best.

One state would become an early pioneer.

In 1959, the South Carolina Band Directors Association established the South Carolina State Marching Band Championships.

Its purpose was never simply to determine a winner.

The goal was something much greater.

To raise the standard of music education throughout the state.

Every performance became a classroom.

Every judge became a teacher.

Every score became an opportunity to improve.

Directors returned home with ideas.

Students returned home inspired.

Bands became better.

Year after year.

School after school.

Community after community.

South Carolina had demonstrated something important.

A well-designed championship could become one of the greatest educational tools in music education.

Other states took notice.

Then, in 1979, another giant entered the story.

Texas.

When Texas established its statewide marching band contest system, the impact was enormous.

Because everything in Texas is bigger...

Including high school marching bands.

The size of the schools.

The number of students.

The level of community support.

The investment in music education.

The sheer scale of competition.

Texas didn't simply join the movement.

It accelerated it.

Across America, state championships expanded.

Bands grew larger.

Shows became more sophisticated.

Directors challenged students to achieve levels of excellence that earlier generations could scarcely have imagined.

The pursuit of excellence was no longer limited to a handful of schools.

It had become a national movement.

But another revolution was already waiting in the wings.

It wouldn't begin on a football field.

It wouldn't begin in a state contest.

It would begin during the summer...

With a handful of young musicians who believed marching band could become something the world had never seen before.

Its name was...

Drum Corps International.