Any marching band musician, band director or drill choreographer knows how vital good posture is. Marching band is as much an endeavor in physical labor as it is in musical achievement. To improve the overall look of your drill show and the use of your instruments, advise your musicians to employ certain posture perfecting tips. While posture details can vary from instrument to instrument, there are universal recommended techniques.These are a few:
1. Keep your head high
Holding your head up not only improves posture, it shows pride in yourself and in your band. This tip can not only improve the posture of each individual musician but also enhance the overall look and general effect of your marching band's field show.
2. Don't stiffen your legs
It's helpful to keep your legs straight but be cautious of stiffness. The muscles around your knees shouldn't tense so much that you can't march. Finding the balance between straight and relaxed keeps you from being too stiff while also keeping perfect form.
3. Position yourself forward
In theory, this tip sounds confusing, because how could your body possibly be facing in different directions? However, when practiced, it makes all the difference. Making sure all parts of your body are aligned and pointed forward keeps your posture in good shape. This means aligning your feet, your arms, your head, your hips and shoulders.
4. Evenly distribute your weight
For a more comfortable marching experience, be sure to keep your body weight evenly distributed on your feet by displacing your weight on the heels and ball of your feet.
5. Lengthen your spine
Sound impossible? Think again. If you can rotate your shoulders back and lift yourself one vertebra at a time, you can elongate yourself by the true length of your spine and prevent hunching over, an unsightly mistake to make in a marching band field show.