Instruments

Alright, before you read bout the instruments, you should probably find out who the drum majors are. The drum majors are the ones who keep directing the marching band throughout the parades. They tell the drums what the tempo is, which in turn helps the rest of the band. Plus, they also are put to the task of making sure the entire band can see them at all times to know what the tempo is to play and march to. This year the band has two fine instrumentalists and gentlemen as the drum majors. They are Bjorn Johnson and steven Peters.

Flute
Section leader: Allison Heistercamp
Class:Woodwind
The flute is a long silver colored instrument, sometimes black, that is played by pressing your lips on the side of the mouth piece, pursing your lips, and blowing lightly. The flute has one of the higher pitches of the band. The only other instrument higher than the flute is the piccolo, which is basically a smaller flute with a higher sound. The flute is somewhat hard to hear in the band mainly because it has more of an airy sound than any of the other intruments.

Clarinet
Section leaders: Amanda Cornelius & Katie Bilderback
Class:Woodwind
The clarinet is a straight black instrument, sometimes wooden, that is played by putting a reed on the mouth piece, biting down on it, and blowing air into it. It, in it's own way, is an instrument with a low sound, but is amazingly gorgeous when played right. It is one of the harder instruments to play because of the reed. Having an instrument that requires a reed is a difficult task, because with the reed, your instrument tends to squeak, which sounds really bad.

Alto Saxaphone
Section leader: Matt Wirth
Class:Woodwind
The alto saxaphone is a normally golden colored, but can be many variations of different colors, instrument. It is often used in jazz and many other sorts of music. The saxaphone is the instrument designed to be the loudest, though you may think differently. It can have a high and a low sound both. It is also one of the reed instruments. It is called a woodwind, though you may ask why. It is called a woodwind, simply because it is a reed instrument. If it weren't, it would be considered brass. The saxaphone has a different shape than most. It is shapes in a curve, like a 'j', rather than just a straight line.

Mellophone
Section leader: Matt Wirth
Class:Brass
The Mellophone is a brass instrument, but is in the same section as the alto saxaphone because it plays most of the same parts as the sax. It is pretty much the same thing as a french horn, but it takes the same basic shape as a trumpet, though a little bit fatter, so as to make it easier to march with than the french horn. The section with the alto saxes ad the mellophone is usually called the saxamello's! Isn't that funny?

Trumpet
Section leaders: David Rode & Tom Jordan
Class:Brass
The trumpet is usually a golden or silver colored instrument often used in jazz, like the saxaphone. It has a very distinct sound that is usually pretty high. It's sound is sort of peircing at first, but it'sa beautiful sound when played right. The way to play a trumpet (and this goes for all brass instruments), is to buzz your lips onto the mouthpiece while blowing air into it. It tickles the lips if you're not used to it!

Baritone
Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin
Class:Low Brass
The baritone is a twisted instrument that looks like a smaller version of a concert band's tuba. It is a brass instrument, so is played by buzzing the lips on the mouthpiece. It has a very unique sound that brings amazing sound to the band!

Trombone
Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin
Class:Low Brass
The trombone is a very unique instrument in the fact that it is the only instrument with a slide. Instead of using valves or keys, a trombone player uses a slide to control which notes he plays. He moves the slide up and down. It is the only instrument that changes shape while being played. And when you slide it down wichout tonguing, it sounds like a note going down a slide, if can imagine that. It's an awesome instrument!

Tenor Saxaphone
Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin
Class:Low Brass/Woodwind
The tenor saxaphone is much like the alto, except for the fact that it is considered a low brass instrument because it plays lower notes than the alto. It is also a reed instrument, which makes it a woodwind. The difference in shape is that there is a small urve to the neck of it, while the neck of the alto is straight. It is also a larger saxaphone than the alto. The alto is about 2/3 the size of the tenor.

Bari Saxaphone
Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin
Class:Low Brass/Woodwind
The bari saxaphone is very much like the tenor sax, because it too is considered low brass. That would be because since it's even larger than the tenor, it makes lower sounds than the tenor. The difference in shape and size between the bari and the tenor is that the neck of the bari, unlike the alto and the tenor, is extremely curved and looped. Also, the tenor is about 2/3 the size of the bari, making the bari about twice the size of the alto.

Tuba
Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin
Class:Low Brass
The tuba in marching band is often calles the sousaphone, after Johnathan Sousa came up with it's shape. The tuba in marching band has a bit of a different shape than the tuba of a concert band. The tuba in marching band has a huge, circular opening in which the head goes through, and sits on the shoulders. It has a very large bell on it's top, and is usually placed in the back of the band. It's a very imprtant piece of the band, because along with sometimes having melody parts, it's also one of the few wind instruments that actually helps to keep time and rhythm! Plus, it sounds really cool!

Tenor
Section leaders: Ian Williams, Robert Coder & John Schwarzkopf
Class:Percussion
The tenor in the drumline is not one drum, but actually a set of 4 drums. With this set of drums, the tenors can not only keep beat, but they can also play a tune with more than one note with the beat as well!

Bells
Section leaders: Ian Williams, Robert Coder & John Schwarzkopf
Class:Percussion
The bells in the percussion are pretty much xylophones on shoulder holders. They help to keep the beat, but they, along with the tenors, provide a tune for the drumline. The bells, having the most notes to play, keep most of the tune.

Snare
Section leaders: Ian Williams, Robert Coder & John Schwarzkopf
Class:Percussion
The snare is a really cool drum. It is one drum, but provides many different sounds than just one. It depends on the way you beat it, and the different types of sticks you use to beat it. You can make it a harsh sound by beating it with regular drum stiks, make it a little softer with mallets, or even make it sound jazzy with whisk like sticks... I'm not sure what those are called.

Bass
Section leaders: Ian Williams, Robert Coder & John Schwarzkopf
Class:Percussion
The bass. Ah, one of the best. The bass drum is the beat drum. This is the main drum to keep the beat. It is one of the main elements that enables the band to stay on tempo with the music. In a lot of people's idea's, the bass drum is the most important part of the band. Another thing though, the bass doesn't only keep the beat! It gets to plat some pretty cool beats other than keeping the tempo! It's amazing! And, there is really more than one bass drum. There are many bass drums, of different sizes. It's so cool!

	Flute Section leader: Allison Heistercamp *Class:Woodwind* The flute is a long silver colored instrument, sometimes black, that is played by pressing your lips on the side of the mouth piece, pursing your lips, and blowing lightly. The flute has one of the higher pitches of the band. The only other instrument higher than the flute is the piccolo, which is basically a smaller flute with a higher sound. The flute is somewhat hard to hear in the band mainly because it has more of an airy sound than any of the other intruments.
	Clarinet Section leaders: Amanda Cornelius & Katie Bilderback *Class:Woodwind* The clarinet is a straight black instrument, sometimes wooden, that is played by putting a reed on the mouth piece, biting down on it, and blowing air into it. It, in it's own way, is an instrument with a low sound, but is amazingly gorgeous when played right. It is one of the harder instruments to play because of the reed. Having an instrument that requires a reed is a difficult task, because with the reed, your instrument tends to squeak, which sounds really bad.
	Alto Saxaphone Section leader: Matt Wirth *Class:Woodwind* The alto saxaphone is a normally golden colored, but can be many variations of different colors, instrument. It is often used in jazz and many other sorts of music. The saxaphone is the instrument designed to be the loudest, though you may think differently. It can have a high and a low sound both. It is also one of the reed instruments. It is called a woodwind, though you may ask why. It is called a woodwind, simply because it is a reed instrument. If it weren't, it would be considered brass. The saxaphone has a different shape than most. It is shapes in a curve, like a 'j', rather than just a straight line.
	Mellophone Section leader: Matt Wirth *Class:Brass* The Mellophone is a brass instrument, but is in the same section as the alto saxaphone because it plays most of the same parts as the sax. It is pretty much the same thing as a french horn, but it takes the same basic shape as a trumpet, though a little bit fatter, so as to make it easier to march with than the french horn. The section with the alto saxes ad the mellophone is usually called the saxamello's! Isn't that funny?
	Trumpet Section leaders: David Rode & Tom Jordan *Class:Brass* The trumpet is usually a golden or silver colored instrument often used in jazz, like the saxaphone. It has a very distinct sound that is usually pretty high. It's sound is sort of peircing at first, but it'sa beautiful sound when played right. The way to play a trumpet (and this goes for all brass instruments), is to buzz your lips onto the mouthpiece while blowing air into it. It tickles the lips if you're not used to it!
	Baritone Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin *Class:Low Brass* The baritone is a twisted instrument that looks like a smaller version of a concert band's tuba. It is a brass instrument, so is played by buzzing the lips on the mouthpiece. It has a very unique sound that brings amazing sound to the band!
	Trombone Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin *Class:Low Brass* The trombone is a very unique instrument in the fact that it is the only instrument with a slide. Instead of using valves or keys, a trombone player uses a slide to control which notes he plays. He moves the slide up and down. It is the only instrument that changes shape while being played. And when you slide it down wichout tonguing, it sounds like a note going down a slide, if can imagine that. It's an awesome instrument!
	Tenor Saxaphone Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin *Class:Low Brass/Woodwind* The tenor saxaphone is much like the alto, except for the fact that it is considered a low brass instrument because it plays lower notes than the alto. It is also a reed instrument, which makes it a woodwind. The difference in shape is that there is a small urve to the neck of it, while the neck of the alto is straight. It is also a larger saxaphone than the alto. The alto is about 2/3 the size of the tenor.
	Bari Saxaphone Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin *Class:Low Brass/Woodwind* The bari saxaphone is very much like the tenor sax, because it too is considered low brass. That would be because since it's even larger than the tenor, it makes lower sounds than the tenor. The difference in shape and size between the bari and the tenor is that the neck of the bari, unlike the alto and the tenor, is extremely curved and looped. Also, the tenor is about 2/3 the size of the bari, making the bari about twice the size of the alto.
	Tuba Section leaders: Adam Miller, Paul Nelson & Andy Julin *Class:Low Brass* The tuba in marching band is often calles the sousaphone, after Johnathan Sousa came up with it's shape. The tuba in marching band has a bit of a different shape than the tuba of a concert band. The tuba in marching band has a huge, circular opening in which the head goes through, and sits on the shoulders. It has a very large bell on it's top, and is usually placed in the back of the band. It's a very imprtant piece of the band, because along with sometimes having melody parts, it's also one of the few wind instruments that actually helps to keep time and rhythm! Plus, it sounds really cool!
	Tenor Section leaders: Ian Williams, Robert Coder & John Schwarzkopf *Class:Percussion* The tenor in the drumline is not one drum, but actually a set of 4 drums. With this set of drums, the tenors can not only keep beat, but they can also play a tune with more than one note with the beat as well!
	Bells Section leaders: Ian Williams, Robert Coder & John Schwarzkopf *Class:Percussion* The bells in the percussion are pretty much xylophones on shoulder holders. They help to keep the beat, but they, along with the tenors, provide a tune for the drumline. The bells, having the most notes to play, keep most of the tune.
	Snare Section leaders: Ian Williams, Robert Coder & John Schwarzkopf *Class:Percussion* The snare is a really cool drum. It is one drum, but provides many different sounds than just one. It depends on the way you beat it, and the different types of sticks you use to beat it. You can make it a harsh sound by beating it with regular drum stiks, make it a little softer with mallets, or even make it sound jazzy with whisk like sticks... I'm not sure what those are called.
	Bass Section leaders: Ian Williams, Robert Coder & John Schwarzkopf *Class:Percussion* The bass. Ah, one of the best. The bass drum is the beat drum. This is the main drum to keep the beat. It is one of the main elements that enables the band to stay on tempo with the music. In a lot of people's idea's, the bass drum is the most important part of the band. Another thing though, the bass doesn't only keep the beat! It gets to plat some pretty cool beats other than keeping the tempo! It's amazing! And, there is really more than one bass drum. There are many bass drums, of different sizes. It's so cool!