Is Marching Band a Sport? (now with 95 % more poll!)

[spideyboy_1111]

Hey spideyboy, I was good at sports and arts!!!

see i actually like and respect you now and you're at least respectable and not ignorant

 

[Darthphere]

see i actually like and respect you now and you're at least respectable and not ignorant

The only ignorant person in this thread is you. Matt and I get the argument, we're not the ones claiming the ability to make a fruit salad is art.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

I don't believe you. If there were not opinions that have no guidelines there would be no musical aspect to it. One cannot judge beauty based on a guide line. There may be rules and regulations for the marching, but when it comes down to it, the musical aspect cannot be written down and judged. Thus, a huge aspect of the competition has no rules or guidelines for judging...thus, not a sport, not even by your flimsy definition.

haha dude EVERY THING that has major judging has alot of rules to follow for these judges. There's Music, Drums, Synchronicity, Flags, How clearly they hear you, over all performance, field commanders, all sorts of scores set on many many different things, and it's taken very seriously. Listen, I've actually been to these things for 4 years, and to state, believe what you want, but you clearly have no room to form an opinion to how they judge when you are completely ignorant to what a band competition is like.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

The only ignorant person in this thread is you. Matt and I get the argument, we're not the ones claiming the ability to make a fruit salad is art.

Wow... I dare you to go into a real restaurant and tell the head chef he isn't an artist. But then again you probably can't afford to eat in one, or otherwise you'd know what i'm talking about.

 

[Matt]

haha dude EVERY THING that has major judging has alot of rules to follow for these judges. There's Music, Drums, Synchronicity, Flags, How clearly they hear you, over all performance, field commanders, all sorts of scores set on many many different things, and it's taken very seriously. Listen, I've actually been to these things for 4 years, and to state, believe what you want, but you clearly have no room to form an opinion to how they judge when you are completely ignorant to what a band competition is like.

I'm not completely ignorant. When you assume you make an ass of you and me. The fact is (and this is a fact) there is no completely objective way to judge music. A big part of it is OPINION on who is better. That is not the case in real sports which are judged such as skiing or diving. Everything they do as small as a movement of their hand is judged by a specific guideline and rule. There is no opinion involved. That cannot be said with music.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

You're the one making ridiculous, idiotic claims like "The importance of art is far greater than some stupid game like football!"

News flash, to 100 million people around the world, its not. YOU are not qualified to judge what is more important to people. That is all I'm saying.

Look i've never said sports arn't important. But Sports do not effect everyone's lives, and how the world works. Arts do, this is what makes them more important. Look people like sports, i get that, and i'm fine with that, but it's completely asinine to say sports are more important then arts. Sports do not effect everyone's lives, and it's easy to escape from, you just don't go to a game, or change the channel. Art you can't run away from, it's everywhere.

 

[Matt]

Look i've never said sports arn't important. But Sports do not effect everyone's lives, and how the world works. Arts do, this is what makes them more important. Look people like sports, i get that, and i'm fine with that, but it's completely asinine to say sports are more important then arts. Sports do not effect everyone's lives, and it's easy to escape from, you just don't go to a game, or change the channel. Art you can't run away from, it's everywhere.

Neither does art (unless of course you are using some ass backwards definition of what art is where so much as taking a piss is an art form).

 

[Darthphere]

Wow... I dare you to go into a real restaurant and tell the head chef he isn't an artist. But then again you probably can't afford to eat in one, or otherwise you'd know what i'm talking about.

I would hope that the person making my food is focused on making my food taste good than making "art".

And please, why are you making this personal? I usually go right to the jugular in these type of discussions but I'm giving you a lot of slack here. You don't know anything about me, and frankly I don't give a **** about you. I'm bashing your opinions not you.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

I'm not completely ignorant. When you assume you make an ass of you and me. The fact is (and this is a fact) there is no completely objective way to judge music. A big part of it is OPINION on who is better. That is not the case in real sports which are judged such as skiing or diving. Everything they do as small as a movement of their hand is judged by a specific guideline and rule. There is no opinion involved. That cannot be said with music.

theres just as many ways to judge music as there are ways to judge a diver when diving, and a gymnast when flipping. I believe the judges are even given the music we perform, theres also the "echo effect" where half the band can be at a different pace then the rest and completely mess up the sound, theres staying on beat, tone, pitch, playing up to the audience, there truly is alot that goes into it, and they are very critical, and take it very seriously.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

Neither does art (unless of course you are using some ass backwards definition of what art is where so much as taking a piss is an art form).

for art to not affect your life, you have to be a nude mountain man who has no contact with civilization

 

[Matt]

theres just as many ways to judge music as there are ways to judge a diver when diving, and a gymnast when flipping. I believe the judges are even given the music we perform, theres also the "echo effect" where half the band can be at a different pace then the rest and completely mess up the sound, theres staying on beat, tone, pitch, playing up to the audience, there truly is alot that goes into it, and they are very critical, and take it very seriously.

Not really. It still comes down to a personal perception of beauty as does all things music. Judgement of music is subjective by nature. One can score another band higher and just say, "They played better." In a sport one could not find such a subjective rule. In a competition, you can.

for art to not affect your life, you have to be a nude mountain man who has no contact with civilization

It depends on what definition of art you are using. Yours seems to be the belief that anything and everything is art.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

Not really. It still comes down to a personal perception of beauty as does all things music. Judgement of music is subjective by nature. One can score another band higher and just say, "They played better." In a sport one could not find such a subjective rule. In a competition, you can.

There's guidlines, guidlines thatt are just on par with syncronized swimming, gymnastics, and diving.... Playing an instrument is more mechanical and technical imo then a talent, it's more of a hobby. I truly believe anyone can learn to play an instrument, you just need to learn how to read music, blow, and press a button. Not everyone can sing, even if trained. Thus why it is a talent.

It depends on what definition of art you are using. Yours seems to be the belief that anything and everything is art.

Not everything is art.. but majority of what is around you is designed by an artist. Webdesign, movies, comics, video games, clothing, furniture, food, the way things are prepared and layed out are done with alot of serious thought believe it or not, hell i go to school for this very reason. This is why art is all around you. You can not buy anything that is not affected by art in some way shape or form. If that makes sense to you. I'm really just trying to open your mind and let you see how much really goes into the things around you, alot of people went through years of schooling to design everyday items around you and take art very seriously.

 

[Matt]

There's guidlines, guidlines thatt are just on par with syncronized swimming, gymnastics, and diving.... Playing an instrument is more mechanical and technical imo then a talent, it's more of a hobby. I truly believe anyone can learn to play an instrument, you just need to learn how to read music, blow, and press a button. Not everyone can sing, even if trained. Thus why it is a talent.

Again, no its not on par with syncronized swimming, gymnastics, or diving. All involve specific movements. Movements which are regulated by guidelines. All of which cannot be subjective in any way due to the sport's guidelines.

Your competition on the other hand involves music in the judgement, which by its very nature is subjective. It is really that simple.

Not everything is art.. but majority of what is around you is designed by an artist. Webdesign, movies, comics, video games, clothing, furniture, food, the way things are prepared and layed out are done with alot of serious thought believe it or not, hell i go to school for this very reason. This is why art is all around you. You can not buy anything that is not affected by art in some way shape or form. If that makes sense to you. I'm really just trying to open your mind and let you see how much really goes into the things around you, alot of people went through years of schooling to design everyday items around you and take art very seriously.

Schooling does not make you an artist...you know what, you're just too damn dense to continue with this so, I leave this conversation with:

 

[Darthphere]

So let me make this point, is JROTC a sport? I mean, essentially, removing the music part (except in Major Payne), they're the same thing.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

Again, no its not on par with syncronized swimming, gymnastics, or diving. All involve specific movements. Movements which are regulated by guidelines. All of which cannot be subjective in any way due to the sport's guidelines.

you've said so yourself you do not know enough on the subject, you can't form an opinion unless you know what you're talking about. go educate yourself and find out judging criteria for a college high level marching band competition.

Schooling does not make you an artist...you know what, you're just too damn dense to continue with this so, I leave this conversation with:

i've never said schooling makes you an artist... but those who go to art schools and have a career in art, are definitely artists, which is my point. There are schools for culinary arts. Hell my school has a culinary departments and you should see some of the elaborate stuff they do.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

So let me make this point, is JROTC a sport? I mean, essentially, removing the music part (except in Major Payne), they're the same thing.

No there not. they do not run around a field forming patterns and doing "tricks" if all marching bands did was march in parades you could compare the two, but that is not all that marching bands do.

 

[mrvlknight21]

Again... Gymnastics? Skateboarding? Skiing? Snowboarding? Diving? Figure Skating? Track & Field? Louge?

Not sports?


Having defense in a sport simply makes it a contact sport.

Not true, Tennis has defense and is not contact sport.

There are many events to track and field, but the basic formula for winning is clear-run faster than your opponent, jump further than your opponent, throw the shot put further, etc etc. It isnt something that is completely left to judges and it requires athletic ability. I say that qualifies track and field as a sport. You are attempting to surpass your opponent's efforts.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

Not true, Tennis has defense and is not contact sport.

There are many events to track and field, but the basic formula for winning is clear-run faster than your opponent, jump further than your opponent, throw the shot put further, etc etc. It isnt something that is completely left to judges. I say that qualifies track and field as a sport. You are attempting to surpass your opponent's efforts.

to play devil's advocate here (cuz i still stand by my definition of a sport, which i've said thrice) this is the reason why i didn't add "defense" to my definition, because with track and field there is none... now i will say though that in a marathon there is definitely a defense though, due to you not being on a separate designated "track" (the white lines lol)

 

[mrvlknight21]

Yeah, I didnt have defense in my DEFINITION, but said that it does help to define the activity as sport or not.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

I think one thing that gets confused easily, and needs to be defined better in definitions is "athletic activity" vs "sport" I'll go on record saying that Ideally, i would not call marching band a sport, but i do, and will continue too until such activities as "gymnastics, hunting, fishing, syncronized swimming, diving, etc..." are not called sports. Because ideally sports should be athletic activities that are games, and I find it very discriminatory to call one thing that has less activity and challenge a "sport" then another, especially when some sports are nearly identical to marching band.

 

[Darthphere]

No there not. they do not run around a field forming patterns and doing "tricks" if all marching bands did was march in parades you could compare the two, but that is not all that marching bands do.

Then what the **** do they do other than MARCH in parades and take part in competitions?

 

[spideyboy_1111]

Then what the **** do they do other than MARCH in parades and take part in competitions?

college level competitions are hella rigorous, and full of stunts, tricks, and all sorts of athletic type. By every definition of "sport" posted on web dictionaries, marching band has fit into it. The training and physical stuff is on par with syncronized swimming, and far more then hunting and fishing which are considered sports

 

[Matt]

dictionary definitions do not take perception into account.

 

[Darthphere]

I don't think hunting and fishing are sports either.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

I don't think hunting and fishing are sports either.

see im fine when people are like that, i just get mad when people can accept... (fishing, hunting, nascar, synch swimming, diving, ping pong, skeet, skiing, snowboarding, etc as a sport, but not something like marching band, which can be just as much training and extrenious, if not more, then some of those)