I marched in an award winning band in west Texas. 300 members strong.
Very tough director. If you weren’t playing while marching, you were gone.
I understand some marchers fake it. I am saying that there are great bands that do not allow it.
I believe letting someone who does not have the capabilities to go out on the field and fake it is wrong. To me, as a musician, it is offensive.
I find it offensive too. I worked at my sports, probably as hard if not harder than the fitamong us. It is offensive to give someone something they do not earn. It is done just to make the ‘giver’ feel better. Excellence is a dying goal in the little barry abstard boy and his henchgoon democrips’ world.
Our director was Eldon Janzen. He was from north of Dallas. I bet he knew your director.