A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

A  (Back to top of page)

Accidental- Markings in music such as sharps or flats which indicate that a note is to be played differently from normal, so called because students frequently accidentally overlook them

Accompaniment- Music played by a band or piano as background and support to a solo performance

Accompanist- Musician who plays an accompaniment, usually on a piano. In a band context this happens most often for a contest solo performance

Administration- The executives of a public school system including superintendents, principals, staff coordinators, etc. who may or may not provide proper support for the band program.

Adjustment- What the keys on a woodwind are always out of, which causes leaks which impair playability requiring costly professional repairs.

All-Region, All-District, All-City, All-State - Elite regional bands and orchestras made up of the better players from many schools selected by audition, used as a carrot (or perhaps a stick) to get band members to practice their instruments.

Alternate- Band member held in ready reserve to replace band members who must leave a show due to illness, injury or disqualification. They lug and set-up pit equipment. If many or all alternates go into the show then band parents take over the lugging and setting up.

Arrhythmic- Description given to students who seem to never get the right beat. In other words, "I am sorry, but you have no rhythm sweetheart."

Arranger- A person who improves music originally written for another type of performing group by rewriting it for use by a marching band.

Attrition- Students dropping out of band as they grow older and are exposed to bad influences. Some attrition is probably unavoidable as in, "But I have to leave the band, my father's been transferred and our family is moving to Alaska."

Audience- Discriminating music aficionados in attendance at Band Concerts including yourself and all your friends and relatives

Audition- Nerve racking solo performance before contest judges in attempt to qualify for an All-Something band, to determine one's chair or to get a scholarship

Auditorium- Large theater-like room in a school in which they hold band concerts, may be used for other purposes on non-concert days

Auxiliaries- Non-instrumentalists who march and dance with the band carrying flags, props, etc. Sometimes worth valuable extra points at marching contests, see Drill/Dance Teams

B (Back to top of page)

Band- 1)Any group of musicians who play together, 2) A large aggregation of wind and percussion instruments of inherent musicality. Once widely popular but now (due to the declining musical tastes of an untutored, television besotted, lazy eared public) largely confined to schools and universities.

Band, Community- Band made up of volunteer players from the community. Usually a mixed group including school band directors, adult amateurs, under-employed freelance musicians and a few high school players who do not find the school program intense enough and seek even more band experience. So great is the popularity of band music that a typical American city of only 2 million people can support a community band of nearly 65 players.

Band Director, Associate- Second in band hall only to the Head Band Director. Has own feast day of obligation. Most Drum Majors want to become one.

Band Director, Head- Underpaid yet fanatically dedicated Commander-in-Chief of the band (whose wisdom and authority in the band hall can only be compared to that of a major deity), most Associate Band Directors want to become one

Band Room- 1) Center of band activities in a school, 2) your second home

Band Members- 1) The students in the band including your child, 2) a mob of musical instrument wielding Visigoths

Bands of America- A national organization which sponsors really prestigious regional and national band contests

Band Camp - (See Marching Band Camp)

Band Office- Small cramped Holy of Holies  containing telephone and also directors' desks, equipment, etc.

Band Officers- Mostly powerless appointed student leaders of the band, being one looks good on college application forms.

Band Parents- The best, most selfless, hardest working people on Earth

Band Parents Meeting- Democracy in action

Band Parents Organization- 1) All the band parents as a group, 2) your primary waking activity during marching and concert seasons

Band Shell- Over stage structure designed to reflect sound of concert band forward at outdoor concerts and to provide truly minimal protection from wind and rain

Banner- Large brightly colored rectangular cloth with a band's name and home city on it. Carried on horizontal pole in front of band at parades

Bass Clef- Handsomely stylized letter "F" used to identify the bass staff on which the lower notes (below middle C on a piano) are written. In a band tubas, trombones, bassoons and most euphoniums read the bass clef at proper concert pitch eschewing the awkward and confusing transpositions preferred by most treble clef instruments, see treble clef

Baton- 1) Short cute stick-like device used by conductors to make the beat easier to see, 2) often dropped ornamented stick twirled by auxiliaries called twirlers, once very popular but now much less so, see rifles

Battery- 1) Term used for field percussion such as bass drums, tenors and snares, 2) Used to supply power to the wireless mics and Doctor Beat.

Beat- 1) Integral subdivision of time in music, marked by the waving of the conductor's arms, 2) how a band parent chaperone feels at the end of a band trip

Bell- 1) A clanging tuned metal percussion instrument, 2) That part of a brass instrument which must point home during a marching show

Brass- 1) The shiny loud instruments, 2) what the shiny loud instruments are made out of (which is a non-eutectic, non-magnetic, highly conductive metal alloy of 70% copper and 30% zinc in its most common "yellow brass" form. It has a face centered cubic crystal structure), see red brass, nickel silver

Bus, Band- A primitive, crowded, noisy motorized transport used to take bands to contests, games, etc. Use outlawed by most civilized nations.

Bus, Charter - Comfortable and roomy but expensive hired bus sometimes used for band overnight trips

Button- 1) Familiar fastening device that falls off band uniforms, 2) Top of brass instrument's valves.

C (Back to top of page)

Call Back- Second round in an audition in which the better players audition a second time to determine chair, break ties, etc.

Captain, (Percussion, Keyboard, etc.)- Field Officer having special responsibility for one sub-section of band.

Cases- Battered suitcase-like satchels for carrying and storing instruments

Chair- 1)Ranking of band members in the same section according to ability (or some such thing) as determined by audition, 2) what band members sit on when giving band concerts

Chairpersons, Band Parent Committee- Band parent in charge of a specific activity such as fund raising, chaperones, etc. Do not bother hiding, they will track you down anyway.

Chaos- State of order in band room except when band members are actually in rehearsal (and sometimes even then)

Chaperones, Band- Band parent band member tenders

Chimes- chromatic set of tubular bells suspended by shoe laces from a frame held together with tape to form a keyboard instrument used in the pit

Choreographer- Person who creates choreography as in "The band parents paid a choreographer to prepare the new marching contest piece but we don't have to cause Mr. Lambert does it for free!

Chorus- 1) Excellent color guard members come from this ensemble. 2) Tonsil Band.

Choreography- Plan of body movements of band and auxiliaries in show including marching, drilling and dancing (band members improvise tripping, slipping and falling themselves). Also something Barb and Dana do.

Clinic- Oddly named rehearsal which focuses on one aspect of playing, a single instrument, etc. See sectional and master class

Clinician- Outside expert paid big bucks (those big bucks are a miserable pittance from the clinician's point of view) by band parents to work with a section of the band as in "The percussion clinician rehearsed the drummers in their drill."

Composer- A (often impecunious) person who writes music (band composers include J.P. Sousa, G. Holst, P. Grainger, V. Nelybel, R. Smith, C. Williams, P. Creston, G. Jacobs, K. Husa, L. Osman, J. Bavicchi, T. Beversdorf, H. Owen Reed, P. H

Concert, Band- Sophisticated high class musical entertainment appealing to the finer human sensibilities by featuring band performances

Concert Band- 1) In general usage a band assembled to play concerts, 2) in school usage a band in ability above a varsity band but below a symphonic band.

Concert Dress- Uniform or other formal attire worn by band members when giving a concert. Varies from matching T-shirts and jeans (cheap and comfortable) to Tuxedos and Gowns (expensive and uncomfortable)

Concert Pitch- 1) The standard pitch for the treble clef second space A currently set at 440 Hertz but fast pushing 442 or even 444, 2) the actual note sounded by a transposing instrument (trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, horn, treble clef baritone, etc) as opposed to the note read by the player

Concert Season- Roughly December through May, the band parent's busiest time of year, see also Marching Season

Conductor- Arm waving personage who leads band during a performance or rehearsal, usually one of the directors or drum majors but sometimes a clinician or guest conductor.

Contest Music- Graded music (1, Easy to 6, Difficult) chosen from a list provided by the sponsoring organization which is to be played at Concert or Solo/Ensemble Contests

Contests, Concert- 1) Competitions among concert bands playing contest music before a panel of judges, 2) The focus of life in the spring

Contests, Marching- 1) Competitions among marching bands before a panel of judges, 2) The focus of life in the autumn

Contests, Solo and Ensemble-1) Competition among band members and band member ensembles, 2) The focus of life in the winter

Cork- Tree bark (yes, truly) used for woodwind joints/pads and as a cushioning material on valves and keys

Costumes- Fancy dress worn by auxiliaries and Drum Majors, sometimes in keeping with show theme.

Crooks- 1) Length of brass tubing added to a brasswind to change its key as from F to Eb or from C to Bb 2) musical instrument sales personal (well, many of them)

Covering Down- A technique used by band members to keep their lines straight or at least sort of straight when marching

D (Back to top of page)

Disqualification- 1) When a band member is barred from participating in band activities due to failure to meet academic standards, fear of this may inspire band members to study, 2) The barring of a band from competition due to a rules violation

Doctor Beat- An annoying, loud obnoxious metronome which is amplified through a sound system to keep band members in tempo. Percussionists just love this instrument of torment....the louder, the better.

Drill/Dance Team- Autonomous group (often mostly or exclusively female) which may march as color guard with band at football games and marching contests.

Drums- Cylindrical, hollow percussion instruments designed to deafen.

Drum Major- Student conductor who leads bands on marching field, most field officers want to become one

E (Back to top of page)

Elkhart, Indiana- Headquarters of many US instrument makers like Conn (UMI) and Blessing. What Detroit is to autos, Elkhart is to band instruments.

Embouchure- Funny faces made by band members when they are playing their instruments

Ensemble- Small group of players performing or auditioning together- duet, trio, quartet, etc.

F (Back to top of page)

Facing- Where the band members are facing when marching. Ideal is for all to be facing home regardless of direction they are marching

Field Officers- Marching band petty officers, most band members want to become one

Fingering- Position of a player's fingers (open or closed, down or up, etc.) on keys or valves needed to sound a given note as in "What's the fingering for a high Eb?"

Flags- 1) Large pieces of colored cloth on poles waved by color guard, 2) the  girls who wave them

Flat- 1) Overlooked marking in music which indicates that the following note should be played 1/2 step lower than written, 2) playing a note at a pitch slightly below the correct pitch which is personalized as, "You are flat!", 3) when an instrument is out of tune because the slides are pulled out too far

Flautists- What overeducated people call flutists

Flugelhorn- A brass instrument similar to trumpet which has a very mellow sound like a French horn but projects like a trumpet. It is pitched in Bb like a trumpet as well and is used in many jazz ensembles. Marching Bands are beginning to use the flugelhorn to replace mellophones and marching French horns because of its superior tone and intonation qualities. Most famous player is Chuck Mangione.

Folder- 1) Cardboard slipcase for keeping a band member's music together so that all of it may be mislaid at the same time as; "I can't find my folder." 2) same as chair as in, "She's playing second folder."

Folio, Marching- Easily lost or forgotten small loose-leaf booklet holding marching music, same as flip folder

Football- A game played on a marching field to entertain audience while the band is getting ready to perform

Football Games- Events scheduled to provide opportunities for marching contest show dress rehearsals before marching contests

Fund Rai$ing- The most important band parent activity, involves making large quantities of money transfer to band from any outside source

"Funky Winkerbean"- Newspaper comic strip that contains an uncannily accurate depiction of modern high school band life.

G (Back to top of page)

GE- 1) General Effect, in other words the overall crowd appeal of the marching band's show design and performance, 2) General Electric

Gig- Musicians' term for any paid playing job. Playing jazz at Bennie's Discount Hot Spot would be a gig, so would an appearance before H.M. the Queen at the Annual Royal Command Performance in the Royal Albert Hall, London. Band members can sometimes pick up $10 playing gigs for church services, weddings, etc.

Gig Bag- Padded cloth bag for carrying instruments, music and equipment

Goober- 1) A type of chocolate candy, 2) Band members who never seem to get it right because they don't pay attention

Guest conductors- Conductors, from outside the band organization, invited to conduct the band because they are famous fine conductors, they composed the music being played or they have a lot of money some of which the band has gotten.

Gymnasium- Large room in a school used for band concerts if there is no or only an inadequate auditorium, there are some sports that can be played in it

H (Back to top of page)

Hall- Long narrow structure which connects the band room with the rest of the school

Hall, Concert- Theater-like structure designed for the giving of concerts.

Harness- Elaborate strap used to carry larger instruments (drums, tubas, etc) while marching

Hat Boxes- Carrying cases for uniform hats which are often left behind in uniform room at start of band trip or on band buses at end of band trip

Half-time- The only interesting part of a football game.

High School- Secondary school, the level at which band parenting becomes intense

Home- 1) Place where marching contest judges sit when judging, as in "Point your horns toward home (press box)!", 2) Place where band members and parents briefly sleep between band activities.

Honors Band- In schools having multiple bands, the band of highest ability

Horns- 1) Generic term for all wind instruments as in, 'Get your horns out and warm up!", 2) French horns, 3) The people who play French horns

Hot Chocolate- Heated flavored water lugged by band parents, used to warm band members on cold days.

I (Back to top of page)

Ice- Frozen water lugged by band parents, used to cool band members on hot days.

Instruments- Expensive devices for making music, see Brass, Percussion and Woodwinds

Instrument Manufacturers- Companies that make and sell musical instruments, no longer to be confused with instrument brands. (Many once proud instrument makers are now just brand names for conglomerates. King, Conn, Benge, Artley, Schilke etc. are now made by UMI while Bach, Selmer, Bundy etc. are all made by Selmer)

Instrument Repairmen- Difficult to find persons who repair instruments. Good ones are especially rare and should be accorded the deference and respect otherwise reserved for saints, Nobel prize winners and TV Stars (until their series are canceled) .

Intonation- Playing in tune. Musicians match pitch frequencies alleviating which increases beauty of sound.

Invitational- Band contest only open to bands invited to participate by the sponsoring organization

J (Back to top of page)

Jazz Band- Small band which plays jazz type music, heavy on saxophones, short on tubas and usually too loud for some folks.

Judges, Contest- Eagle-eyed, golden-eared, infinitely demanding persons who can spot unraised band member toes at a distance of 200 yards, at night, through fog while detecting one slightly out of tune clarinet during a brass fortissimo. Widely believed by band parents to take fiendish pleasure in giving out low scores at marching and concert contests.

K (Back to top of page)

Keyboards- Inconveniently large and awkward instruments (a subset of the percussion and pit instruments) whose tuned elements are arranged chromatically like a piano's keyboard, as marimba, xylophone, bells and chimes

Keys- 1) Fragile padded levers that are out of adjustment on woodwinds, 2) tools used to unlock doors.

Key Signature- Often overlooked marking in music which tells in what key a piece is to be played

L (Back to top of page)

Laps- 1) Running of these around a marching field is a common punishment for inattention or sloth during marching practice (see push ups), 2) What tuba and euphonium players use to support their instruments when sitting down

Lessons, Private- One-on-one tuition of a band member by a private instrument teacher for which the band member is supposed to practice hence:

Loading Crew- Loosely organized group of band members and parents who load/unload the band truck, see Pit Crew

LST- Lambert standard time. Students are to set their watches to Mr. Lambert's watch, so they will be on time.

Lyre- Device which is supposed to hold flip-folder on instrument while marching

M (Back to top of page)

M&M- 1) Marching and maneuvering, 2) Type of candy which is chocolate on the inside and hard shell on the outside. Band members love 'em.

March- 1) Short piece of music in double time intended to be played while marching in a parade, 2) the month during which concert contests usually take place

Marching- Organized group walking around on a marching field or street

Marching Band- A band that plays while marching

Marching Band Camp- A two week or longer marching practice for band members scheduled to conflict with parents' summer plans

Marching Field- A field 100 yards in length, marked in 10 yard increments used for marching band performances. There are some sports (such as football and field hockey) which can be played on a marching field

Marching Horn (French or Baritone)- Special version of concert instrument wrapped trumpet style to direct sound forward while marching so that French horn and baritone horn players can point toward home.

Marching Instrument- Inexpensive, often second hand, instrument used for marching to protect expensive new instrument from marching related damage

Marching Practice- Band members principal waking activity from August through October

Marching Season- 1) Roughly June through November, the band parent's busiest time of year, see Concert Season

Master Class- Super fancy sectional presided over by famous expensive clinician, usually held as part of a conference or at a university, see Clinic

Mathematics- 1) The only human endeavor which rivals band in importance, 2) low grades in which are a frequent cause of band member's parent frustration.

Measure- Division of a line of music delimited by bar lines. Defined by the number of notes of a specific length contained therein as shown by the time signature.

Mess- Condition of Band Bus at end of Band Trip. When used by band parents the word 'mess' is often qualified by adjectives such as 'complete', 'horrible', 'total' or '&#@&^$!'

Metronome- Infuriating clockwork or electronic device which indicates beats at a set rate per minute preventing student from slowing or speeding during practice.

Military Bands- 1) Just about the only remaining paying band job to which student musicians can aspire after high school, AKA "Service Bands", 2) British term for what in America is called a Concert or Marching Band as opposed to the British "brass band".

Military Marching- Older style of band marching  used by the military to move infantry and military bands.

Money- 1)That which there will never be too much of in the Band Parent Organization's bank account, 2) That of which there will soon be much less of in the new band parent's bank account

Mouthpiece- 1) An object made of brass which is often lost by brass players, 2) an object made of brass which is often stuck tight in an instrument, 3) that part of a woodwind instrument into which the reed is inserted

Music- 1) What the band members are playing down on the marching field or up on stage. 2) important pieces of paper which band members misplace immediately before a band contest or band concert as in- "I can't find my music!".

Musician- A person who performs music or tries to.

Musicianship- What band members are supposed to be learning

Music, Grade 6- Most difficult of band music (beloved by contest judges), first sight of which often reduces even First Chair players to mute wide-eyed disbelief

Mutes- Device inserted into brasswind bells to reduce their loudness to tolerable levels

N (Back to top of page)

Newsletters- 1) Band parent periodical published and delivered at irregular intervals, 2) Along with 'The Weather Channel' your primary source of information during marching season

Nickel Silver- Silver-colored metal alloy containing absolutely no silver and precious little nickel. Closely related to brass it has a few percent of nickel in addition to copper and zinc. Used for trim and bracing on brasswinds. Sometimes French horns are made out of nickel silver instead of brass.

Notes- 1) The sounds instruments make, 2) black dots on a page of music which represent these sounds and come in a variety of popular sizes including whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, etc.

O (Back to top of page)

Orchestra- 1) Wire band 2) Excellent color guard members come from this ensemble

P (Back to top of page)

PAB- Park and bark. Where the winds and percussion stand still and blow their brains out in high volume to the screams of thousands of crazy fans.

Pads- Soft disk-shaped wafers on woodwind keys which cover the holes in the closed position until they wear or fall out at which point a professional repadding is needed.

Parades- Festive street processionals interesting since they often include bands, usually held as part of a holiday celebration, i.e., Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Groundhog Day, etc.

PDA- 1) Personal digital assistant. Small computer which tracks daily activities, phone numbers, addresses, 2) Public Display of Affection. Something taboo by band members in public.

Parts- A single instrument's or section's portion of a piece of band music as in clarinet part, bassoon part, tuba part, etc. see Score.

Percussion- Very loud banged instruments taught by a guy named Chris.

Percussion Feature- 1) Portion of marching show during which only percussion plays, 2) wind players embouchure rest period

Phasing- Term describing marching band students whose feet have a mind of their own and are not in sync with the beat. Those students are usually called "Space Cadets".

Pit-1) Collection of pit instruments and equipment too large to march arranged along the center of the side lines of the marching field, named by analogy to orchestra pit in an opera house, 2) the band members who play in the pit

Pit Crew- band parents with sore backs, see Loading Crew

Pit Crew Captain- band parent with very sore back

Pit Instruments and Equipment- Large non-marchable instruments and equipment designed not to be easily moved onto marching field sidelines by band parents. Includes, but is not limited to, marimbas, tympani, bass drums, tenor drums, wood blocks, trap sets, vibraphones, xylophones, amplifiers, speakers, podiums, ladders, tam-tams, auto parts, gongs, chimes, bells, cymbals, pianos, organs, synthesizers, sirens, electronic keyboards, bows, props and kitchen sinks

Pit Players- Marching band members without hats, they play pit instruments

Pitch- The vibration frequency of a note usually expressed in Hertz (cycles per second), see concert pitch

Plumes- Fragile feather-like adornments worn (in fine weather) on uniform hats. Kids call them birds.

Plume Box- Unwieldy large heavy box (moved about by band parents) which has compartments for storing plumes

Podium- Raised platform upon which a conductor stand so that band members can see him easily and have no excuse for not being in time and off beat

Practice- The hardest thing in the world to get band members to do. Even getting them to study is easier!

Props- Things used (usually by color guard) as part of marching show such as flags, back drops, bicycles, batons, pompoms, balloons, masks, CO2 canisters, light field artillery, etc., etc., etc.

Push Ups- Common punishment for inattention or sloth during marching practice (see laps).

Q (Back to top of page)

Quaver- 1) To play with a trill, 2) an eighth note (old usage but still current in Britain)

Quiet- Never happens with band members.

R (Back to top of page)

Rain- Inclement weather which interferes with marching practice

Red Brass, Rose Brass- Brass containing a higher than usual percentage of copper. Used in some of the more expensive models of brasswinds, same as Geld Messing

Reeds- Easily damaged devices made of reed that are often forgotten by woodwind players

Rehearsal- Organized group practice of band (or other) music as, "When asked on his 95th birthday what he still looked forward to, the conductor Leopold Stokowski replied, "The next rehearsal!"."

Rehearsal, Dress- Traditionally disastrous rehearsal in full uniform using all elements (color guard, costumes, props, etc.) that will be used in the formal performance, it is usually the last rehearsal before the performance

Rehearsal, Sectional- Intensive rehearsal for one section of the band, usually held after school and sometimes conducted by a clinician.

Repadding- Replacing the worn-out pads on a woodwind instrument, typically costs $15.00 for the pads and $200.00 for the labor.

Repertoire- List of music a band performs or is prepared to perform as "Alban Berg's Wozzeck is not in our repertoire!"

Rifles- 1) Wooden props somewhat in the shape of rifles juggled by color guard, 2) the girls who juggle them

Roll Step- They which students should march. Usually described as a glide step of heel-toe, rolling feet to the outside and back in on a straight line.

Rubber Bands- Small elastic bands used for temporary repairs to keys or valves when springs break

Rhythm- Temporal relationships among notes, accents and beats

S (Back to top of page)

Sabers- 1) Props which look like swords used by the color guard, 2) What you call the girls who spin them.

Scales- Series of ascending/descending notes which band members should, but often don't, memorize

Scatter- Part of a marching show during which band members walk freestyle to the next set instead of marching in step, mistaken by less astute contest judges for poor marching.

Scholarship, Music or Marching or Band- Tuition money offered by many colleges to students willing to play in one of the college's bands. Audition usually required.

School Board- Usually elected trustees of a public school district to whom administrators report and who are ultimately responsible for allocation of budgets, tax rates, etc. Complaints about under funding of band programs should be directed to them.

Score- 1) All the parts in a musical composition printed together for use by the conductor in spotting mistakes by band members, 2) numerical rating of a band's or band member's contest or audition performance as in: low score, poor score, bad score, etc.

Section- A grouping of like instruments as "trumpet section", "bassoon section" or "euphonium section"

Set- One of the layout positions of band members the moving amongst of which forms the choreography of the marching show as in Set 1, Set 2, etc.,

Sharp- 1) Overlooked marking in music which indicates that the following note should be played 1/2 step higher than written, 2) playing a note at a pitch slightly above the correct pitch which is personalized as, "You are sharp!", 3) when an instrument is out of tune because the slides are pushed in too far, 4) what the various cutting tools in band hall's tool box aren't

Shoe Laces- Short lengths of woven cotton yarn used for emergency repairs of percussion instruments, they can also be used to lace shoes

Show, Marching- The music and choreography performed by a marching band and color guard.

Show, Marching Contest- A marching show prepared for competition at a marching contest. Typically 7-8 minutes in length.

Sight Reading- Playing music that one has never ever seen before. Widely held to be the true test of a band's or individual musician's ability. Widely detested by school and amateur musicians.

Singing- Music made without an instrument using only the voice, used by choirs which may sing with a band in concerts and sometimes used in marching shows

Socks, Band- Familiar article of clothing for the feet (often black in color) frequently forgotten by band members.

Soloists- Band members who play a featured part by themselves in a performance, half of the band wishes that they were a soloist, the other half of band are glad that they are not soloists.

Sousaphone- Marching version of tuba which wraps around player's body and is made visually conspicuous by a large flaring bell

Sports- Various non-band athletic activities at schools, undesirable because they sometimes distract band members from band duties

Springs- Wound tensioned metal wires that, until they break, move valves and keys back into the open or closed position

Stadium- Marching field with stands (and fences, gates, lights, parking lots, etc.), the place where marching contests and football games are held

Stage- Raised platform on which band sits during band concert, usually contained within auditorium, hall or band shell

Stands- 1) Tall deskettes for holding music so that it can be seen while playing, 2) tiers of uncomfortable benches in a stadium on which audience sits at marching contests and football games, 3) devices which support larger instruments

Step- The condition of having a band member's feet go up and down in perfect synchronization with all the other band members, as in, " The saxophones are not in step!"

Stick- 1) Generic term for a device used to strike a percussion instrument (drum stick, mallet, hammer), 2) a baton, 3) what un-oiled valves and keys do

Straps- Lengths of cordage/leather/plastic used to suspend instruments (saxophones, bassoons, tubas, drums, bell lyres, etc) while playing

Students- All of the enrollees of a school including those who are not in band.

Study- What band members must do to pass classes, especially in mathematics, in order to avoid disqualification

Summer Band Camp- Summer camp run by a university music department where band members can squeeze in additional band experience during summer break

Symphonic Band- 1) In general usage a large concert band, 2) In school usage a band in ability above a concert band but below an honors band.

T (Back to top of page)

Tape- 1) Any of various types of adhesive backed cloth, plastic or paper strips used to repair everything a band uses, as in, 'Have you got any tape?' 2) Video and/or audio recording of band's performance

Theme- The important line in a piece of music which you can't hear because everyone else is playing too loud

'The Music Man'- Meredith Wilson's 1957 landmark musical play (and parable for our time) in which the residents of a typical American city save their young people from the temptations of a pool hall by forming a band and becoming band parents. The shining jewel of the American musical theater. A must see for band parents.

Tidy- Condition of band's section of stadium or band bus after band parents finish cleaning up

Time- One of the four components of the multidimensional model of space-time in the physics of relativity. It is used to define the temporal relationships among notes in music, see beats.

Time Signature- Fraction-like numerical symbol which defines the length of a measure in terms of number of types of notes contained therein.

Toes- Band member appendages (approximately 10 each) which must be up when marching forward and on which they march when going backward

Trailer-  How the marching band transports its instruments. We actually own one!

Treble Clef- Crudely stylized letter "G" used to identify the treble staff on which the high shrill notes (above middle C on a piano) are written. In a band flutes, piccolos, trumpets, saxophones, clarinets, horns and some euphoniums read in treble clef, see bass clef.

Trip, Band- A (sometimes loosely) organized mass transport of a band for the purpose of giving a performance at a location remote from the band hall

Trip, Overnight Band- 1) An organized mass transport of a band for the purpose of giving a performance at a location so remote from the band hall that they must stay overnight at an hotel, 2) An activity loved by band members and dreaded by those band chaperones who still retain a shred of sanity

T-shirt, Band- Matching shirts worn by band members to make them easy to spot by chaperones when out of uniform

T-shirt, Band Parents- Matching shirts worn by band parents to make it easier for band members to spot and avoid them

Tuba- The finest musical instrument of all, closely related to sousaphone, bombardon, bass, brass bass, helicon. Sadly under appreciated by the public.

Tune- 1) An optimistic attempt to adjust instruments to the same concert pitch, 2) the state of being in the correct pitch, as, "The clarinets are in tune.", 3) the lead part or melody or theme in a piece of music

Tuner- Electronic device which tells band members how out of tune they are.

Tuning Fork- What band members used to tune before they invented tuners.

U (Back to top of page)

Uniforms, Band- Snazzy matching suits with hats worn by band members to make them easier to spot by chaperones, distributed and altered by band parents

Uniform Room- Huge closet-like room in which uniforms are stored between performances, also used for private lessons and ensemble/sectional rehearsals

Univox- Portable sound system used outside by the directors and staff so band member can hear them. Usually doesn't work so well because the staff always yells and distorts the sound to utter scratch!

V (Back to top of page)

Valves- Thing-a-ma-bobs on brass instruments pushed with the fingers to help change pitch

Valve Oil- A lubricant for valves usually not in the possession of young brass players

W (Back to top of page)

Water- Common but heavy liquid lugged by band parents and used to refresh band members after performance of marching show

Warm-up- light playing on instruments before a performance to ready lip muscles and (literally) warm the horns

Weapons- Rifles and sabers. The props used by the color guard.

Wind Ensemble- A small, often elite, band

Woodwinds- Skinny, quiet (compared to brass and percussion) instruments requiring frequent expensive repairs and reeds (except flutes).

X (Back to top of page)

Xylophone- The only thing used in bands that starts with the letter "X".

Y (Back to top of page)

Yarn Mallets- Sticks wrapped in yarn used to strike keyboard instruments such as xylophones and marimbas.

Z (Back to top of page)

Zither- Plucked harp-like stringed instrument almost never used in bands (OK, you come up with something better starting with "Z")