Movie makers and bullies love to make fun of the kids in the band – especially the ones in the marching band. In spite of my love for music and my adoration of rock ‘n’ roll bands, I used to be among those who sneered at high school band members, perhaps because of how they were pictured on the silver screen.

Imagine the level of discomfort I endured when, (10,000 years ago) as a new French teacher in a small town on the south shore of Boston, I started dating the high school band director. Yes. My boyfriend wasn’t just one of the band geeks – he was their leader – the mother (or father) of all music dweebs. Lucky for me (and his students) this particular band director turned out kick-ass performers. They were a joy to watch and listen to. They were measurably more successful than any of the athletic teams, bringing home first-place trophies year after year. I was astonished by what they could accomplish under inspired leadership, and as a result, I sustained a huge attitude adjustment.

Now, when I see a high school band depicted in a movie, I wonder why the director couldn’t have found an excellent band. I mean, why not present real musicians and show them at their best? Wouldn’t the film be a better product if it were to showcase artistic beauty instead of a cheap cliché? Even a comedy doesn’t have to be funny in every scene. Arguably, the scene with the crappy band isn’t funny at all. Doesn’t crappy music make equally crappy humor?

That said, one of the funniest movie scenes ever (in my opinion) is in Woody Allen’s Take the Money and Run – where Woody plays the cello in a marching band. The unadulterated absurdity of this scenario makes me laugh so hard I fall off the couch every time I see or think of it.

A high school band is one thing. What about a drum & bugle corps? Have you ever taken a serious look at this phenomenon? If I hadn’t married into a family of musicians, such an eccentricity would never have entered my consciousness. It turns out, however, that some of my most memorable dates included attendance at drum & bugle corps competitions. I am in awe of these musicians. The precision they practice is intense and their selection of music runs the gamut from sublime to funkadelic. Their performances are always spectacular. The video below features only drums (no bugles) so there is no melody, but… What. A. Blast. Prepare to be blown away.