Humble March

The “Humble” March

by; Prof. Douglas Bianchi

Director of Bands, Wayne State University

If poets and philosophers tell us that we may understand the universe in a grain of sand or in a single flower, the humble march may tell us all we need to know about the measure of a band conductor's skill. Whether in the selection of the repertoire, attention to phrasing, careful outlining of dynamic contours, judicious handling of percussive effects, subtly of shading between brass and woodwinds colors or the ear for harmonic movement, the march tells all we need to know about band and conductor. For these reasons it is necessary to make a considered re-examination of the march. It is a delicate miniature of the compositional craft and, because of its elusiveness, demands careful scrutiny. Maybe due to its brevity or its obvious entertaining posturing it is condemned to the back burner in our rehearsal and programming considerations. Whatever the reason, a band director must master the march. This may mean scrapping some long-standing prejudices along the way. The march is the mirror that lets us examine clearly a conductor's view of such matters. This is one of the reasons a march is required at festival performances. It sets the stage for further examination of interpretive prowess as the band and conductor move forward in the program to more formally and harmonically complex literature.

Our first step on the road to a proper performance standard is rehearsal attitude. To successfully perform any march the director must approach its preparation with solid commitment, supplanting the casual and mundane with intensity and serendipitous delight. The serious desire on the part of the director to bring out every nuance will be infectious and, coupled with a firmness of purpose, will ensure that passions are held in check and the musical truth will come ringing through with a frothy mix of charm, sentimentality, elegance and élan. This is not an easy thing for a conductor to accomplish and, unfortunately, it is often the easy things that are the hardest to perform effortlessly. The march takes work and, make no mistake, it is a deceiver.

Is it possible that the march is sometimes neglected because it is unable to supply moments of personal interpretive fodder? Could it be that many believe a march does not allow enough leeway for interpretive uniqueness? It needs to be understood that a march is vitally important to a conductor because it challenges, in fact emphatically demands, that the conductor has a confident understanding of every aspect of the interpretive art. The interpretive formula is not I=I, but rather, i=I. It is not the willful ego manifesting itself in tempo aberrations, or the mannered intrusion of ritardandos and the like. Interpretation is the sum total of a myriad of small decisions regarding tempo, articulation, balance, dynamics, phrasing and rhythm that creates the over-all larger musical fabric. How detached is the staccato? How much accent is necessary? Does the accompaniment have the appropriate swing and jaunt? Are the low woodwinds balanced with the heavy brass at the break strain? Does the percussion blend within the band texture and provide the rhythmic drive and color tastefully? Questions such as these need to be answered for the solutions are the interpretation.

With a solid rehearsal standard set, and a commitment from the conductor to clearly interpret the march in an appropriate fashion, we are ready to examine some of the pitfalls that sometimes hinder the performance of a march. This may seem an obvious point, but the selection of the march is crucial. If one wishes to improve a band's performance then the march chosen must provide enough musical substance to make the journey worthwhile. There are many concert marches with excellent opportunities to display musicality, warmth of tone, and technical virtuosity to provide a starting point. As with concert selections, a conductor must select the finest literature appropriate to the ensemble. Not all marches are created equal and not any march will do. The selection of this aspect of a festival performance is particularly important because it speaks of the conductor's pedigree and breadth of culture. For example, avoiding obvious showpieces in lieu of the less spectacular, or venturing into the European march repertoire may be seen as a commendable gesture, an admiral musical quest to expand personal growth in the name of musical veracity. It should be remembered that there are many marches written for serious or solemn occasions, as well as those written in minor keys. Not every march written was used to hail in the next circus act or regimental company. There is an infinite amount of literature in the genre that will fit any concert programming conundrum. Incidentally, when planning a program, note that in classical symphonies the minuet and trio provided a much needed respite from the proceeding weightier movements. Marches provide the same service when programming a band concert. After all, who would ever perform a Haydn or Beethoven symphony and leave out the minuet or the scherzo because it was too light and entertaining to fit in with the rest of the concert program?

There are many ways to approach the interpretation of a march, but here are a couple of things to keep in mind as you venture forth. Ask yourself if there is a hierarchy of musical material with the melodic material clearly centered in the foreground? Balancing the melodies and the countermelodies carefully while keeping the accompaniment in proper perspective is the first consideration. Everyone must phrase and articulate precisely as well as follow the same dynamic contour. The brass must be kept in check and the percussion must mind their manners. Particularly aggravating is the tendency for the low brass to over blow their forte and fortissimo passages, many of which include low woodwinds colors. The accents must be agreed upon and stingers and accented chords should always sound like full chords not percussive effects. The harmonic progression should be clearly delineated and, again, distorted dynamic effects can only ruin the elegance of the melodic material, making the harmonic language garbled. Pay close attention to rhetorical devices such as repetitive phrases and sequences. These offer many wonderful opportunities to imbue the march with additional nuance and shading. Finally, avoid any tempo contrast unless specifically printed, remembering that many musical terms refer to style and not the actual alteration of tempo. The slowing down before the final statement is not necessary and may appear mannered and amateurish. The presentation needs no more help than your conscientious working of sound musical technique in order to be effective.

The importance of the march should never be underestimated, as it is vital to the growth of the band and conductor. The march may be a programming jewel and a primer on sound rehearsing and conducting technique. But, if neglected, it may be an Achilles' heel, ruining the best-laid plans of mice and men. Embrace it as you would a long lost friend and see astounding results soon. If performing a march was something easy to do or required no extraordinary skill, its performance would not be anxiously anticipated and so thoroughly appreciated by audiences, nor would it be a festival requirement throughout the band world.

Professor Bianchi is the Director of Bands at Wayne State University, the Music Director for the Warren Concert Band as well as having conducted civic orchestras in southeastern Michigan and was Director of Bands at L’Anse Creuse North High School prior to his appointment to WSU.