The
marching arts are a collection of fine arts related activities that are closely associated with
wind instruments. The marching arts include, but are not necessarily limited to
marching band, drum corps,
Mummers Parade,
pep band, color guard,
winter guard, and indoor percussion. All of these activities are supported at both the high school, collegiate, and adult levels.
Although marching and pep bands initially existed to fill the role of halftime entertainment at football games, the modern marching arts, while maintaining their enduring traditions, have grown into stand-alone activities. The marching arts often participate in competitive events with panels of assessing the groups on a number of captions. Some of the captions often assessed in competition are: music performance (ensemble), music performance (individual), music effect, visual performance, visual effect, general effect, color guard, percussion, Brass instrument, woodwinds, and drum majors, among others.
Governing bodies
Several governing bodies exist to adjudicate and promote the marching arts:
Drum corps
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Drum Corps International
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Drum Corps Associates
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Drum Corps Japan
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Drum Corps Europe
Marching band
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Bands of America
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USBands
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Tournament of Bands
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Mid-America Competing Band Directors Association
Winter guard
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Winter Guard International
