Band Pickles: Auxiliary

Color guard: the only time when the average Joe, or, more likely, Josephina, can play with large metal poles, rifles, and sabres without being considered a danger to society.

No marching band is complete with out its guard. The guard usually consists of a flagline (silks) and rifle and sabre sections. The guard is able to use color, props, and choreography to appeal visually to their audiences. In high school competitions, the guard is judged based on movement, equipment, ensemble analysis, and overall general effect. Usually, there is a caption award for "best color guard." This score is used in addition to the bands' score to determine the placements of the bands.

While most people are aware of the general information given above, the history of how color guards started is less well-known. History shows that the tradition was military. While the band played patriotic songs, an accompanying group would follow with banners depicting the army's colors. The military influence can be seen today through the equipment: banners, sabres, rifles, and flags.

Today, there is much more to auxiliary groups. In the winter season, the indoor percussion season begins. This consists of the drumline performing a full floor show with a guard group. If you would like more information on this type of organization, click here. In addition to being a part of a marching band or bugle core, the guard has its own organization. Once the band season ends, winter guard begins. Winter guard consists of the same style of performance as would be seen with a marching band or indoor percussion group, except there is no band or drumline. The guard performs to a recording of music, incorporating dance technique, equipment, and coordination skill. Below are a few videos I came across when looking up different winter guards. You'll notice that the last one is for a group called, "Insolita." I had to privilege of attending the group's performance at the 2007 BOA Summer Symposium. It blew my mind to see what they could do with flags, fire, dance, and percussion. A similar group that tours is "Blast."