Why is it necessary for the marching band to know the winter guard show?

Question

I'm in the high school marching band, and I'm not sure why the band needs to know how to perform the winterguard/colorguard show. I understand why we need to know the rythyms, songs, and what the guard members do, considering we play and move along with all that. But we spend a large portion of band camp learning how to do it ourselves. Will we ever end up using this? If not, why do we learn it?

The band and guard from this school have won most of the competitions they have performed in. This includes district and national competitions.

We don't have to learn how to use the flags, just the movements. We've done several dance-like routines, but we don't use those while marching or during the show.

Answer 1

Do you play an instrument and you're learning how to do the winterguard routine? I don't understand. I'm in colorguard, but the rest of the marching band doesn't learn our stuff that would be stupid and pointless! All we do is practice together and the colorguard performs by themselves for the marching band to sort of show them what we're doing so they have a heads up! I love your screen name; I love band too! hehehe! Well, Have a nice day! :)

Answer 2

We don't do that at my school. I'm gonna be a senior trumpet player in my marching band, and we've always worked completely separately from the color guard. We only meet together as an entire band twice a week (minus games and competitions), so we just try to stay out of each other's way during those practices. And the band has no part of our winterguard.

Answer 3

I don't know. I'm in the band also, and I try to avoid the guard at all times. Even without their flags. Maybe your band director thinks they are incompetent, and need back up. This is my 4th year, and I've never learned any sets. Ask your band director.