It appears that the size of the drum pit for a collage marching band has grown a bit in the 22 years since I was in the UNM band. I think most of the 4 years I was in the band (and the 5th year when I couldn't schedule it) our pit had just 3 or 4 mallet percussion (i.e. xylophone, marimba etc.) players and instruments.
Although I couldn't spot it, I have the sneaking suspicion that the sax solo was amplified. I know that a trumpet solo could usually fill the stadium, but rarely can a sax player play loud enough to fill the stadium without overblowing - and I don't think he was. (I have experience as a middling sax player, so I'm not completely talking through my hat).
It was a good show, and it is nice to see that marching band isn't completely dead - even if it seems to be less popular and less supported than it was when I was in high school and college.
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Although I couldn't spot it, I have the sneaking suspicion that the sax solo was amplified. I know that a trumpet solo could usually fill the stadium, but rarely can a sax player play loud enough to fill the stadium without overblowing - and I don't think he was. (I have experience as a middling sax player, so I'm not completely talking through my hat).
It was a good show, and it is nice to see that marching band isn't completely dead - even if it seems to be less popular and less supported than it was when I was in high school and college.