National Association Of Military Marching Bands
| Motto | To promote and preserve the military precision style of performance among marching bands of America and to encourage the superior performance of traditional march music from band literature |
|---|---|
| Purpose | High School Military Marching Bands |
| Headquarters | Carthage, Texas |
|
President- George Little Executive Secretary- Jim Jones Publicity Chairman- John Gaertner Board Member- Don Lawler Board Member- Doice Grant | |
| Website | http://nammb.org |
| Remarks | National Military Marching Competition (2015) Grand Champion: Lufkin High School |
The National Association of Military Marching Bands (NAMMB) is a National Organization with its headquarters in Carthage, Texas. The purpose of the Association is to preserve the rich style of military style marching. It was founded in 1974 by 11 east texas band directors. With the forming of NAMMB the styles history and precision was saved. Today, NAMMB has almost 160 member across 6 states. In military bands a featured twirler or rank of twirlers is common and tradition.
History[1]
During the summer of 1979, eleven East Texas band directors gathered at the home of Jimmy Hudgins on the banks of the Neches river to discuss the future of the “military style” of marching prevalent with many high school bands across East Texas. Concerns were voiced that, in a short while, the military marching style could become a lost art if some action were not taken to preserve not only the style but the teaching of it.
No books or guides had ever been written on how to teach this “style” which was learned mostly by observation and imitation. By the late seventies, almost all the university and high school bands had changed their format to the new “corps style” show promoted by the brass band and drum and bugle corps groups from the mid-west and east coast. Since almost all high school bands had changed to this new style and were now doing the “corps style” drills, universities no longer felt it necessary to teach the military marching style and concentrated all their effort towards the new trend.
During this period, many of the older generation who had taught in the late forties, fifties, and early sixties were either retiring or dying out, leaving only a small group of directors that had started teaching in the late fifties and sixties who were acquainted well enough with the military marching style to continue its perpetuation. Included in these ranks were those directors who were traditionally military style, but had succumbed under pressure to conform to the new trend, and were changing styles at an alarming rate. With all these factors considered, real danger was on the horizon that the traditional “military marching style” would become a lost art.
From that meeting in 1979 this small group decided to form an organization to be called the “National Association of Military Marching Bands.” It’s members formed a pledge “to promote and preserve the military precision style of performance among marching bands of America and to encourage the superior performance of traditional march music from band literature.”
Founding eleven (11) members of NAMMB were Butch Almany, Mark Brackin, Matt Brackin, Waymon Bullock, Bobby Goff, Jimmie Hudgins, Bruce Hughes, Barry Johnson, Don Lawler, Blanton McDonald, and Raymond Thomas. Waymon Bullock was elected the first NAMMB president and Don Lawler Executive Secretary. Two main goals were set for the organization (1) meet each fall before school started and sponsor a clinic to help teach the younger and less experienced directors the military marching style, inform them of good march literature, and present film sessions and clinics on how to properly organize and chart military style drills, and (2) sponsor some type of marching clinic or exhibition whereby students from various areas could meet and observe each other’s work.
From 1979 until 1986, a marching clinic or exhibition was held almost every year. The purpose switched back and forth for several years with the event being either a pre-UIL marching clinic with outstanding teachers invited to write critique sheets for improvement, or an invitational display consisting of the outstanding bands from a large area presenting an “exhibition” of the art of military marching.
In the mid 1980’s, the University Interscholastic League of Texas approved changing the Invitational Marching Contest sponsored by the University of Texas to become the “official” UIL State Marching Contest to be held annually in Austin. Only a few military bands chose to enter this competition during the early years of its existence. Ranking rather than rating was the format of this new contest with a winner being selected for each school classification.
However, military style marching bands soon learned that although great effort had been taken by UIL officials not to exclude a particular style of marching from the contest, that in a “ranking” rather than “rating” style contest, it became impossible for judges (with the criteria used) to compare two or three unlike music and marching styles and decide which was the best regardless of their performance ability. The task for adjudicators assessing the various styles being presented was like comparing apples to oranges, oranges to bananas, or apples to bananas or any combination of the three and deciding which one was the best. All three potentially could be winners...but ultimately depends on ones personal taste.
In 1987, NAMMB members voted to organize and support an annual “military style” marching contest designed specifically for military style marching bands. NAMMB officers met with officials of Texas A & M University (the only major nationally ranked college to continue the military marching style tradition) with hopes that an agreement could be reached to co-sponsor a contest. A & M agreed to host this contest at Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A & M..
For the next eight years, this would be the home of the NAMMB marching contest. However, in the spring of 1996, A&M University joined the newly formed “Big 12” conference which had recently voted that all conference games must be played on grass rather than artificial turf fields. A&M complied with the regulations and soon removed their Astroturf carpet, grassed the playing surface but severely restricted use of the new grass field. As a result of the new field use restrictions, NAMMB officials were informed that the contest could no longer be hosted by Texas A & M.. The membership searched for a site to hold the contest, and in 1996, voted to move the contest to Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches whom had agreed to host the event.
In 1997 schedule problems prevented the contest from being held at Stephen F. Austin University. The membership again searched for a site and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana was selected to host the 1997 contest. This would be the first time that the contest would not be held in Texas.
Since that time the contest has moved back to Texas and has been held at Stephen F. Austin University again except in 2005 and 2006 due to schedule conflicts. In 2005 the contest was held in Lufkin and in 2006 the contest was held in Longview.
Headquarters[2]
The National Association of Military Marching Bands has its headquarters in Carthage, Texas. The headquarters has been the same place since the beginning of NAMMB. The executive Secretary is Jim Jones. The mailing address is:
NAMMB Association
101 Rambling Road
Carthage, TX 75633
Membership[3]
Individual:
For an individual to obtain membership they simply go to the nammb.org website, fill out an application form and submit it to become a member. Dues for membership for 15 dollars a year.
Band:
For a band to obtain membership into NAMMB they must march the military style and have the traditions of a military marching band. Some examples of this are:
- Drum majors using a mace
Tradition Military Marching Band Drum Major (USMA) - 6 steps per 5 yards
- a traditional west point style military uniform
- The playing of Traditional Marches
- Traditional military style block drill such as diamonds, blockbusters, countermarches, and chevrons
While some bands are lenient with some of the rules (mainly with not playing a march), they are still considered a NAMMB member and have all rights and privileges as to military bands do have. Membership in NAMMB has been gaining in numbers in recent years. 160 total bands across the country march military style and all are welcome to attend the NAMMB national contest held every hear in November. Some Members on NAMMB include:
There are many programs across the country and a list can be found on the organizations website.