New Orleans: Marching Band Influence On African American Culture

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Music is something that defines New Orleans. It separates our city from other major cities in the country. Specifically, marching bands have a huge impact on the city as a whole. While New Orleans is full of many cultures there is one that sticks out in the black community and that is marching bands. Marching bands give the black community a strong identity and New Orleans one as well. Marching bands play a bigger impact on African American influence more than anything. Marching bands have a deep history in America. These bands started out in the colonial era. The earliest bands were consisted of fifers, drummers, trumpeters, and pipers (Lewis). These bands were very important to military at the time. The colonial military needed ways to communicate and relay messages so they used these bands. They also used the bands to regulate daily life in military camps and to boost the morale of soldiers during wartime (Lewis). It was not until after the War of 1812 when black people actually had access to instruments and the training. After this war, black musicians started to pop up around the country. In New Orleans, Philadelphia, New York, and in sections of New England, all black brass bands started popping out from broken military bands. During this time of course black people …show more content…

Anywhere else in the United States people think of high school marching bands at football games blasting fight songs and doing field shows in the middle of the field for entertainment (Heneghan). In New Orleans those things do happen, but a different image comes to mind. When you think of New Orleans marching bands, the image of Mardi Gras comes to mind. Anyone who ever experienced a Mardi Gras parade can atest to this. Mardi Gras is a big deal in New Orleans. The origins of Mardi Gras and marching bands are unique (Heneghan). By New Orleans being the melting pot it is Mardi Gras mixes all of its

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