By Caroline Meister
In the years prior to 2015, according to Wayne, various people within WGI had expressed an interest in the formation of a Winds Division, but interest alone wasn’t enough to kick start a new revolution in the world of indoor marching arts. There needed to be something more. That something more was a survey distributed to members of various WGI percussion and color guard groups. This survey revealed that over 20% of these members’ primary instruments were in fact wind instruments. But this survey revealed something more than simply a number; it revealed that WGI had a surplus of talented, passionate, and dedicated individuals stuck on a rowboat with no oars, with no group dedicated to their primary instruments. This survey acted as a catalyst for the revolution that would soon be known as WGI Winds.
Aside from the freedom of instrumentation, winds groups also must take a unique concert band approach to their rehearsals and performances, diverting from the traditional marching band approach. In a concert band approach, the focus is on producing a more precise and controlled sound. In contrast, in a marching band approach, the focus is on producing a full and exaggerated sound. The reason for this difference is simple. In fact, as Wayne stated, “It’s right in the name. Indoor.” Marching bands practice and perform almost exclusively outside, thus their sound must be able to carry into the audience, despite their expansive surroundings. Winds groups practice and perform almost exclusively indoors, thus their sound has a smaller distance to travel, resulting in less of a need to project.
Winds groups not only affect the band programs, but they also directly affect the students/performers in them. When one marches outside, their audience is, for the most part, faceless. It’s almost impossible to pick anyone out from the crowd. But, when one marches indoors, one can see every face clearly, allowing a performer to connect more strongly with their audience, their fellow performers, and finally, the performance itself, renewing their love for musical expression.
This indoor revolution, which started from the humblest of beginnings, will only continue to spread its reach to all corners of the United States and the world. Using music as its most powerful tool and ally, the only question remaining is where will WGI Winds go from here?
About the Author: Caroline Meister is a sophomore studying Telecommunications, Spanish, and Creative Writing at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Prior to college, Caroline graduated from Zeeland East High School in Zeeland, Michigan. In high school, Caroline was heavily involved with the marching band, wind ensemble, and pit orchestra where she played flute, an instrument she’s been playing for almost ten years. Currently, Caroline is in the Pride of Mid-America Marching Band where she marches piccolo.