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Why Winter Guard?

By Catina Anderson

As marching band season draws to a close, performers throughout the world are gearing up for the challenge and excitement of winter guard! Are you trying to decide if winter guard is right for you? Maybe you’re thinking about starting one at your school? Here are a few points to consider!

All Guard, All the Time! Chances are, if you marched outdoors, you love color guard. Winter guard competitions are an even better way to get you up close and personal with the audience and with other guards.

You may have the chance to see 20 to 60 color guards perform in one day. Not only is it great fun, but you’ll learn from each group about what it takes to make a great performance. You’ll see amazing skills you’ll want to try.

And best of all: no wind, no rain, no mud, no blinding sun … Who could ask for more?

Year-Long Training. Winter guard provides an opportunity for year-long training on your “instrument” like your friends in band and orchestra experience through their concert ensembles.

You and your entire team will undoubtedly improve with a full 10 months of training and performance.

Want to Be a Band Director? Winter guard is also a unique opportunity for future music education majors. While colleges teach band directors the basics of each musical instrument, few, if any, expose them to the skills and demands of color guard performance.

In the real world, however, many band directors find themselves writing color guard drill or struggling to find instructors for their group.Winter guard can help provide you with the basic knowledge of the activity including fundamental skills and design.

Find out More! If you’ve never had the chance to see a winter guard in action, check out the multimedia section of the WGI Sport of the Arts website, where you can view clips of the top ensembles in the world. You’re sure to be amazed.

About the Author

Catina Anderson has been involved in the color guard activity, first as a performer and then instructor, for the past 20 years. She is currently on staff at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Va. She is also the founder and editor of www.colorguardeducators.com, a website for color guard coaches. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Towson University and a master’s degree in education from Marymount University.

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