A line of mellophones, trombones and euphoniums can be seen from the sideline. Several brass players stand in a row, holding up their marching instruments in an attempt to build muscle. This is called a “horn-holding party,” a term that wouldn’t be understood by someone outside of band.
Band members are normally classified as weird or nerdy, and their special slang words don’t help them much. Phrases such as “*Wabo webo webo we” or “*We’re all winners in life” are a normality in the band hall and have slowly creeped into everyday vocabulary. There are common phrases, such as Gush ‘N Go.
“To the directors, it means a quick water break,” junior Delaney Toone said, “but, to the band, it’s a subtle reminder that they love us and don’t want us to die.”
Some words are instrument-specific such as mello-pwned, which a mellophone player uses to show they have just humiliated someone. This term originated soon after the school opened and has been passed down through the generations.
There are some self-explanatory phrases, such as Kick some Astroturf and the constant Fire Nation references to the color guard’s uniform.
“I love band lingo,” Toone said, “because it’s like one big inside joke that only we can understand.”
Junior Justin Lum is the creator of a tradition held through most of marching season that has come to be named Unfashionable Thursday. During Thursday rehearsals many band members would roll their pants up, tuck their shirts in and pull their socks up to let loose and relieve tension.
“It’s a fun little hype that we do,” Lum said. “Everybody looking silly together, while doing what we enjoy, brings us closer as a family.”
*Wabo webo webo we- Because the brass always set up toward the top of the stands, they couldn’t hear exactly what the cheerleaders were chanting. In this particular instance, they couldn’t understand the I Believe That We Will Win chant and simply said wabo webo webo we because they had no clue what was actually being said.
*We’re all winners in life- An iconic quote that is said at the end of every Bands of America marching competition that is often mocked by band members because of how cliche it is. A senior will typically hear this anywhere from four to eight times in their four years in band.
