Biography
MarchFourth Marching Band is a mobile big band spectacular, consisting of a brassy pack of saxophones, trombones, and trumpets, a raucous drum/percussion corps, anchored by a mobile and wireless electric bass. The sound is huge, melodic, and dynamic, taking audiences on a musical journey around the globe. MarchFourth writes and performs its own material, and also draws inspiration from an eclectic range of worldwide influences, such as Eastern European gypsy brass, samba, latin, funk, afro-beat, big-band, jazz, and rock music, as well as television, film, circus, and vaudeville.
Stilt-walkers, unicycles, fire eaters, puppets, flag twirlers, burlesque dancers, clown antics, and acrobatics are just some of the things you’ll see accompanying this eclectic big band. MarchFourth Marching Band’s stilt-walkers are world-class, performing acrobatics, dance routines, and even fire dancing on stilts—all in fanciful costumes. The other dancing beauties can fill the stage with mesmerizing original dance routines (inspired by bollywood, hip hop, jazz, cheer leading, burlesque, ballroom, and more) or spread out into the audience and get everybody dancing. The musical quality, the energy of the band, and the spectacle of the dancers all combine to create an original performance that appeals to everyone. Without guitars or keyboards, M4 "rocks" with the best of them, entertaining the audience with an over-the-top explosion of performance, color and charisma.
MarchFourth Marching Band has played hundreds of shows in all kinds of venues, including music festivals (Lotus Festival, Festival International de Louisianne, Echo Project Music Fest, Oregon Country Fair, High Sierra Music Festival) and high-profile concert venues (Hollywood Bowl, Crystal Ballroom, Kennedy Center for Performing Arts), sporting events (NBA halftime shows, FIFA World Cup fanfest, and Cyclo-cross National Championships) and corporate events (Cricket Wireless, Nike, 24 Hour Fitness, Wells Fargo, Volkswagen, Dr Martens, and Comcast), in addition to weddings, schools, parades, ceremonies, and civic events.
To MarchFourth Marching Band, art is life. Aside from being performers, the members of MarchFourth are also full- or part-time artists, designers, and craftspeople. All their drum harnesses (welded from recycled bicycle parts), stilts, costumes, merchandise, audio, and visual propaganda are designed and produced by members of the band.
The scope of appeal is almost universal: MarchFourth can fit in (and stand out!) at everything from weddings and school assembly concerts, to nationally known music festivals and top-level sporting events. From the hippest to the most down-to-earth, from conservative to liberal, from infant to elderly: all walks of life have been seen enjoying MarchFourth Marching Band.
Instrumentation
John Averill: electric bass
PERCUSSION / DRUMS:
Andy Sterling: drum major
Michael Kennett: bass tom
Richard Cawley: repenique, chocalho
Heather McGarry: snare drum, bells
Topher McGarry: snare drum
Keith Vidos: toms
Jenny DiDonato: snare drum, bells, djembe, zils
Aspen Walker: bass drum
Dan Herrick: cymbals
HORNS:
Jason Wells: trumpet
Eric Miller: trumpet
Luke Solman: trumpet
Katie Presely: trumpet
Russel Scott: trumpet/alto saxophone
Dominic Adams: alto saxophone
Benny Morrison: tenor saxophone
Robin Jackson: tenor saxophone
Taylor Aglipay: bari saxophone
Daniel Lamb: trombone
Chris Long: trombone
Katie Colgan: trombone
Ethan Chessin: bass trombone
DANCERS & STILTWALKERS:
Faith Jennings: dance
Nayana Jennings: stilts
Nathan Wallway: stilts
Sid Phillips: stilts
Jeremiah Guske: stilts
Scarlett Torrance: dance/puppets
Kyrstyn Pixton: dance
Jen Forti: dance
LaTisha Strickland: dance/trapeze
Dan Stauffer: stilts/hoops/cymbals
Amy Hatfield: hoops/dance
Discography
"Rise Up" studio album due out OCT 23, 2009.
"MarchFourth Marching Band" 9-song CD (Self-released, 2005)
"Live" 12-song CD (Self-released, 2007)
"5th Anniversary Live 3/4/08" (Self-released, 2009)
Links
| http://www.marchfourthmarchingband.com |
| Fuel TV episode on MarchFourth Marching Band |
| video from the Bite of Oregon Festival |
| MySpace |