Parade Season

A Distanced Documentary on Ontario's University Marching Bands

by Rand Clayton

A lot of Canadians and Ontario residents think "college marching band" is just an American thing but there are actually 3 Ontario universities with fully-funded marching bands. Queen's University, Western University, and McMaster University all have their own bands with different adaptations to thrive in their respective institutions. This "distanced documentary" was made with interview footage of 26 directors, members, and alumni of these bands as well as photos and videos collected online. I will take you through their histories, operations, challenges, member experiences, and COVID operational changes.