HUNGRYMARCHBAND.COM
In cities across the U.S. and around the world, people are picking up instruments and taking to the streets to creatively address issues that matter to them. While not always about politics, these marching bands focus on grassroots action, connection with the audience, and interactivity. They are performance artists, visual artists, academics, or sometimes have no musical background whatsoever. We had the chance to speak with some of the inspiring percussionists from three radical marching bands, all of which have their own individual style and goals.
BY E LI SABE TH WI LSON PH O T OS COU RTE SY OF BAN D S
HUNGRY MARCH BAND NAME: SARA VALENTINE AGE: 41 HOMETOWN: SOUTH JERSEY LIVES IN: NEW YORK CITY AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO INSTRUMENTS COWBELL, CL AVES, SHAKERS, TAMBOURINE, SOMETIMES BASS DRUM CURRENT BANDS: HUNGRY MARCH BAND, ITCHY-O MARCHING BAND DAY JOB: TA X PREPARER, EVENT PRODUCER, RESEARCH ASSISTANT, JILL-OF-ALL-TRADES
SARA VALENTINE, percussionist and baton twirler for New York
City’s Hungry March Band, is noticeably irritated when I call her while she is driving in Queens. But despite the traffic, she fills me in on the past and present of NYC’s legendary street brass march band. Formed in 1997 for the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, HMB’s performances have included rural raves, subway parties, weddings, community affairs, protests, high art events, the Staten Island Ferry, Brighton Beach Boardwalks, and even the MOMA. Valentine got involved in HMB early on, soon after her roommate, Adriana Magaña, formed the band in their Brooklyn loft. In the beginning, they were just percussion, a sousaphone, a trombone, and a trumpet. After a couple of years, it expanded outside of Valentine’s loft and more people wanted to get involved, so rehearsals moved onto the waterfront in Williamsburg. The band quickly grew from eight members to nearly 30. In the early 2000s, HMB was involved in activism, playing antiwar protests and demonstrations. But they don’t do as much political stuff these days, mainly because other activist-based marching bands have formed in NYC and also because, as Valentine says, they weren’t interested in band members getting arrested (which sometimes happened at the subway parties). 28
Valentine plays back-up percussion in the drum section, but her main role is with the dance team, The Pleasure Society. Her gear box holds her tambourine, claves, cowbell, sticks, pom poms, batons, hoola-hoop, flags, confetti poppers, feathers, Mardi Gras beads, lipstick, and nail polish, among other things. She says the cowbell is her favorite, adding a little something extra to the rhythm section while dancing and interacting with the audience. Theresa Westerdahl aka Tara Fire Ball, on tom tom, and Samantha Tsistinas, on cymbals, are also part of rhythm section. Valentine sites Balkan brass music as one of the band’s influences but is quick to point out that they borrow from everywhere. The HMB play Latin music, New Orleans, Rock, Techno, gypsy, as well as Indian and African music. “We’re influenced by everyone from Duke Ellington to Sun Ra,” she says. Most of their music is original, with six recordings (some live and some studio mixes) and one more in the works for this year. You can also see them in action in the 2006 film, Shortbus.