Initially when I heard these positions of attention I thought it was going to be a piece of cake, but that was until I passed out from locking my knees. With the sweat dripping down my face and scorching sun beating down on me, I didn't realize that I was putting too much force on my knees, straightening them too much, which caused the blood flow to stop and making me pass out. .
After mastering the skills needed for the "positions of attention," it was time to move on to taking steps. Learning how to do this was quite a challenge, to control my body with a set group of muscles I had never really used before. Taking the first step was the easiest part, however, "freezing" on this step wasn't. It took continuous repetitions for my body to become familiar with using the muscles needed to "freeze" in position, balancing on my left heel and my right platform, also known as the 'ball of the foot'. But that was only part one of the motion; I still need to gain mastery over the "roll through", which helps make steps smooth and fluid. I learned that engaging all my leg and ab muscles was required to make this easier for when I started to play and move and so that my sound would come out nice and clear. After mastering that with repetition, I was able to take continuous steps and even "halt" (stop moving) with ease. Developing the muscles was the key, in order to able to master all the techniques needed for the marching show, whether it was marching forward or backwards or even the more complex movements of "sliding" (moving left or right while keeping my upper body facing the audience).
Some people might argue that these techniques have nothing to do with joining the marching band community. However, the answer to that would be the same reason why a new football player should have to know the difference between a Texas 29 and a Blue 42.