We similarly had memorized our high school marching band routines as to when to turn, etc. At one actual game/performance, three VFW members were carrying flags (including the American Flag) and walking down the center of the field between two long facing lines of stationary bandmembers. Unfortunately, these flag bearers were never part of any practice. When it came up to our planned time for our eupher and trombone section to be the initial group to turn and march down the field, I noticed that the flag bearers hadn't passed us yet and that there definitely would be a crash of these VFW flag bearers and ourselves if we started our joining turn. So our section delayed our marching for an 8 count until they passed us. I was hoping that everyone else would key off this difference and would also delay...but they didn't. This created an accordian-like routine of lines bumping into each other...a real mess. Our band director was very upset. I guess that we high-schoolers should have just trampled over the elder VFW flag bearers and kept our routine in synch...
Don't Tread On Me!