RWS 1301

Renee Malooly

DISCOURSE COMMUNITY

Arturo Salazar

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In the World of a Marching Band.

Introduction
Actions speak louder than words, but they do not speak as often (Washington (DC)
Post, 1904) Although in some instances, actions do come off more expressive than words, there
are times when actions are not sufficient and we most use words to clarify the meaning behind
our actions. This becomes especially noticeable when someone within a discourse community
tries to take action for or towards someone outside their community. What makes a group of
people a discourse community? A discourse community is best described as a social group which
meets the criteria of John Swales six characteristics (1990). In order to be part of a community
group, one, along with all members, must share common goals, values, writing standards,
specialized vocabulary, and specialized genres. Just by being part of a book series, movie, TV
show, or music fandom, you are classified as being part of a discourse community, because like
the other members, your goal is to simply enjoy what is being given to you by that which you
are geeking out for. Everyone belongs to a discourse community some may be part of more
than one community at the same time. As a former member of the Americas High School
marching band community, I understand what it takes to become a part of a discourse
community.
The Americas High School marching band is an organization that started off when the
school first opened in 1996. The band was initially small group of kids willing to learn music just
for fun, but as the years passed, the band has made a name of itself, and is now an award winning
organization which other schools look up to. The marching band was viewed by many members
of the study body as nothing more than a form of entertainment but as of lately its been gaining
respect among other organizations in Americas High School, and it is due to the overwhelming

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appreciation granted by the current principle, Ms. Patricia Cuevas. My senior year, the band
achieved superior ratings, and first place in every competition we took a part of in El Paso. In
order to function properly and efficiently all members of this discourse community is expected to
communicate with one another and to learn everything there is to the community. It is to my
understanding that the marching band is in fact a discourse community as it has each and every
characteristic listed by Swales
Literature Review
John Swales The Concept of Discourse Community is an article in which Swales talks
about the definition of what a discourse community is, and how it differs form a speech
community. Swales believes that the difference among the two communities rely on whether or
not the six characteristics are present in describing a community. James Porters article
Intertextuality and the Discourse Community differentiates people between socialize and
post-socialized which basically means the difference between the leaders and the new comers
of a community.
Brought up above, there are six characteristics which must be filled for a discourse
community to become its own. I will now go over a simple summary of what they all are. One,
the community must have a common goal, that way every member of the community can work
towards the same objective and thus gaining something along the way. There must be a form of
communication among the members, that way they can work with effectiveness. Along with
communication among the members of the community, feedback is required to function properly
and more efficiently, fixing things along the way to help them reach their goal. Genres or
physical documents are which are used to reach their goal is also needed among the community.
Each discourse community differs from one another by the use of their respective lexis, or

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language, which can only be interpreted by someone within the same community. And finally, all
discourse community must have a levels of authority which a member can work for.
Discussion
As I said before, the band is now an award winning organization. In order to maximize
their final result in a competition they most make use of every single one of their practices,
rehearsals, and sectionals, they have been expected to work with efficiency and with a drive that
pushed them forward into their goal. Over the course of summer and recent visits I have
observed how the Americas High School marching band has changed following the graduation of
my class. Excluding the change of officers and minor marching techniques, the band has, for the
most part remained the same and has managed to stayed within Swales six characteristics of a
discourse community. The Americas High School marching band is similar to other marching
bands around the city, by means of goals, but like all the other, they are unique in their forms of
communication, feedback, genre, lexis, and levels of advancement.
This years marching band of Americas High School has not one, but various goals which
all of the members wish to accomplish. For starters, its to be the best. To them that does not
mean winning first place in every competition they go to, nor does it mean to surpass the former
senior class accomplishments, according to their meaning of being the best is to be better than
the person we were yesterday (Gabriel Carreon, 2016) They also have their minds set to making
Mr. Vega proud. Mr. Vega is the head band director whos been teaching at the school since 1996,
he said he was retiring along with the class of 2017 so everyone is hoping to see him leave in a
good note. They also have a goal on maintaining the status and legacy of the marching band my
class left behind.

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The members of the band, for the most part like each other, were all a big family says
Gabriel Carreon, the section leader for the flute section, we sometimes fight like brothers and
sisters but at the end of the day it wouldnt be the same if one of us was missing. All band
members see themselves as part of something more than an organization or a club, like Gabriel
Carreon said, they value their relationship as that of a family. Those holding officer positions,
which will be discussed later on the paper, have the responsibility to communicate with their
instrument sections, and those who look up to them. They must encourage the younger
generations to grow out of their shell and express themselves more through music, the ones
known to be the face of the band hold meeting after each practice to discuss things that need to
be fixed and bring up issues that have to be addressed in a proper manner to help the community
get closer to their goal(s).
Following my graduation, Ive visited the band room a couple of times, one which was
their monthly meeting where Mr. Vega and the band and flag boosters talk about all upcoming
events, and address all questions the parents may have. The booster club is an organization
independent from the school that manages the band expenses and events, without them, the band
probably would seize to exist within a year or two. These meeting that are held every month,
serve as a form of feedback, which is the third characteristic listed by Swales in his description
of a discourse community. The parents not only receiving information about what their child is
doing but are also given answers to their questions regarding the community. Another form of
feedback that is only used by the band, is the response Five-te-Six which is said five beats after
the drum majors or the band directors put their hands up giving the students the signal that
theyre about to start moving or playing. A nonverbal form of feedback is simply playing the

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music and marching the show, this is a form of feedback to the initial command or request of the
drum majors when they first put their hands up and start directing.
An obvious genre that belongs to the marching band is music, and their drill coordinates.
Each kind of instrument gets a different piece of the music arrangement, and each member of this
community also receives a coordinate sheet which is unlike any other. While the music might be
interpreted by a member of the choir or orchestra community, the coordinates for the drill can
only be decipher by marching band members, and that is only some, as most of the new comers
(freshman) lack the skill to read coordinates and interpret the final picture. Going along with the
coordinate sheet, the numbers, hash marks, and yard lines drawn on a field serve as a tool to
guide them through the field.
The music world is made up of a lexis, or language that would not be easily interpreted
by someone outside the music community. Even with the basics, natural, flat, and sharp, and the
name of the notes, people out of the music community would not fully understand where youre
trying to go with a conversation containing the phrase A flat into a F natural. Also with
specifically with band, the position of drum majors is often the most unknown, even though
theyre seen in front of everyone else. They are not the top drummers they are the people
conducting the band swing their arms up, down, in, and out in a certain tempo. Every command
given to the band such as Benz-ten-hut, Benz-parade-rest, To-the-Rear, and such is expected to
be learned by every member of this community. An 8-5 stride means that one must cross five
yards in 8 steps, in a way, coordinate sheets and what has been written on them is a lexis of its
own but is part of the marching band discourse community.
To finalize the six characteristics, the marching band community has quite a few officer
positions available to all students, although some positions of high power are chosen via majority

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vote such as the president and vice-president, other high positions such as the drum majors. This
officer positions are chosen through a selective system, kind of like a competition, in which a
panel of judges, watches the try outs of those wishing to get the role of the face of the band.
Other positions with high power such as the Sargent of Arms whose role is to give conditioning
to those who break the rules, are also given upon the majority of votes. The section leaders
which, as their names describes, are in charge of leading their respective section, these positions
are chosen similarly to the drum major positions, given to only to those who excel in their
marching and musical abilities.
Interview
(Q) What is your goal as a member of this class/workplace?
(A) To become a better musician and leader than the person I was yesterday.
(Q) What motivates you to want to reach that goal?
(A) Part of it is because I dont want my class to fall behind and be a letdown compared to yours.
(Q) Do you feel like the other people here share your goal?
(A) I do actually, I focus on persuading my section into being the best they can.
(Q) Would you say this class/workplace requires a lot of communication?
(A) Obviously, without it the whole band would fall apart.
(Q) How do people communicate in this group?
(A) We have commands such as Benz-ten-hut which are used to get their attention and to give
them directions, also we use a lot of eye contact with one another and visualize our movements
in the field.
(Q) How much of the communication here is in person vs. online?

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(A) Most of it is done in person, as we cant really practice with one another or as a whole
through chat or skype. However, we communicate through group chats where I, the section
leader, provide my section with a heads up on whats happening soon, and remind them of
certain events.
(Q) Are there any specific forms or documents that are important to the communication that
takes place here?
(A) Music Sheets and Coordinate Sheets
(Q) Do you have to know how to use any computer programs to communicate effectively in
this group?
(A) We use a computer program to see our show beforehand, its sort of an animation of the show
itself with stick figures marching and playing.
(Q) Are there any specialized terms that people need to know in order to work here/succeed
in this class? How long does it take to learn this terminology?
(A) In order to play the music they should at least know the basics to music, they shouldve
learned that throughout middle school.
(Q) What are some of the different jobs and roles that are performed here? How does your
work differ from that of the other people who work here?
(A) Theres section leaders, which is me, who are in charge of leading a section. Drum Majors
who are the face of the band. Uniform and Equipment Masters who take care of uniforms and/or
equipment used such as podiums and metronomes.
(Q) Who has authority in this group? Who makes the rules when it comes to communicating and
writing here?
(A) Vega, our head band director
(Q) Do you enjoy being a part of this group? Is it difficult?

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(A) I do, it is one of the things I am most proud of, and I believe that unless you have poor work
ethic then it shouldnt be that hard
Conclusion
After analyzing the bands current state, I have come to the conclusion that the band is its own
discourse community. The community has all six characteristics of a discourse community, and
puts them all to good use, especially when it comes to their means of communication and
feedback. The rich history from the band itself provides the current community members a strong
base structure for their lexis, levels of authority, and genres. The only thing not listed yet is their
goals, which tend to change every year, so even so, this year the members agree on their
objectives. Ive learned that all characteristics go with one another, and that without proper
communication, you can never accomplish any of the rest.

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References

Padon, Daliborka C. The Rhetoric and Writing Studies Handbook. Follet UTEP Dept. Of

English, 20160801. VitalSource Bookshelf Online.

Porter, J. (1986). Intertextuality and the discourse community. In E. Wardle & D. Downs (Eds.),

Writing about writing: A college reader (p. 395-405). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins.

Swales, J. (1990). The concept of discourse community. In E. Wardle & D. Downs (Eds.),

Writing about writing: A college reader (p. 212-227). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins.