They're just so CUTE!

[Leland]

Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC5223oLEKM

It's a marching band from Japan -- no brasses, no woodwinds (apart from a MIDI sax controller), no flag line -- and they're preschoolers.

They're the youngest band (or "indoor drumline", as WGI would say) I've ever seen that performs at this level. They move well, they dress forms nicely (watch the snares check their intervals as the get into their opening set), they keep tempos under control... they're better than any bunch of 5-year-olds "should" be.

Anybody know more about these kids? Are there more groups of that age & ability?

Here's the only possible homepage I've found so far for their school, but it mentions nothing about a marching ensemble:
http://www.doremigarden.com/index.html

[windshieldbug]

Good to get DISCIPLINE into their young heads... no carefree hours of playing for THEM!

[Leland]

Wonder if Yamaha made them tiny lil drums...

Yup, they're Yamaha, or at least the bass drum heads have "Yamaha" on them. I've seen a drumline with, say, Pearl basses, but fitted with Yamaha heads just to match the snares; although I think that's pretty unlikely, and being more likely that everything those kids are playing (sticks to amps) is from Yamaha.

[TubaRay]

Well, being Japanese, it would be ridiculous for them to NOT be using Yamaha

This makes sense. I guess Japan hasn't "progressed" as much as the USA has. When they do, they will find it difficult to find a Japanese made tuba.

[artuba]

That is, by far, one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed. The closest thing to it that I've seen is Blue Devils C corps, but that's another story. Amazing find.

[ken k]

i find that very scary....

i guess i am just funny that way however.

ken k