Person: "Oh, you're in
band? What do you play?"
Me: "Mallet percussion, mostly."
P: blank stare
Me: "You know... like the
marimba,
vibes..."
P: blank stare
Me: in desperation "Sometimes I play the
glockenspiel..."
P: slowly lights up "Oh, you mean those
xylophone things?"
The glockenspiel has got to be the most unappreciated instrument in marching band. Several dozen steel bars mounted on a drum harness. Trying to hit same steel bars with little round lexan mallets while simultaneously watching the drum major who is completely out of your field of view when looking at your music or the glock. Nevermind people whose only encounter with mallet percussion is the toy un-xylophone they gave their three year old last Christmas...
Have some pity the next time you see a glockenspiel in a marching band. Don't knock the glock.