Healthy ageing: The Get a Life Marching Band

This article features the Get a Life Marching Band, an American adult marching band in Portland, Oregon formed in 1994. My study began during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans in 2010 and involved observations, interviews and a survey of members. The primary themes that emerged from my investigation were that band members strive to have fun, spread the joy of music and share their energy with the audience. In this report I discuss the organization’s history, mission, purpose, activities, people and impact.