With football season underway, it’s hard not to notice the ever-present sights and sounds of the Tiger Marching Band. Director of Athletic Bands, Robert Hesse, offers a preview of this marching season.
“It’ll make for something that’s entertaining and something that’s fun to watch and something that’s great to listen to — that’s our plan,” he said.
This semester’s show will include some old favorites mixed with a few new twists.
“For this fall we’re doing selections by Earth, Wind and Fire, a popular group from the 60s 70s and 80s,” Hesse said. “We’re very excited to have [the selections] because these tunes have been around for years. We’re trying to put a different twist on them and play them like people haven’t heard them.”
Audiences can be sure to listen for familiar favorites.
“We’ve included selections such as ‘In the Stone,’ ‘Let’s Groove Tonight’ and ‘September,’” he said. “By homecoming we will try to include ‘Get Away’ and ‘Rock That,’ which are some other great classics by EWF.”
Senior Jessie Sanders is enthusiastic about the show this semester.
“It is all energy, all the time and dance tunes,” she said. “It makes you stand up and groove like you were in the 70s. The songs are just a lot of fun.”
The band’s practice schedule has been complicated because of the weather.
“Our first halftime performance will be on Oct. 10 hopefully,” Hesse said. “You’ll get to see some of the intricate designs and staging that we have decided to put together for the show.”
While the halftime show plays a prominent role in the band’s marching season, the focus remains balanced.
“College marching band is a little different than high school marching band,” Hesse said. “High school marching band is an awful lot about the halftime performance because there are always competitions down the road. We want the show to be important but we do realize that it’s only eight minutes of a football game at half time, and the other four quarters are important to us as well. We try to help build an atmosphere of spirit that takes place at the game.”
Hesse notes that the band’s numbers are lower than previous years and attributes it to the status of the economy.
“We have a little smaller of a group but they play much better,” he said. “We have 81, and that’s down about 20. Most college bands are fairly large size ensembles. Eighty-one is a good number, it’s just that I’d like it to be a bigger number.”
Hesse provides a potential solution to the decrease in participants.
“We’re desperately in need of someone to endow some scholarship money for us so we can get some other students to come join our group,” he said.
Sanders recognizes a change in the structure of the band.
“This year is different in that we’re a lot more laid back,” she said. “We still perform in a professional way and mindset, but have a lot of fun getting there.
The marching band does not place all of its effort into competing.
“It’s not so much about competition,” Hesse said. “We want to get more involved in the entertainment value of it, at halftime and then the building of the spirit and the atmosphere at a football game to make it more of a college atmosphere — not just to be waiting for halftime to hear the band. You’ll probably hear the band throughout the game and not just at halftime.
Hesse desires each part of the band to have equal recognition.
“We’re excited that we have two feature twirlers this year,” he said. “In the past we’ve only had one. It gives us another element for people to watch and enjoy. Each section has its own specific strengths and weaknesses and when they all come together we try to look at it as ‘one band one sound’— One band one show. We want it all to be coming together as one performance and not trying to highlight any particular group or the other.”
Students can look forward to a variety of band performances, such as the Christmas festival and the Regional High School Marching Exhibition, and many surprises in between.
“We’ve got some neat ideas that we want to do with Tiger Blast at Tiger Tunes this year,” he said. “Everybody always wants to know how we’re going to top ‘Thriller’ from last year. My objective is not to top it. It’s, can we be as entertaining or memorable. That’s what we want to be is memorable.”
Sanders enjoys being with friends in band and performing with them at games.
“Halftime and game time are my favorite times to bond with [my friends],” she said. “My memories I make in band are some of the funniest and goofiest ever. It’s fun to not be serious and be light-hearted while being a service to the school.”
Hesse overviews the band’s objective for the semester.
“We’re trying to do something that’s a little hip, a little cooler, a little more exciting,” he said.
