When I was in marching band it was similar to Bowling Green’s marching band but just not as good. In high school marching band we merely roll stepped and occasionally side stepped. Bowling Green’s marching band roll steps, side steps, high marches, backward marches and they look good doing it. During my four years of high school marching band I got really involved. I grew to love band even though I was forced my first year. My third and fourth years of band I was the section leader of the Baritones (Euphoniums), I enjoyed helping people march and learn the steps we were doing for that show. But there were always those people who didn’t take band seriously for whatever reason, and wouldn’t do all of the choreography correctly. That’s another thing BG’s band has over my high school band. They are more disciplined and everyone wants to be there for their own reasons.
On September 10, 2011 I went to my first college football game and I was a spectator and not just in the band. I can honestly say I was more excited to see the band than the actual football game. Finally, when half time came the band was paying a tribute to the fallen soldiers and the lost lives on September 11, 2001. It was so neat to see the band work with Bowling Green’s men’s choir during this performance. After the show was over I was over I was elated and thoughts of joining the band entered my mind.
According to Bowling Green’s marching band instructor, BG has had a marching band since 1924. Emily Hage, one of the band’s drum major’s, said “It’s one of the biggest organizations on campus, one year we had one of all the majors bg offers in the band.”
There is a girl down the hall from me and I started talking to her more since I was interested in joining the band now. We would talk for hours about music and compare our high school bands to bg’s band. She would tell me how fun it was and how it was just a big family. From what she told me I had to see this for myself. I would always here the band walking back to my dorm from class so one day I decided to stop by and watch.
As I walk over towards the practice, the music gets louder and louder. Finally, I make it to the practice field and I’m amazed by what I see. It’s about 300 kids and that does not include the color guard and twirlers. So I stand on the sideline and watch as the instructor is telling them what to do and how she wants it done. Dr. Hayward told me that “at times it’s hard to keep control of all of the members of the band because their minds wander.”
They are playing the Beatles for the half time show coming up this weekend. Watching them move and march without even looking up was amazing to me because they never hit anyone. They ran the show over and over again until class was over. Even after they were done I was still standing there wanting to see more, in a way, it made me happy to see the band practice and to know that, that could be me next year.
I’m awaiting the Saturday to come so I can see the band’s half time show. I know I saw them practice already but I know it is going to be so much better on the football field. As I was talking to Emily, she answered so many questions I had. “The band doesn’t compete because we are not a competition college band.” Says Emily “but it gives the ensemble more chances to play different genres of music and challenges them to learn at a faster rate and still do well in the process. According to the band director, the band does about four different shows a season plus pregame. They learn one sometimes two shows a week and they always seem to perform very well. Also Dr. Hayward comes up with the visual design of the bands formations by herself. So I can only imagine how it would feel to be a part of such a great organization.
Emily Hage says “band is fun, honestly” and maybe that’s another reason why they look the way they do. If everyone is having fun, the happier they are and the more effort they put it. The band practices Monday through Fridays for an hour and thirty minutes. They have score study (how well they are playing music) and a little marching practice. She says that you have to be able to manage your time well in the band.
Saturday is finally here! I’m excited to see the band since I already had a sneak peak. I feel like I’m the only person that goes to the football games for the band. When the band starts marching I am in awe. Even though I saw the show a few days prior, I was so excited to see it all in its entirety. “I feel great after every performance” says a member of the band. I totally understand why she would! The band looks great every time I see them. They are all marching in time, moving together and don’t hit one another. Mistakes happen; the people in the band are only human but the bg marching band looks exceptional. Working on the Beatles show, as I call it, for only a week and it looked as if they had been working on it for weeks.
No Ending!