Pep Bands

[Z-Tuba Dude]

Somebody mentioned an idea to me the other day, for a possible source of gigs, that I had never thought of before. Have any of you had experience, playing in a pay pep band, for private college basketball games (or other kinds of sports)?

If so, what configuration of instruments were there? What kinds of music did you play? Are there any conventions to doing pep band, that might not be common knowledge?

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

THANKS!

[Jack Denniston]

We don't get paid in cash, but I consider getting to see a Duke basketball game payment of an even better kind. Each year over the holidays when most of the students are gone, a bunch of us local old timers get invited to sit in the bleachers right behind the basket and play all those good old Duke fight songs. There are usually a couple men's games and a couple women's games. Both teams provide a lot of exciting action. It also brings back fond memories of playing in my high school and college pep bands.

[iiipopes]

I played in the Mizzou pep band as a grad student and the Drury University pep band as an undergrad. Small bands. Cut down arrangements. One or two souzys to support. Enthusiasm is what made them sound great.

While at Mizzou, I went with them to Nebraska once. Since there are no professional sports teams nor any other major college teams of any consequence, EVERYBODY goes to Nebraska football games. And I mean EVERYBODY. I don't know if they still do it, but when I went, upon entering the stadium, every person is given a red balloon. the first time Nebraska scores, everybody lets them loose. When 70,000 let loose of all those red balloons, the sky literally turns red. You just can't capture that effect on TV. Our little pimple of black and gold overwhelmed by that sea of red was absolutely intimidating.

[schneidah]

While in school last year, I played with the basketball pep band to make some bread. Paid pretty well, was full of pretty good jazzers from the school, had a great book of charts (many by an in-house arranger), and was run by a guy who does a bunch of work in jobbing bands in Chicago. The band had a reputation for great playing and horrible behavior, which was pretty true on both counts. No sousas; I was on my PT-6. I was definitely in good company in the section; the other regular player is the newly tenured principal tuba of the Queensland Orchestra, and our late-season addition (whom I hope is back in the band this year) is the current principal tuba of Civic. The basketball playing ranged from pretty good to atrocious, but the band pretty consistently got into it and thus got the crowd genuinely excited.

More to the point of the questions of the original post, the band was paid for by the school's athletic department. It was especially good to have this on our side when we traveled for playoffs and Delta KO'd my hard case; the athletic department went to bat for me, and after a bit of waiting and a few emails, I had a new case free of charge. The instrumentation broke down to 3 trumpet books, 3 sax books, 3 bone books, 1 tuba book, and drums; we'd field bands ranging in size from 15 to 30 members. Funk, some blues, and 70's/80's pop favorites (Michael Jackson, Rick James, Chicago) played by kids who knew the tunes went over with the Chicago crowds much better than a lot of stock flip folder music; there's plenty of good stuff already available, but knowing what really appeals to your audience is, as always, an excellent skill to have and to cultivate. Having a pool of players that can lay it down is certainly another good thing to have, particularly in the drumming department.

One more thing that may already be common knowledge (or should be) is to always remember your EARPLUGS. http://www.etymotic.com. It's been mentioned before, but if you haven't put up the $15 for these yet (let alone invested in higher-order musician's earplugs) I think you'll be happy with the results when sitting in front of a screaming trumpet section.

Hope this helps. Now I have to go practice to make up for how long I spent writing this.

[Jobey Wilson]

Well, I actually directed the Boston College Pep Bands last year! Fun time!! We fortunately had strong enough numbers that we never had to hire ringers...though it had happened in the past. I do know that many colleges hire ringers for pep bands, wind ensembles & orchestras. Look for large "specialty" schools with no music degree offered (or maybe just a music minor)...for example, around Boston, MIT & Harvard hire many ringers. We all know that "all the brightest people in the world studied music at some point," so MIT & Harvard have ALMOST FULL bands & orchestras. Some of them aren't too bad...not quite the most beautiful sounds you've ever heard, but rhythmically tight & NO MENTAL ERRORS!! When I was at NEC, MIT hired me to play Petrushka, Ives 3, Rite of Spring, Hindemith Symphony in Bb (W.E.), and some other big rep. They also usually hire ringers to take on an international tour most every year. Happy hunting! Jobey

[TexTuba]

We don't get paid in cash, but I consider getting to see a Duke basketball game payment of an even better kind.

I would consider free beer and brats the ONLY thing better than cash. My school spirit only goes as far as the money they pay me to play!

Ralph

[TubaRay]

We don't get paid in cash, but I consider getting to see a Duke basketball game payment of an even better kind.

I would consider free beer and brats the ONLY thing better than cash. My school spirit only goes as far as the money they pay me to play!
Ralph

Oh, come one, Ralph. Surely you voted for UTSA to go Division I football. We gotta get those athletic fees up higher, you know.

[TexTuba]

Oh, come one, Ralph. Surely you voted for UTSA to go Division I football. We gotta get those athletic fees up higher, you know.

Oh, I voted alright. But somehow I have this suspicion that no matter what is voted, that fee is going to go up.

Ralph