Fresno State Athletics
Bulldog Marching Band Kicks-Off Season
8/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 19, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - The Bulldog football program is not the only team doubling its practice efforts this week.
The Fresno State marching band gets started with a bang on Monday as it prepares for the 2007 football season. As the football team hits the field for two daily sessions of hard-hitting workouts, the band will blowing its trumpets and trombones just as often.
"We'll have two-a-days this week," said band director Tim Anderson. "It's very similar to the way the football team is set up. We'll go from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., then take a four hour break before we're back at it again in the evening from 5-9 p.m."
Anderson, entering his second year as Director of Athletic Bands, oversees all rehearsals and is responsible for the final product. He said he expects 285 students to participate this fall. The band is made up of piccolo, clarinets, saxophones, mellophones, trumpets, trombones, baritones, tubas and drums.
For the next two weeks the band will expend all its energy and concentration on preparation for the season opener on Sept. 1 when the Bulldogs host Sacramento State. All the preparation accumulates into a grand presentation on Gameday.
Five and a half hours before kickoff, the band will rehearse for 90 minutes on their practice field, located on Barstow just across from O'Neill Park. The group then takes a small break before everyone reports to the amphitheater just outside the music building. The band members go through a quick uniform inspection and insure all the music and instruments are in place.
Approximately two hours prior to kickoff, the band crosses Cedar Avenue, making its way towards Bulldog Stadium. The band entertains tailgaters, performs at Bulldog Boulevard and then sounds the football team's entrance into Bulldog Stadium. Twenty minutes prior to kickoff, the band begins its pre-game show.
"We strive to make it an event and not just a game," Anderson said. "We're not just there to play at halftime, but we do whatever possible to keep the crowd interested. We play to match the momentum of the game."
The band calls its own plays when the 'Dogs make big plays. When Tyler Clutts or Jason Shirley sacks the opposing quarterback, the band plays the tune Another One Bites the Dust. When the defense has the opposition backed-up in a third-and-long situation, the band pumps out Powedrive. Other numbers such as Hit the Road Jack, Darth Vader, and Let's Go 'Dogs! are some of the fan favorites.
"It's very important that we be aware of how we're connecting with the fans," Anderson said. "Sometimes we'll play music that will energize the fans. On other occasions we may play just to entertain and we'll always try new music that gets a strong reaction from the crowd."
Being a part of the band requires sacrifice and dedication. Students commit much time and effort to the band while balancing life's demands of school, work and family responsibilities. Band members learn about teamwork, build long-lasting friendships and feel the satisfaction of belonging to a tight-knit group.
"I'm very proud of our students here," Anderson said. "They work very, very hard."
