Fight On!

This past weekend, I traveled with the Trojan Marching Band to Chicago and South Bend, Indiana for the USC vs. Notre Dame game. The rivalry, surprisingly enough, is historic, dating back to 1926. 81 games have been played between the two schools, and Notre Dame still leads in the series. Being a part of the spirit, I understand how it is considered one of the greatest rivalries in college football.

In a classical music realm of elitism, marching bands are mostly looked down upon--the USC marching band is made up of over 300 instrumentalists, of which less than 10 are studying for a Bachelors of Music. Marching and dancing while playing does not enhance tone quality, rhythmic unity or intonation. Most traditional music teachers in the classical field discourage students from being a part of "the band." It's simply too hard to resist, though, when the football team is consistently one of the top 10 in the nation.

In addition, I always feel that the "art" of marching band is not one to be considered worthless, but one that's simply different. It's a unique activity that certainly does not go unappreciated: the USC marching band inspires "the team," the crowd at a game and hundreds of USC fans who show up to see the band perform before football games. In Chicago, fans filled the Navy Pier and the Sheraton Hotel for rallies that didn't feature the football team or Pete Carroll, but the Trojan Marching Band--The best marching band in the history of the universe.

Please don't misunderstand, I love playing and practicing perfection in classical music, but there's something just as magical about playing "Rock-n-Roll All Night" for 80,000 screaming football fans who love the marching band almost, (if not more), as much as they love the team. It's an interesting phenomenon and culture, and one that I am always so excited to experience. My life in classical music, thank God, will last forever, marching band will only last four years--why not abandon perfection for once, dance, yell and be a part of the only other activity besides music that everyone can relate to: sports.

Here is a video of the USC halftime show at Notre Dame. Obviously, at Notre Dame Stadium, the USC band gets fewer cheers than at the coliseum, but sometimes the "boos" from the opponent makes the experience even more invigorating.