Spartan Marching Band Back in Action

The MSU Marching Band is now back on campus, in full practice mode, preparing for the first football game against Boise State, Friday August 31, at 8 PM.

Until classes begin, the band practices almost full time, refreshing the skills of experienced members and incorporating freshmen into the ranks, before falling into weekly routines, learning new material for the next game.

For permanent residents who live in proximity to campus, as well as those on campus, the first sounds of the Fight Song are a harbinger of the new school year, and many stop to listen, get in the swing of things, and watch a sometimes discordant crew become a tightly polished machine.

Throughout the fall, the band practices almost every weekday (weather and away trips permitting) on the field behind Sparty, where there are bleachers for those who wish to sit and watch.  Full practice begins promptly at 4:30 PM with the Fight Song, although subsections of the band often practice nearby from around 4 PM.  There is also usually an evening practice at 7 PM, Mondays only according to a band member.

Approximately 45 minutes before each home game, the band, transformed from practice civvies and skivvies to full regalia, marches across the bridge near Sparty to the Stadium, breaking into the fight song along the way, in a show of intimidation toward the enemy team one laughing young woman claimed frightened her Marine Corps uncle.

For those who missed the WKAR-TV, "Beneath the Pines: Inside the MSU Marching Band" series, it can be watched online at:

http://wkar.org/programs/beneath-pines-inside-spartan-marching-band