Nothing is more American than a football game on a cool fall day, to the soundtrack of various brass, percussion and woodwind instruments of the marching band. For the first time since the 1990s, that sound is set to return to Bulldog football games.
The marching band had been a staple for Ferris since it was started in 1955, performing for a wide variety of campus events. Their biggest event was performing at President Richard Nixon’s second inauguration in 1973 in Washington, D.C. In the mid-1990s, the band dissolved for various reasons, such as a waning student interest and a downsizing of university programs and activities.
The director of the marching band, Dr. Daniel Atwood, had set a goal of 55 members, but ultimately exceeded his expectations, recruiting 77 members in total.
Biology Education junior Josh Smith, who plays baritone saxophone in the band, believes the marching band will not only benefit the university but also the Big Rapids community.
“I think a marching band will bring joy, excitement and hype to college gameday,” Smith said. “It will bring an already excellent atmosphere to a national championship-winning team, but we also will be bringing that excitement to the community and beyond.”
The band will be at every home game for hockey, basketball and volleyball, but they will be playing as a pep band. During every football game the band will suit up as the marching band, performing for a pregame show as well as a halftime show.
Not only will they be playing for Ferris, they will also be playing at the season closing game for the West Michigan Whitecaps at LMCU Ballpark, while playing an exhibition performance for a regional high school marching band competition.
The band has been hard at work every day preparing for the upcoming school year, and assistant director Micah Laird knows his band members will be ready for the school year.
“Our members has been hard at work for the last two weeks rehearsing 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday learning and memorizing music,” Laird said. “Everyone has been learning our style of movement and marching, as we are trying to create as unified of a look as possible in addition to learning our drill or movement on the field for pregame and halftime.”
The band will also be reaching out to help the community of Big Rapids.
Dr. Atwood has plans for the band to be involved in several community service events, from performing at civic functions and parades to providing music and drumming workshops for elementary students in the area.
Dr. Atwood believes the marching band can help grow the university.
“The marching band will benefit the university in so many ways,” Atwood said. “First I think of the recruitment and retention aspects of the marching band. The band will not only attract students to Ferris, but also help retain students who now have an organization whose members they think of as family. It gives all of our students a sense of belonging. Second, the marching band will serve as a form of publicity for the university. We will not only be performing on campus at athletic events, but we will be performing in the community and promoting our university. Third, the band will bring the pageantry of the college gameday experience to a whole new level.”
The band will return to the Ferris campus on Thursday, Aug. 28, for the first game and home opener of the football season for the Bulldogs against the Pittsburg State Gorillas.