The most exciting day of the week for the average college student is football game day. A day when students and supporters rally around their student-athletes as they represent the school. But, no game day is complete without the marching band, ready to inject the crowd with energy at a moment’s notice.
A marching band’s continuous bursts of music as the offense scores on a big play or as the defense makes a key stop has the power to bring a stadium of people to their feet. This was an aspect of the game that Central Connecticut State University had been missing until now.
When the COVID-19 virus shut down the world in 2020, it took CCSU’s marching band as one of its many casualties. Four years later they are back in business under the leadership of director James Minnix and drum majors Drew Benard, Jacob Hubbard, and Lia Means.
Minnix was hired just a month before the fall 2023 semester and received a blank slate and very little time to work with before CCSU’s week one football game, he said. What he and his team of drum majors put together for both pregame and halftime blew the proverbial roof off Arute Field.
The rehearsal process is a rigorous one, beginning in the summer with band camp. The band starts to work on techniques, as well as begin to learn sets for the football season. It is nothing that the band can’t handle, Hubbard said.
“You make the noise, do the walking, then make noise while you walk, in that order,” Hubbard said.
In more detail, the first step is to learn and memorize the music in the band room. After that, the band transitions to the field to work on the marching aspect. Finally, they put the two pieces together to finalize their show for game day.
The marching band’s primary focus is to build up a community and a family, the drum majors said.
“Building a community has been one of our goals, and that’s been Minnix’s goal,” Means said.
“If you can’t trust each other, you can’t work with each other,” Benard said. “It’s all about trust.”
It has been paramount to drum up interest and excitement surrounding the band in its first year back in action. Not only does the band positively affect the atmosphere during football and basketball games, but it also positively affects the image of the CCSU Music Department, Minnix said.
“The marching band can bring a ton of energy and excitement to the football games and to the community at large,” Minnix said. “It helps to build the music department if we can grow the marching band. It’s an ensemble that benefits everyone at the university.”
Joining the band is an open invitation as it requires no experience in either marching or playing an instrument. If you are willing to be patient and take your time learning, you can be a vital piece of the puzzle, Minnix said.
“We won’t turn anyone away who wants to march,” Minnix said.
In the return of the marching band on September 2, CCSU won its season opener against American International in a 44-0 blowout. The energy added to the experience in short, simple bursts of music was tangible and will continue to factor into the remainder of the football season, as well as the basketball season.
