The Michigan State Football Spring Showcase on April 20 was a chance for the team's to show off a hint of what to expect next fall. But the showcase wasn’t only an opportunity for the football team to get back into rhythm, but for the band as well.
The Spartan Marching Band (SMB) was in attendance and relished the chance to come together to perform again.
“The spring game is a great time for us and is kinda like our final send off for the year,” said freshmen drum major Tom McGovern. “We have a great time with everyone.”
The spring showcase is not just a practice for the band, it's a way to spend time with each other.
“For me, it's a great way to see the seniors one last time before they graduate and to see the new faces we have coming up,” said McGovern.
Band members look forward to this showcase as an opportunity to do what they love.
“The spring game is my reminder of why I do what I do, I haven't been at a football game in a while and it makes me excited for the upcoming season,” said Racine.
The showcase is an opportunity for the band to show its support for the football team and new Coach Jonathan Smith. As the football team looks to showcase its abilities and attract new recruits, the band is recruiting as well.
“It's somewhat of a recruiting event, we can show the prospective members why they could join us,” said McGovern.
High school marching band students were invited to perform at the spring showcase with the band.
“The Spring game is designed to invite students who are interested in being in the band, so they can come and experience what sitting in the stands, playing the music, and doing the horn moves is like,” said senior trombone squad leader Leah Racine. “They can also ask questions about auditions and how we operate on a game day.”
Over 200 students from Michigan and other parts of the United States came to campus to perform with the ensemble.
“It's an opportunity to talk with future members and get people inspired to do SMB,” said junior trumpet section leader Natalie Kolano.
The showcase is also the perfect opportunity for new members of the leadership team to dip their toes into the water.
“It's a great opportunity for the incoming section and squad leaders to begin developing their sections and the new things they want to implement,” said McGovern.
The day starts with registration at Demonstration Hall, followed by a music rehearsal on Dem Field. This is where band members introduced themselves to prospective members and participated in ice breaker activities. The prospective members were taught everything they needed to know before they headed into Spartan Stadium. Members also demonstrated The Series, which is the band's famous march to the stadium.
“The goal is demonstrating to prospective members our pillars of the band,” said McGovern.
This rehearsal sets the stage for what is to come.
“My favorite part of the day is going through music rehearsal because it's low stress for me and it's a really fun time to kinda show off a bit while also teaching,” said junior cymbal player Anna Scholes. “It's usually when the high schoolers will break out of their shell more.”
After rehearsal, the marching band and its prospective members made their way into Spartan Stadium. Once the band was seated, they quickly began playing to support the student athletes.
“We played our typical music like the fight song, Eat’Em Up, and Hockey Cheer as well as some halftime pieces from this past season which includes songs from Elton John and Fall Out Boy,” said McGovern.
The band enjoyed being back in their signature section of Spartan Stadium even though the weather made it difficult to feel your hands.
“It's awesome, it's my favorite part of a game day, standing up here and being part of all the stands, tunes, cheers, and playing music for everybody,” said Racine.
The practice featured a 12-on-12 scrimmage simulating agame. This portion allowed the band to play songs up to the whistle and showcase to the prospective members what to expect during a fast paced football game.
Prospective member Brayden Benner is a tuba player from DeWitt, Michigan. He came to understand what being in the band is all about.
“The best part was a lot of the little silly things that the band does that makes it seem like the band is a little family,” said Benner.
Benner is planning on attending Michigan State and auditioning for the band this summer.
The color guard, Big Ten flags, and drum line also use this experience to get to know prospective members.
“Many of the guard members are here today because of the positive experience they had at the spring game as a high schooler,” said senior color guard squad leader Caroline Beckrow.
As the showcase came to an end, the band played the fight song one more time before exiting a frigid Spartan Stadium and being dismissed for the day. The band also performed at the starting line of the Izzo Legacy Run/Walk/Roll that morning. Preseason starts on Aug.15 for the marching band as they prepare to welcome in a new football season.