When it comes to football season, no one knows better than a tuba player about the exciting times to come. Throughout the years, ASU football is known to be great with the fans in the stands and the band on its side to root on the football players with intense songs.
Football season was very exciting to experience as a first-year tuba player in the ASU Marching Band. With the Sun Devils beating vigorous teams and the traditional ASU Band Day, it was quite impressive. Even going to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego and experiencing the many wonders and swag, or gifts, was quite exhilarating; but nothing compares to this year.
Practicing for games is an extreme task for the marching band. Many might not know, but the band performs incredible shows week after week. And with the intense storm tearing down the bubble dome, in which not only the football players practiced in, but the band as well, it was very heart-breaking to see the bubble being “popped” in a sense.
Going into the first game is always an intense, blood-rushing experience. Leaving the dorm at the tuba player’s usual 3:30 p.m. call time to get suited up is always an incredible duty with unsuspecting fans or adversaries around to start trouble. Then walking from the old practice field to the stadium for the Devil Walk playing tunes on the side for fans, is always an invigorating event to partake in. The Devil Walk may not seem exciting to many people, but it’s a tradition that pumps up not only the football players but the band as well for the game.
The next event on our list after the Devil Walk is the traditional “music on the steps.” As the band warms up and gets ready to play its electrifying pre-game show for numerous fans and students, it sums up the experience of pride in your school and fulfillment you have for joining a prestigious band. As the band marches to the stadium to get ready for pre-game, you might notice something wrong when seeing tuba players running around doing “tuba snakes” around unsuspecting fans while “Maroon and Gold” is being played. So in reality, the tuba players bring enjoyable entertainment that really gets the crowds rowdy and ready for game time.
In past events, fans have been known to get really rambunctious. As a tuba player, I am a popular target for unwanted attention. It is breathtaking seeing fans get into the game, but it’s another thing to be a target of public drunkenness. On more than three occasions, I have had drunk fans give me a nice slap on the rear or take my picture. Don’t get me wrong, it’s quite a complement having fans of your own, but only when it is in a respectful manner.
So to all of those fans, keep the spirit of the Arizona State Sun Devils going and be at all the games to boost the morale of not only the football players, but your ASU Marching Band!
Reach this reporter at dtsnyder@asu.edu.
