Blowing their horns for OC football: the pep band

When an old song book was found in a practice room, they knew the pep band would have a theme song to play after each and every touchdown.

The Oberlin pep band plays at all home football games with the goal of livening up an otherwise relatively mellow crowd of spectators. "We want to pump up the crowd," said Tim Groulx, a trumpet player in the pep band who is also taking the responsibility for the ExCo aspect of the Pep Band.

Beginning last year as a "…throw together kind of thing," according to sophomore Steven Roberts, the pep band has emerged this year as not only a play-and-have-fun activity, but an ExCo class as well. The ExCo class has only two official rehearsals over the entire semester, and participation is graded by attendance at the football games.

The pep band, which began as a small brass ensemble last year, became an ExCo for the purpose of reaching more people, attracting more people to the activity, and letting people know that anyone can do it. Groulx said, "We want everyone to be able to play."

There are about 25 students in the group, playing the usual instruments for a loud group - four clarinets, one or two flutes, two to three saxophones, six trumpets, a tuba, and four to five percussionists. The pep band roster includes several people who are playing instruments they ordinarily wouldn't such as conservatory bassists playing clarinet, clarinet majors playing saxophone, and bassoonists playing percussion. By no means are all people in the Pep Band in the conservatory, though there is a plethora of conservatory students in the group.

The group includes several people, like trumpet-player Roberts, who aren't doing it for credit. It's the pure self enjoyment that brings Roberts out to the football games, even in cold and drizzly weather such as during last Saturday's game against Hiram College. Groulx estimates that about half of the people who play are in the band are not receiving credit at all.

Trying to be rambunctious at all times, the band plays a range of fun songs, from moldy oldies to current pop tunes. "We're going to sit in the middle and get the crowd into [the game]," Roberts said.

Despite the noise made by the band, the football team doesn't hear their efforts. "We're busy listening to the coach [during games],"said junior Garth Stidolph, offensive lineman. "The pep band is more there for the crowd than us."

That doesn't mean the football players don't appreciate the pep band, though. Stidolph professes to appreciating the presence of the pep band.

The next game the band will play at is October 12 against Ohio Wesleyan University. And if the pep band playing the Oberlin fight song after every touchdown doesn't enthuse the audience at the football games, then what will?

Darn Tootin'The Oberlin pep band is back for a second season. And this season, "Don't Worry, Be Happy," isn't a repetoire mainstay as it was last year. (photo by Cristina Russen)