The Greenwave Marching Band traveled to the University of Nevada, Reno, on Sept. 12 for Band Day, joining high school musicians from across northern Nevada for a full college football game-day experience alongside the Wolf Pack Marching Band.
The annual event drew roughly 740 students, its highest turnout to date, according to Dr. Stephen Eubanks, UNR’s director of athletic bands.
At UNR, game day starts long before the actual game. According to Eubanks, rehearsal starts roughly six hours before kickoff. While high school students receive music to practice ahead of time, the bands have only one rehearsal to coordinate and practice playing together.
After rehearsal, students performed at tailgates and during pregame activities before heading to the bleachers, where they played pep tunes throughout the game.
For the main event, students joined the Wolf Pack Marching Band on the field for a halftime show, playing “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus, “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” by Usher, and “I Just Might” by Bruno Mars.
Greenwave Marching Band drum major Aden David shared what he learned during the event.
“You’ve got to be ready. You’ve got to be prepared,” he said.
UNR has hosted Band Day for more than a decade. Eubanks shared that in 2016, only three high schools participated, highlighting the growth of the event.
For university students, the event brings back memories. Many students currently in the Wolf Pack Marching Band participated in Band Day as high schoolers.
Sam Trujillo, a senior at UNR, said participating in Band Day in high school sparked his curiosity about college-level band.
“It’s confusing, but I think it made me, like, curious,” he said, “what is this like when it’s super organized?”
Trujillo shared advice for anyone interested in joining a college-level marching band.
“Don’t feel intimidated,” he said, “everyone else has started from the same point you are.”
Eubanks also shared some college advice for high school students.
“Once you know what you’re going to do, go look at the schools that can get you a job,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. If it’s UNR, great.”
For David, who has been in band for about five years, the experience connects with his own plans for the future. He hopes to study to become a band teacher in college.
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