(above) Boone was invited to be a guest drummer for one number on Friday nightAny DU hockey regular who attended Friday night's game was stuck by the improvement in the band. But it wasn't only DU fans at the game. Fans watching on FCS-Rocky Mountain and posting online also commented that the band could be heard clearly on the TV & radio broadcasts.
LetsGoDU did some digging around and sure enough, the band has 40 members, compared to just 20 students in recent seasons.
We found DU student and band member Joey Leon (photo left) and asked him 10 questions about the band.
LetsGoDU did some digging around and sure enough, the band has 40 members, compared to just 20 students in recent seasons.
We found DU student and band member Joey Leon (photo left) and asked him 10 questions about the band.LetsGoDU: What year are you at DU?
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Joey Leon: I am a sophomore at DU, studying cognitive neuroscience
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LetsGoDU: How long have you been in the DU band?
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Joey Leon: This is my second year with the DU band.
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LetsGoDU: Why is the band so much louder and better this year?
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Joey Leon: We had a great recruitment drive, and a great number of returning members. We only have a certain number of paid slots but students keep coming and the Band Director and Athletics Department wanted to make it work for everyone.
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LetsGoDU: Has the band been on any roadtrips with any DU teams?
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Joey Leon: The band does not go on any road trips with teams during the regular season. This has been a longstanding policy by the university. We have been told that the band used to go with the hockey team to the NCAA tournament, but are unsure as to why that tradition stopped. During the Sunbelt Basketball Tournament, if either team makes it to the 2nd round, then the band goes with them. Last year, both teams made it to the 2nd round and the band and cheer squad went with the teams to Hot Springs AR.
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LetsGoDU: What's it like playing with Boone on the drums?
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Joey Leon: It is always fun to have Boone playing along with the band.
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LetsGoDU: Does the band get food and drinks from the school?
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Joey Leon: The band gets pizza from the athletic department.
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LetsGoDU: How many hockey games will you play this season?
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Joey Leon: This year we are playing at 7 hockey games.
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LetsGoDU: What other school events and teams do you play for?
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Joey Leon: We play for both basketball teams and would like to try and play for at least one lacrosse game this year. We also play in the Homecoming parade and other random events on campus. Last year the Pep Band was on the CW, or channel 2, morning news.
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LetsGoDU: Could the band learn Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh) and Rocky Mountain High (John Denver)?
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Joey Leon: We are always looking for new music to learn.
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LetsGoDU: Anything else you want to talk about?
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Joey Leon: The pep band is trying to add a student club component this year. This would allow the band to fund-raise for apparel, equipment and other miscellaneous things to help raise school spirit.
12 comments:
The band was great on Friday night! We noticed them right away. That band and a full student section made for a rockin' arena.
The band was really great on Friday. Wish they could get them out to more hockey games. I think it makes a huge volume and spirit difference with the student section and adds greater collegiate atmosphere. Having the band is probably worth several goals over the course of the season due to the rise in spirit.
And 40 players is way better than 20, too.
Nice to see the positive momentum and rise in membership.
It was just three years ago that the band was relegated to the Handicapped Seating in Section 14. Most DU students hated the band and there was no interaction between the fans and the band.
Three years later and we see all these fantastic changes. Props to everyone involved with making these improvements, especially the Band Director.
I do think that "Rocky Mountain Way" and "Rocky Mountain High" should be signature songs for the "Best Hockey Band in the Rockies."
DG,
You are absolutely correct about the "Rocky Mountain" songs. It would give them an identity.
Still not a fan of the band. Maybe they should play more then two songs.
One challanges that the band faces is the games are scripted days in advance. Ads, videos, piped-in music and the band divvy up timeouts and stoppages in play. And of course there's the NCAA rules that govern when a band can and can't play.
No problem in the first period, but you have a situation like Friday night. DU is rallying in the third period, they have Vermont on the ropes and the band isn't playing.
Luckily, the band director got permission to play two extra songs. But at that juncture of a close game the band needs to going full-bore. If its a blowout, one way or the other, play ads, canned music or show videos.
Its a minor issue and easily rectified. :-)
40 band members is great, 80 band members would be awesome.
Whats that you say? DU could never afford to have an 80 member band, send the band to the WCHA Final 5, NCAA Regionals & Frozen Four. Throw in skating cheerleaders & send the mascot, band and cheerleaders down to the Springs for the CC & Air Force games?
If only there was a new avenue for the Athletic Department to raise revenue. You know, somehow find a popular mascot and sell mascot related merchandise and the revenue would support the Spirit Organizations on campus.
Alumni, fans and students could buy said merchandise knowing full well that the money raised would support the band, cheerleaders and pep squad.
Perhaps there would also be enough revenue left over to fund minority scholarships and enable financially challenged families to send their kids to DU.
Where could DU find such a popular mascot? Hmmmm....
You can have 80-120 member bands for reg season home games, as they do at UW, Michigan, BU, Minnesota, MTU etc. But you can only allowed to credential 25 band members and 12 cheeleaders, and 1 mascot to NCAA tourney events.
If I am getting yor drift, you think that selling items with images of some popular mascot could generate many thousands of dollars in alumni donations to help support student organizations and possibly fund some minority scholarships. Hmmmmmm, a very interesting concept but where does one find such a mascot.......
I'm sure Chancellor Coombe & The Gang That Can't Shoot Straight will think of something.
Perhaps, "Son of Ruckus?"
How about Foghorn Leghorn???
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