New director says once-maligned marching band will tune up in 2011
Marching band members say they’re excited to unveil a series of improvements that include a new school song, a larger corps of band members and several new uptempo shows.
The changes came in the offseason, as university officials replaced former marching band director Steve McKeithen with Rebecca Phillips. The band had previously faced criticism for its performance, which some said wasn’t loud or energetic enough for football games. President Harris Pastides had formed a committee to review the band.
In the offseason, Phillips said the band has implemented “significant changes,” which include a new pregame show and new halftime shows for every game.
Phillips describes the pregame routine, which will premiere Sept. 17 at the home opener against Navy, as “a highly energetic show that fans will really enjoy.”
A new school song is also set to debut at the East Carolina University game in Charlotte on Sept. 3.
The Mighty Sound of the Southeast has been invited to perform a halftime show at the game.
“We’re really excited to be able to perform at the first away game,” Phillips said. “We’re very happy that it will be on a neutral site and we’re honored to have been asked. We’ll definitely be giving the fans something to cheer to.”
Erin Lang, a first-year biology student and drum line member, said the learning process was painless.
“I like the way she runs things,” Lang said.
Though the band has grown from 248 musicians to 280, the full band will be traveling to three of the five away games on the Gamecocks’ schedule this fall.
Besides the ECU game, the full band will be performing at the University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee.
“When we perform in Athens [Georgia], we will be doing a combined tribute for the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with the UGA band,” said Phillips.
Though the full band will not travel to games at the University of Arkansas and Mississippi State, the pep band will perform at each game,
“USC will be heard at every game,” Phillips said.
Phillips is not just focusing on this season; however, she is anxiously anticipating new uniforms for the band, which are set to be given to musicians next year.
“They have been promised to us by President Pastides and they will be designed to conform perfectly with our school colors and logo,” she said.