Beyond the Beat

The faint clamor of everything from tubas to clarinets echoed from the east side of Memorial Stadium. It’s about 4 p.m. and 250 IU students have gathered in the parking lot to perfect a show they will only perform once. \nThe jumble of students and instruments is then divided into groups – sousaphones with sousaphones and piccolos with piccolos. Everyone has a group and an instrument in hand except for senior drum major Schuyler Troy. He stands by himself, shirtless with a treble clef tattoo on the left side of his back glistening under the hot August sun. \nTroy flips the mace around in his hand and brings the whistle up to his lips when it’s time to start the next phase of practice. The other 249 members of the Marching Hundred – who earned their name for being one of the first bands to march in a 10 by 10 block – join together in rows and face Director of Athletic Bands David C. Woodley to hear what the day’s practice will consist of.\nDuring football season, the Marching Hundred learns a new halftime show for every home game the Hoosiers play. Even though the band doesn’t compete and most won’t pursue a career in music after graduation, they have found something they love doing and that’s what keeps them coming back day after day.\n“It’s incredible having 250 people come together for one thing and create an outstanding product,” said sophomore piccolo player Annie Herchen of performing during football games. “I think I cried the first time.” \nThis Saturday as the band plays in the stands, they’ll be wearing matching T-shirts in memory of former football coach Terry Hoeppner. The shirts have the number of games the Hoosiers will play if they make it to a bowl game this year – 13 – along with the words “Don’t Quit.” \n“Coach Hep’s gone, but that doesn’t mean we should give up,” Herchen said. “We should fight for it for him. ... We thought we should do something that shows we’re all thinking about him.”\nThe pride Woodley puts into his own Big Ten band has helped the Marching Hundred win the only award given to college bands, the Sudler Trophy.\n“It honors marching bands across the country who have put in decades of innovation,” Woodley said, who has been directing the Marching Hundred since 1993. \nThe Sudler Trophy will be presented at this year’s homecoming game Oct. 20. The Marching Hundred will keep the trophy for one year, and then it will be presented to another band.\nWhen game day finally \narrives it’s pretty much insanity, Herchen said. The day can start as early as 7 a.m. for the band depending on kickoff time. \n“There’s lots of marching and wonderful cheers,” Herchen said. “I don’t know how we get through the whole day. You have to have bundles of energy.”\nSenior trumpet player Ross Wilkerson said he feels comfortable performing at college football games now, but it was “insane” when he first started.\n“It’s such a huge change from high school marching band,” he said. “There are thousands of people in the stands.”\nBut before the band even gets to this point, there’s a long week of camp held the week before classes start each year. It’s an all day affair – 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. – and band members get to know each other quickly, Troy said. Rookies show up to camp a few days before the veterans to learn the pre-game show.\n“People don’t realize how much work is actually put into pre-game,” Troy said.\nThe Marching Hundred high steps during their pre-game show, which is something most members didn’t do with their high school bands. The intent of a high step is for a person’s thigh to be parallel to the ground with their toe pointing straight down. The Big Ten conference may be one of the last where every band high steps, Troy said.\n“Big Ten bands have long been held up as the most proficient and best in the country,” Woodley said. “We feel Big Ten bands are at a different level.”\nThe high step is a physically strenuous activity, Troy said, and it’s tough to make it look crisp. \nCrowds at Memorial Stadium are what make the experience of being in the marching band at IU memorable for Herchen.\nHerchen feels a sense of pride and community when she performs on Saturdays with her friends.\n“I feel like I’m giving back to the school,” Herchen said. “Students just know we put all that hard work in for them.”