MISSOULA — The University of Montana marching band plays to one of the largest crowds in the entire state of Montana, energizing more than 26,000 football fans at Washington Grizzly Stadium.
"This probably was the best decision I've made in college. I've gained a lot of friends; I got to play my instrument longer,” said Abigail Binder who plays the alto saxophone.
Playing in the marching band takes a lot of work.
"It can be a lot especially when we're going backwards, and you're up on your toes the whole time, and you have to keep your body up and straight. So, it is a lot to think about,” Binder told MTN.
"It is a difficult process, but we have plenty of time training during camp and refreshing our technique and the skills that we need during rehearsal. It's mostly just a time commitment; it just takes a lot of time out of your semester,” said Zane Lambert, a member of the drumline.
Still, Binder and Lambert absolutely recommend the marching band.
"So, you get your music skills and all that, but you get a lot of leadership experience,” Binder noted. “I'm currently a field manager, and that's gained some responsibility that maybe I wouldn't get somewhere else."
Members of the marching band don't have to be a music major to take part.
"Yeah, it's about half music majors, and the other half come from all over campus,” Associate Director of Bands Dr. Kevin Griggs noted.
The Grizzly marching band has been around a long time, coming together in the late 1890s. Griggs told MTN that playing in the marching band is definitely an adventure.
"We've got the music; we've got the movement; we've got being a part of gameday, not just an observer of gameday. The stadium on a Griz football game Saturday is intense, and that alone is an adventure, but then to be part of that, contributing to it, it's a crazy thing to do, and we love it."
The Grizzly marching band has grown to nearly 150 members this year — the largest membership since Griggs took over as director. He credits the growth in part to the band's reputation of bringing a uniquely energetic, fun and raucous atmosphere.
"Well, you're just with your friends, and if you're with friends and you're having a good time, you bring this energy that's just electric, and it helps get the crowd going,” Binder said. “The music is a big part of that; we always have fun tunes we love to play."
"Gameday comes, and you're just so excited, and I always get super excited and get loud — it's just so much fun,” Binder continued.
“It might seem like we're the band geeks or something like that, but we're all very, very confident and fun people to be around,” Lambert said. “We make sure everybody's having a good time; we bring everybody up."
Can you imagine a Griz football game without the band? Probably not.
Montana State and Montana are slated to kick off at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at Bobcat Stadium. The game will be broadcast on CBS affiliates throughout Montana.
