The Pride of Mid-America Marching Band
Encyclopedia
The "Pride of Mid-America" is the name of the Ball State
Marching Band
. Consisting of nearly 200 members, it is the largest student organization at Ball State.
In 1950, Herbert Fred was designated Director of Bands. Under his direction, the Ball State Marching Band was one of the first bands in the country to perform drill patterns on the field. In addition, the band began accepting coeds into the organization, which previously had been all-male.
In the late 50's, Hargreaves appointed Earl Dunn as the new Director of Bands. During the 60's, the band membership grew from 66 to 190, receiving national recognition for its outstanding performances. In 1965, the marching band participated in the Presidential Parade while Lyndon B. Johnson
was in office.
The band also performed for presidents Richard Nixon
, and George H. W. Bush
.
By the mid-60's, the band had established a reputation of playing Big Band
arrangements for the haltime shows. "The Pride" also appeared in the 1965 and 1967 Grantland Rice Bowl
games; in televised performances of the Chicago Bears
(1966, 1967, and 1968); and in the 1967 NFL Championship Game of the Western Conference. By the end of the 70's, the band had 250 players, and was still growing in both membership and prestige.
In 1984, Joseph Scagnoli became the new director of the Ball State Marching Band. Growing to 300 members, it was the first band in Indiana to perform curvilinear drills on the field. In 1989, the band traveled to Fresno, California
for the California Raisin Bowl
, and to Las Vegas, Nevada
in 1993 and 1995 to perform in the Las Vegas Bowl
.
"The Pride" also played for the Buffalo Bills
, Cincinnati Bengals
, and the Indianapolis Colts
.
The marching band became so popular during the 90's it recorded a cassette featuring the Ball State Fight Song, Victory March, and Fanfare
. All copies sold out quickly due to its popularity. A compact disc
was released in 1998, featuring the Ball State traditional songs, and fight songs of the Mid-American Conference. By the end of the decade, Christian Zembower had become the new director.
In 2006, Dr. Thomas Caneva was appointed Director of Bands, and Dan Kalantarian was appointed associate Director of Bands. That same year, "The Pride" went on a trip to the University of Michigan
for their game against Ball State. In 2007, the band executed new drills, debuted a new uniform, and performed for David Letterman
(Ball State's most famous alumnus) at the inauguration of the new Letterman Communication and Media Building; a pregame and half-time show at Indiana University
; and an appearance at the International Bowl
in early 2008.
The band's other appearances included an Indianapolis Colts game at the new Lucas Oil Stadium
, an appearance at the MAC Championship in Detroit, Michigan
, and a trip in early 2009 to Mobile, Alabama
for the GMAC Bowl
.
Today, the name forms part of Ball State's landmarks and traditions, and has become the main title of the marching band, which is called by this name very often during parades and football games. It is also used as an encouragement tool for the members, such as the traditional dismissal after every rehearsal or performance, which goes:
Leader: Who are we?!
Band: Ball State!
Leader: What do we have?!
Band: PRIDE!
Leader: Let's go, let's go!
Band: Let's go Ball U!
and woodwind players, and a limited number of percussion players who are required to audition. As part of the auxiliary, the band currently has a colorguard, but it previously included cardettes and majorettes in past years. As of the 2010 season, the colorguard has 20 members.
Director
The directors of "The Pride" have often changed their duties and responsibilities. As for today, the director is mainly in charge of arranging the music, and writing drill patterns.
Former and today's directors:
Graduate Assistants
They often help and shadow the director as part of they graduate work. Yet, they also play an important role by assisting the band itself by often arranging music or writing drills. The current graduate assistants are Charles Reader, Thomas Wallis, and Patrick Horton.
The percussion instructor has several duties among his work, which is to instruct the Ball State Drumline including but not limited to arranging music, directing rehearsals, and practicing drill. The percussion instructor, in most cases, has been part of the drumline in the past.
The color guard instructor is responsible for providing and teaching flag and/or dance routine to the group, as well as practicing drill.
Drum Major
"The Pride" has currently two drum majors. Their current duties include: conduct the band, guide the players, assist the section leaders, and enforce rules and regulations.
s), provide food and water to the band, and help with stadium hardware. Most of the time, the equipment crew has a truck. The crew is led by the Equipment Manager.
Part of the success of "The Pride" is its music and drill. Usually, the music is arranged by the director and/or the graduate assistants, or any other person interested in contributing to the band. Traditional music, like the fight song, is elemental for any kind of event that the band is involved in, it represents and identifies the organization and the university.
Drill patterns accompany the music when the band is on the field. The forms vary depending on the theme that is played or the occasion. As of today, the band performs modern drill with a traditional marching style, "walking" style, and makes from simple geometric shapes and straight lines, to complex curves, words, and figures.
"The Pride" is always present in the home football game, and parades. During the 2008 Homecoming Parade (as well as the 2009), the absence of the marching band disappointed many fans, as a result of the time of the game that usually took place at 2:00pm being moved to a noon game, cutting valuable rehearsing time. On a regular football game, the band performs during the Tailgate, Pregame, Half-time, and in the stands next to the student section during the game.
where people are tailgating
before the game. Right after it, the section leaders and a few appointed members gather near the entrance of the stadium to welcome the football players.
Half-Time
"The Pride's" half-time show consists of a variety of music, such as themes from movies, TV shows, or cartoons, music from Broadway, Big Band or jazz
, modern music like rock n' roll, or popular folk songs, traditional marching band music, like Sousa's
marches, arrangements of classical music, or any kind of music that the fans would enjoy. The music is often played with drill patterns.
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
Marching Band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
. Consisting of nearly 200 members, it is the largest student organization at Ball State.
History
The band was first organized in the 1930s by Claude E. Palmer, who at that time was the head of the Music Department at the former Ball State Teachers College. In 1945, Robert Hargreaves became the new director of the band program. He and his assistant, Robert Holmes, conducted the band for one year. The next year, Hargreaves selected Robert Hamilton as the new director.In 1950, Herbert Fred was designated Director of Bands. Under his direction, the Ball State Marching Band was one of the first bands in the country to perform drill patterns on the field. In addition, the band began accepting coeds into the organization, which previously had been all-male.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
was in office.
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, and George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
.
By the mid-60's, the band had established a reputation of playing Big Band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
arrangements for the haltime shows. "The Pride" also appeared in the 1965 and 1967 Grantland Rice Bowl
Grantland Rice Bowl
The Grantland Rice Bowl was an annual college football bowl game, one of four regional NCAA college division championships from 1964 to 1972. It was the Mideast Regional championship, played in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, from 1964 to 1968...
games; in televised performances of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1966, 1967, and 1968); and in the 1967 NFL Championship Game of the Western Conference. By the end of the 70's, the band had 250 players, and was still growing in both membership and prestige.
In 1984, Joseph Scagnoli became the new director of the Ball State Marching Band. Growing to 300 members, it was the first band in Indiana to perform curvilinear drills on the field. In 1989, the band traveled to Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
for the California Raisin Bowl
California Bowl
The California Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game played annually at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, from 1981 to 1991. The games matched the championship teams from the Big West Conference with teams from the Mid-American Conference...
, and to Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in 1993 and 1995 to perform in the Las Vegas Bowl
Las Vegas Bowl
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...
.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, and the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
The marching band became so popular during the 90's it recorded a cassette featuring the Ball State Fight Song, Victory March, and Fanfare
Fanfare
A Fanfare is a relatively short piece of music that is typically played by trumpets and other brass instruments often accompanied by percussion...
. All copies sold out quickly due to its popularity. A compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
was released in 1998, featuring the Ball State traditional songs, and fight songs of the Mid-American Conference. By the end of the decade, Christian Zembower had become the new director.
In 2006, Dr. Thomas Caneva was appointed Director of Bands, and Dan Kalantarian was appointed associate Director of Bands. That same year, "The Pride" went on a trip to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
for their game against Ball State. In 2007, the band executed new drills, debuted a new uniform, and performed for David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
(Ball State's most famous alumnus) at the inauguration of the new Letterman Communication and Media Building; a pregame and half-time show at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
; and an appearance at the International Bowl
International Bowl
The International Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate American football bowl game played in Toronto from 2007 through 2010...
in early 2008.
The band's other appearances included an Indianapolis Colts game at the new Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
, an appearance at the MAC Championship in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, and a trip in early 2009 to Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
for the GMAC Bowl
GMAC Bowl
The GoDaddy.com Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama since 1999. It currently matches teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid-American Conference, and...
.
Namesake
The name of "Pride of Mid-America" was first introduced in the 60's by former director Earl Dunn. Some speculations refer that the name could have come from the prestige and recognition that the marching band started to have at that time; perhaps linked to the sudden grow in the number of members who joined during Dunn's direction; or referred from the university's participation in the Mid-American Conference, which is probably where the "Mid-America" part came from. Nevertheless, where the name was inspired from is not clearly determined.Leader: Who are we?!
Band: Ball State!
Leader: What do we have?!
Band: PRIDE!
Leader: Let's go, let's go!
Band: Let's go Ball U!
Instruments and auxiliary groups
"The Pride" consists of a great number of brassBrass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
and woodwind players, and a limited number of percussion players who are required to audition. As part of the auxiliary, the band currently has a colorguard, but it previously included cardettes and majorettes in past years. As of the 2010 season, the colorguard has 20 members.
DirectorMusic directorA music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
The directors of "The Pride" have often changed their duties and responsibilities. As for today, the director is mainly in charge of arranging the music, and writing drill patterns.Former and today's directors:
- Dr. Claude E. Palmer (1926 - 1945)
- Dr. Robert Hargreaves (1945 - 1946)
- Mr. Robert Hamilton (1946 - 1950)
- Mr. Herbert Fred (1950 - 1954)
- Dr. Merton Utgaard (1954 - 1957)
- Mr. Earl Dunn (1957 – 1969)
- Mr. Dean DePoy (1969 – 1971)
- Mr. Roger McConnell (1971 – 1984)
- Dr. Joseph Scagnoli (1984 – 1998)
- Dr. Christian Zembower (1998 – 2006)
- Mr. Dan Kalantarian (2006 - 2010)
- Dr. Shawn Vondran (2010 - present)
Graduate AssistantsTeaching assistantA teaching assistant is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include graduate teaching assistants , who are graduate students; undergraduate teaching assistants , who are undergraduate students; secondary school TAs, who are either high school...
They often help and shadow the director as part of they graduate work. Yet, they also play an important role by assisting the band itself by often arranging music or writing drills. The current graduate assistants are Charles Reader, Thomas Wallis, and Patrick Horton.Appointed Instructors
The marching band counts with several instructors to support and cooperate with the betterment of the organization overall. They are qualified and appointed by the director of bands and/or the marching band director. In most cases, the band counts with a color guard instructor, and a percussion instructor.The percussion instructor has several duties among his work, which is to instruct the Ball State Drumline including but not limited to arranging music, directing rehearsals, and practicing drill. The percussion instructor, in most cases, has been part of the drumline in the past.
The color guard instructor is responsible for providing and teaching flag and/or dance routine to the group, as well as practicing drill.
Drum MajorDrum MajorA drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band, usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major, who is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or corps, is responsible for providing commands to the ensemble regarding...
"The Pride" has currently two drum majors. Their current duties include: conduct the band, guide the players, assist the section leaders, and enforce rules and regulations.Section Leader
Each instrument section in the band counts with a section leader. Their main responsibility is to help and guide their peers along the music and marching during sectionals. They follow any instruction from the director and from the drum major(s) as well. In some cases, they are responsible of writing the music for their section as for their affiliation with the Ball State School of Music.Equipment Crew
It is vital for the band to have an equipment crew. They are responsible of taking care of the instruments owned by the university (drums, and sousaphoneSousaphone
The sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the musician and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried...
s), provide food and water to the band, and help with stadium hardware. Most of the time, the equipment crew has a truck. The crew is led by the Equipment Manager.
Music and Drill
Drill patterns accompany the music when the band is on the field. The forms vary depending on the theme that is played or the occasion. As of today, the band performs modern drill with a traditional marching style, "walking" style, and makes from simple geometric shapes and straight lines, to complex curves, words, and figures.
"The Pride" is always present in the home football game, and parades. During the 2008 Homecoming Parade (as well as the 2009), the absence of the marching band disappointed many fans, as a result of the time of the game that usually took place at 2:00pm being moved to a noon game, cutting valuable rehearsing time. On a regular football game, the band performs during the Tailgate, Pregame, Half-time, and in the stands next to the student section during the game.
Tailgate
Before the football game starts, the band plays at different gathering points around Scheumann StadiumScheumann Stadium
Scheumann Stadium , formerly known as Ball State Stadium, is in Muncie, Indiana. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Ball State University Cardinals...
where people are tailgating
Tailgate party
In the United States, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and...
before the game. Right after it, the section leaders and a few appointed members gather near the entrance of the stadium to welcome the football players.
Pregame
Part of Ball State football tradition is the pregame show from "The Pride". As of today, pregame consists of:- The Run-On Cadence played by the drumline, where the rest of the band "runs-on" to the field to begin the show.
- The BSU Fanfare follows the cadence, which mainly introduces the band, the director, the graduate assistants, and the drum majors.
- The Ball State Fight Song, originally called Fight, Team, Fight cheers up the crowd, who stands up, and especially the football team. During this, the band marches the traditional counter-march as part of the drill.
- The Ball State Alma Mater is a way the band shows pride and respect to the university. During this song, the people usually remain silence.
- Back Home Again in Indiana was added to the pregame show in 2011. During this the band forms the shape of Indiana on the field.
- Patriotic Medley is the main feature in the show. At this time, members of the Ball State ROTC come into the field presenting the National FlagFlag of the United StatesThe national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
, the flag of the state of IndianaFlag of IndianaThe flag of Indiana was designed by Paul Hadley and officially adopted by the state of Indiana on May 31, 1917. It was the state's first official flag and has remained unchanged since then except for the creation of a statute to standardize the production of the flag.-History:To commemorate the...
, and the flag of the organization, with the words of the narrator: "We salute America, and those who served this great Country to preserve our Freedom". - The National Anthem, as part of the national tradition in football games.
- The opponent's fight song, which is a way to welcome the fans of other teams. Playing of the opponent's fight song still continues into the 2010 Football season.
- The Ball State Victory March, which excites the crowd as the band forms the traditional "BSU" drill.
- The Fight Song, which ends the show as the band leaves the field.
- The football team's entrance, featured by the Ball State Drumline which plays along a song selected by the team. In previous years, the entire band had a drill forming a tunnel where cheerleaders would gather as well to receive the fooball team to the field.
Half-TimeHalftime showA halftime show is a performance given during halftime, the period between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of divisions , or for sports that do not have an extended...
"The Pride's" half-time show consists of a variety of music, such as themes from movies, TV shows, or cartoons, music from Broadway, Big Band or jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, modern music like rock n' roll, or popular folk songs, traditional marching band music, like Sousa's
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
marches, arrangements of classical music, or any kind of music that the fans would enjoy. The music is often played with drill patterns.