8 THE CAMPUS PRESS FEBRUARY 14 - 20, 2006
I N F OCUS »
“A lot of people are
familiar with American
Pie. It’s nothing like
S he knew she loved it from
the day she was born,
when her brotherʼs march-
ing band visited her in the
hospital. She knew she loved it
when she went to a CU football
game as a junior high student.
Now, Holly Jamjoo, a junior music
major, is a drum major for the CU
marching band and a member of
the basketball band.
“The band -- weʼre a fam-
ily,” Jamjoo said. “From my first
day of band camp in high school,
band has pretty much been my life.
You schedule work and homework
around rehearsals and games. You
start to date people in band. Itʼs
been the biggest and best part of
my life.”
Like Jamjoo, almost 200 other
CU students have contributed their
time and energy to band.
The basketball band, an audi-
tion-only band that accepts about
CP photo/Rachel Berns 50 or 60 marching band mem-
The brass section of the basketball band plays during a women’s game against Texas on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Coors Events Center. The
bers, will be playing at the Big
band plays at all home basketball games and sometimes travels with the team.
12 Tournament in Dallas, Texas
from March 7 to 12. According to
Matthew Roeder, a professor in the
College of Music, the Associate
With just a few basketball Director of Bands and the Director
of the “Golden Buffaloʼ Marching
games to go and several Band, the basketball band will
have already played about 33 of
already through the hoop, the 35 home games by the end of
this week.
those black-and-gold- Basketball band, which is not
as time-consuming and strenuous
clad musical crowd rows- as the marching band, rehears-
es every Friday for a couple of
ers have trucked through hours in the Imig Music Building.
Because there is a small area for
another year of the ups, the band to stand at the games, it
does not do formations and focus-
downs -- and dun dun-dun es primarily on the music. They
have a book of about 100 songs,
dun-dun HEYs -- of CU and at every rehearsal they try to
learn new ones.
sports. Since the basketball band is
much smaller than the marching
Here’s a glimpse of just band, it does not have as many
Story by Sarah leaders and sections. Teaching
what learning a catalogue assistants conduct the band at the
Bourassa CP photo/Rachel Berns games.
CP photo/Xiaomei Chen of 100 songs entails... Freshman Shahlaye Geer plays the drums Before joining the marching
Design by Debra Jon Williams, a junior aerospace engi- and senior John Abshire plays the flugel or basketball band, all members
neering major, plays the sausaphone horn during the women’s basketball are required to attend a band camp
Thiegs in a rehearsal on Friday, Feb. 3 in the game against Texas on Saturday, Feb. 4 at CU a week before classes start.
College of Music. at the Coors Events Center. The practices take place at 9 a.m.
that.”
- Holly Jamjoo,
CU band member
Monday through Friday and end
with a fun event in the evening,
such as a skit, dinner or a game of
capture the flag.
“A lot of people have a mis-
conception of band camp and what
we do. A lot of people are famil-
iar with American Pie. Itʼs noth-
ing like that. Every group has
its quirky people,” Jamjoo said.
“Band camp is the time to teach
the CU marching style. Itʼs all
about uniformity.”
Because the marching band
has nearly 200 members, it has
several leaders and smaller sec-
tions to keep the band well-orga-
nized and efficient.
“While Iʼm in charge, itʼs
really the student leadership that
makes the program run. We have
a hierarchy of leaders in the band
and students have to interview
and in some cases audition to be
in these positions,” said Matthew
Roeder, a professor in the College
of Music, the Associate Director
of Bands and the Director of the
“Golden Buffalo” Marching Band.
The marching band rehearses
on Farrand Field from 4 to 6 p.m.
every Monday, Wednesday, Friday
and on Saturday mornings before
a game. Though Farrand Field is
a convenient place on campus for
the band to practice, many students
in the dorms surrounding Farrand
(from left) Junior Holly Jamjoo, sophomore Andrea Dietz and
freshman Geri Weinstein play as part of the basketball band’s
clarinet section at a women’s game against Texas on Saturday,
Feb. 4 at the Coors Events Center. The band consists of between
50 and 60 members, only some of which are music majors.
FEBRUARY 14 - 20, 2006 THE CAMPUS PRESS 9
Field are not too thrilled about the
noise.
Agroup entitled “Band Practice
On Farrand Field Interferes With
My afternoon Nap” was formed
on Facebook, on the online social
network at colleges and universi-
ties around the country. The group
has 248 members.
Nikhil Bhasin, a freshman
psychology major who lives in
Cheyenne Arapaho, said the noise
woke him up several Saturday
mornings.
“Itʼs early Saturday mornings,
like 9:30 or 10, and it seems they
played for at least a good hour. It
really hurt,” Bhasin said.
In addition to the band mem-
bers having to wake up early some
Saturday mornings, they also have
to be prepared for all weather con- CP photo/Xiaomei Chen
ditions. Sophomore architecture major Jacob Pundyk (left), and junior
“Dress for the weather. We pre-law major Richard Vaughn play in a rehearsal on Friday,
practice in all elements. We are Feb. 3 in the College of Music.
out there when it is windy, cold or
and warms up and tunes. They students. This helps build the rela-
hot. Weʼll only practice inside if
play cheers and the fight song out- tionship between the students and
itʼs really bad,” Elaine Carlson, a
side of the Benson Earth Sciences the band.”
freshman open option major, said.
Building and then proceed to the According to Roeder, only
The football game days are
stadium. After already being on about 15 percent of the band par-
usually the longest for the march-
their feet for several hours, the ticipants are music majors.
ing band members. They some-
band then has to give a lively per- “We have members from vir-
times have to report to Farrand
formance at the game. tually all degree programs from
Field by 8 a.m. and rehearse for
“We do our best to create across the campus, and itʼs open
a couple hours before the game.
a positive, energetic, spirited to any CU student. You get per-
After a lunch break the band recon-
atmosphere and keep the crowd spectives from all different types
venes, dresses in their uniforms
involved while also supporting our of people and all levels, wheth-
team,” Roeder said. er undergraduate or graduate,”
According to Jamjoo, Michael Roeder said.
Bohn, the athletic director, made a Even though the members
great effort to connect the march- of band are of different ages and
ing and basketball bands to the majors, they still have become a
football and basketball teams and close group. They have various
the students. The Facebook group, parties throughout the year, includ-
“The Band Loves AD Mike Bohn,” ing toga parties, jello wrestling and
was created and according to the a formal, and each section has its
group description, it is “for all us own traditions. For about the past
band nerds that think the athletic 20 years, the trumpet section has
department has helped and sup- gone to Casa Bonita Mexican res-
ported the band this year.” taurant in Denver the night before
“Itʼs so important to have an the CSU game.
athletic director who recognizes Though Jamjoo always knew
the importance of the band. Mike that she would be in band, she is
Bohn came off to band camp and especially proud to be a part of
CP photo/Rachel Berns thanked us for being there. Itʼs the CU marching and basketball
nice to be included in the athletic bands.
department,” Jamjoo said. “At Jamjoo said, “I donʼt think
the menʼs basketball game versus any band has anything on us. We
Nebraska, Mike Bohn asked us to outdo other bands with our spirit.
go into the stands and play among