As a former band member, the Marching Scarlet Knights will always have a special place in my heart. Being in the stands and on the sideline performing through triumphs, heartbreaks, and blowouts was where I fell in love with Rutgers football, and eventually college football more broadly, and if not for that, I would not be here today writing for On The Banks.
Some of my favorite memories included all the night games I was a part of, performing every pregame and halftime, watching Rutgers take the lead against Michigan from the sideline before going on to perform, and seeing the Scarlet Knights demolish Indiana 38-3 in Bloomington before the MSK performed as the feature band at Grand Nationals later that night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
In addition to all of that, waking up at 6 AM and beginning practice at 7:30 AM for noon games taught me discipline and dedication. Seeing all the tailgaters raring to go as I walked through the lots to the practice field, as well as the thrill of Friday evening and Saturday morning walk-through practices with the game on the horizon, was all the motivation I needed to put my best foot forward with the hundreds of other band members.
As a member of the front ensemble playing synthesizer on the sideline facing the visiting fans, our section was very tight-knit, which resulted in us having a close bond, which led to us meeting after our rehearsals at the dining hall and at other times throughout the season, something that stuck with me in the years to come.
My journey towards sports broadcasting and writing took me away from the MSK too quickly to experience the Macys Day Parade as a member, and I did not get to experience a bowl game with the band, or the recent trip to London that the MSK went on this summer.
However, my friend Justin Cui, a former tuba player for the Marching Scarlet Knights, was around to experience all of those things, and he shared his story with me below. Enjoy this Q&A that allowed me to reminisce about where it all began for me over four years ago.
What was your experience like as a tuba player for the MSK? Obviously, it was a little bit different from my experience, as you participated in the various formations on the field and marched in addition to playing your instrument. What was the camaraderie like among your section, as well as in the band as a whole?
In the sousaphone/tuba section, there were approximately 15 of us after averaging out the 2022 and 2023 seasons. During shows, there were a lot of times where we were doing our own thing or making our own formation, which was probably to account for how heavy and bulky our instruments are, so during practice, there was a lot of camaraderie within our section as we ironed out the kinks in our formation.
This camaraderie gets heavily tested during the gameday rehearsals hours before kickoff, when someone becomes sick and unable to perform, where we had to revise our formations to cover for the hole left behind by the person who couldnt perform.
On gameday, one of the things that differentiates the sousaphone section from others is that right before entering the stadium, we play a tune called Sonic Boom/Snake Pit to hype up the crowd outside the stadium. From the time we entered the stadium to the time the pregame show started, we took a lot of photos as a section, did a lot of chanting, and chilled. For the weekday practice sessions, a lot of us get to the stadium early to unload trucks and unpack instruments, and that was our time to crack jokes and mess around.
What was the experience of performing in the Macys Day Parade like for the Marching Scarlet Knights? As we all know, it is one of the most iconic parades worldwide and in the US, with thousands of people watching live and millions more on television each year.
There were several things that we had to keep in mind while in New York. Security was very stringent, so there were a lot of things we had to leave on the bus, meaning hydration would be a challenge during our performance. Other things we had to keep in mind were not to interact with the audience, and if we had to step out, we could not step back into the parade block. However, the most important thing to remember is to keep on performing no matter what happens.
After the bus ride to NYC, we did a few dry runs of the static performance near Macys Herald Square to familiarize ourselves with the environment. After that, we rode our bus to breakfast and rode our bus to near Central Park, where we unpacked instruments and headed to where we would start our parade. Once we got there, we waited for a couple of hours and watched other performers pass by. Eventually, it was our turn to start marching, and from this point on, it was time to focus on marching in time and playing the tunes, and no matter how sore our feet were or how tired we were, we made sure to only keep those two simple things in mind to last this marathon of a parade.
We were unfazed by the audience because during practice, simulated cheering was blasted from loudspeakers to train us on not getting distracted, and when the real deal came, the cheering was not as loud as I expected, meaning that we were well prepared for the parade. When we make a turn or if there is a bumpy surface, it is as simple as looking at the people in front as they turn or show hand signals. Towards the end of the parade, it was time for our static performance.
There was a hiccup transitioning into the static performance, where some started playing a couple of beats late, but we were able to quickly recover so that nobody in the audience found anything fishy, and after that, the directors praised us for being able to recover strongly despite the initial hiccups. We then waited to take band photos in front of Moynihan Hall, and while we were waiting, we were able to watch another band perform a tune while it was their turn for photos. After we took our photos, we packed up, loaded our buses, and went to get a huge Thanksgiving lunch together.
There, I found out that one member of our section had to step out of the parade, and a photo circulated around our group chat where he was walking outside of the band, and a staff member carried the heavy instrument for him. This goes to show how grueling this parade could be.
After that, it was time for our bus ride back to campus. A lot of us napped on the bus because of how little we slept the night before and how much energy was required to perform in a parade significantly longer than most of the parades that the MSK has previously done. Despite all the challenges and concerns that came along the way, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to remember.
Going to the Pinstripe Bowl against Miami must have been another incredible experience, particularly being so close to home. What was the bowl game experience at Yankee Stadium like as a band member, and what did it feel like watching Rutgers take down the Hurricanes to complete a successful season?
Aside from being in a different environment, the drill is not too different than a normal game. Given that we did perform for pre-game, the only challenge was navigating between the field and our section of the stands, but luckily, it wasnt too much of a challenge since the Yankees staff and MSK staff helped us navigate. We were a lot higher up in the stands than normal, so we made sure to play even louder than we normally would, and we knew that we were high up in the stands when the other band that performed for halftime did not sound as loud as we expected. One interesting thing that happened is that towards the end of the game, word got around that Joshua Block (AKA @worldoftshirts on TikTok and Instagram) was somewhere in the stadium watching the game, and after Rutgers won, a video he posted of him cheering for our team was circulating on Instagram.
What were the most memorable moments for you and the band during London Band Week? Between parades, playing at iconic venues, and sightseeing around London, the MSK must have had the journey of a lifetime.
Not only did I enjoy reconnecting with MSK students and alumni, but I also got to meet some really cool liaison officers who are from the UK, as well as people from Daytons marching band. Our big-ticket performance there was the London Tattoo, and despite some unexpected hiccups that came our way, we were able to put on quite the show and make the directors proud. One memorable moment from London Band Week is that while touring the city with liaison officers and students from Dayton, we saw Prince William step out of a car after a liaison officer pointed out his bald head. That said, the most memorable moments outside of performing were our first evening and final evening in London, where the entire band got to have a few drinks and dance to various pop songs from the last few decades. The first evening, we were doing this in a reserved area of a bar, and on the final evening, we were on a river cruise and got to see various landmarks like Big Ben and the London Eye.
What did it mean to you to be part of the MSK, which is not only an incredible organization but also a valuable social and campus opportunity that connects so many people?
The MSK brings an opportunity to meet a lot more people from very diverse backgrounds. Contrary to what is believed about any typical marching band, music majors dont make up an overwhelming majority of MSK, but the MSK is a fairly even spread of majors. As someone who studied industrial and systems engineering, not only did I get to meet other engineering students or music students, but I also got to meet biology students, business students, communications students, and so on, and I got to gain a glimpse of what its like to pursue those types of majors while still balancing a time-consuming extracurricular.
What sets the recent editions of the MSK apart from the ones in the past? What are they doing so well that is getting them noticed and invited to these major events?
While I havent been following the MSK before 2022, one thing that I could attribute the MSKs recent success to is sheer size. During the 2023 season, we had around 350 members, and this sheer size allows for a bigger presence sonically, which is especially important when they are trying to be heard over all the cheering and from so many spectators. I would also attribute this success to directors Dr. Todd Nichols and Dr. Julia Baumaniss vision for the band, introducing a huge diversity of tunes to the library for both stand tunes and shows, from adaptations of pop songs to tunes that refer to iconic Broadway shows.
What role do you think the band plays in terms of gameday atmosphere? What goes into the preparation for each gameday?
The biggest role that we play during games is to hype up the football team from the stands. We make sure that the athletes stay energized and that they are in the mindset to be the best versions of themselves. Hours leading up to the game, we would sometimes rehearse all of the stand tunes to make sure that they sounded how the directors envisioned. However, most of our preparation is done for pre-game and halftime shows, which make the audience hyped for the football team. For a total of six hours during the weekdays, we primarily work on halftime shows so that we can internalize all of the details that differentiate the next show from the previous, and the halftime show is also the majority of what we worked on for the hours leading up to the game.
What were some of your favorite songs/shows to perform outside of the usual Rutgers-based anthems?
In terms of the music we play in the stands, my hands-down favorite tune is Swag Surfin. As a tuba player, I turn up the volume significantly for that tune, and we even get to have our own moment as a section while the rest of the band chants. Talkin Out The Side Of Your Neck is very similar to Swag Surfin in that regard, although that one is a hair tamer.
As far as shows are concerned, the most memorable show for me would be the shows from the latter half of the 2023 season themed around a British Invasion, where we performed adaptations of songs from The Beatles, Queen, and Spice Girls. Ive always thought this was an interesting contrast compared to the Broadway-themed shows from earlier in the season, and for the first few performances with the British Invasion theme, none of us knew why this theme was chosen.
However, during a Bands Of America event in late October, we were told to look at the Jumbotron in the middle of our performance, and it was a video of the band directors making a surprise announcement about the MSK getting invited to London. A lot of MSK members jumped in surprise and excitement, and when they announced that the class of 2024 was invited, I followed suit alongside the rest of the members who were in the Class of 2024.
What was your experience like as a member of the pep band performing at basketball games? Perhaps even more than football, the band is very visible and audible at every home game.
The pep band is a bit more chill. Because we dont do shows like in the MSK, there is not much preparation involved, aside from a couple of rehearsals in September and showing up an hour and 15 minutes before the game starts. One of the most important things that I have learned is to be engaged with the section when not performing because there have been times when members could not make a game, and we had to figure out who could substitute. During games, one thing we like to do is to chant, whether its cheering for our team or jeering at the opposite team. One big perk for the pep band is that there are travel opportunities to Big 10 tournaments. In 2024, I went to Minneapolis for a WBB tournament, and even though our team lost in the first round, I got to explore the Mall of America, which is one of the biggest icons in Minneapolis.
What has it been like participating in the alumni band post-graduation? What memories are you most fond of from your time in the MSK?
As an MSK alumni, the big annual event for us would be showing up to the homecoming game and performing with the MSK alumni, and compared to the regular MSK, the vibes are a lot more relaxed. During pre-game and half-time, we would play some of the tunes on one of the sidelines, and while on the stands, we are welcome to play some of the stand-tunes. We mostly chill and chat with each other, especially when its a new stand-tune from after our graduation.
My favorite time in the MSK was during the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade, because it was my first time participating in such a big event with the MSK. Even compared to London Band Week, the Macys parade was an event that we prepared the most for, and that translated into a lot of hype for the event. When we had breakfast before the parade and lunch after, we were chatting quite a lot, and that shows how big this event was going to be for the MSK.
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