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A Gameday In The Life Of The UGA Redcoat Band

by Kimberly Nogi
09/26/2007

Keep your seats everyone... the Redcoats are coming! Or, in this case, they’re already here.

It’s 8:30 on Saturday morning and the majority of University of Georgia students are still asleep while only a handful of very spirited tailgaters have arrived to campus. But the University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band is already into their second hour of practice, rehearsing for a football kick-off that is almost 10 hours away.

For most UGA students, the typical game day consists of sleeping in, tailgating, relaxing, and enjoying other pre-game activities. However, for their peers in the Redcoat Band, Saturday means a carefully planned schedule that will last well into the evening. “We start early and end late,” says fifth year senior music education major Josh Luke, “but it’s definitely worth it.”

Every Saturday morning begins with a catered breakfast from Chick-Fil-A and an early morning rehearsal as the band diligently practices for multiple hours in order to put the finishing touches on that week’s halftime performance, pre-game show, and rehearse a famous fan favorite - the “Spell Georgia” cheer. While these rehearsals mean waking up early for what promises to be a long day, band members agree that the morning practice is essential to a successful gameday.

After a few short hours of free time, which most Redcoats use to take a quick nap, the true pre-game festivities begin. For some band members, their free time is cut short. A small group of Redcoats, known as “derbies,” play together in a smaller pep band throughout the day, often performing at various locations around campus to entertain fans, alumni, and visiting dignitaries.

The entire band reunites about two hours before kick-off for the “Dawg Walk,” where fans gather to hear the band and cheer on the football team as they enter Sanford Stadium. After the band performs “crowd control” for the players and coaches, they follow the team into the stadium to prepare for the pre-game show.

Throughout the game, the band keeps the fans engaged by playing fight songs and leading the crowd in cheers before performing a full halftime show, which changes every two weeks. When the final whistle blows and most fans head towards the exits, the band begins their final performance of the day - a special post-game selection of songs.

“In a lot of aspects, Saturdays for the band are a lot like Saturdays for the football team,” says Tom Keck, interim director of the Redcoat Band. “We both have to prepare for game day because 93,000 people have high expectations for us. The band is a really important part of the game.”

It is no secret that the band puts in long hours, often rehearsing for over ten hours a week. Yet over 400 students are selected to participate every year from the countless more that audition. There are many perks, such as the guaranteed seats for every football game, free food, interaction with the football team, recognition from Coach Mark Richt after every game, and being paid to go to the Georgia-Florida game and post-season bowl game. But are the band members missing out on the football experience of the typical UGA student?

“Not at all,” says Tasha Daniel, a freshman tenor saxophone player from Winder, GA. “I think I get more of a game day experience than any regular fan ever could! I get to be in the middle of the Dawg Walk, in the stands for every game, and on the field in front of thousands of people when most of the other fans will never get the thrill of stepping on the grass at Sanford Stadium.”

Anne Marie Stoddard, a senior from Cairo, Ga., completely agrees. “We get the student experience and more,” she says. “Our experience is better because we’re such a big part of what’s going on as opposed to being just spectators. We get more access than a normal fan would, and we definitely contribute to the excitement.”

Overall, the band members recognize what an important role they play on a Saturday game day in Athens. “A lot of people say the band should be entertaining, but we’re so much more than that,” Keck says. “We keep the fans involved in game. When we play ‘Krypton’ at the start of the fourth quarter and 93,000 pairs of hands fly into the air, we’re responsible for that. We pump up the crowd and the students. We’re part of what makes Sanford Stadium a home field advantage.”

In reflecting on her UGA Redcoat experiences, junior piccolo player Michelle Lawler feels like band members play a very important role in representing UGA by acting as model fans and portraying an excellent image of the school. “By being in the band we’re serving UGA, and when people come up to us after games to thank us and say what a good job we’ve done, that’s a good feeling. We’re giving the school a good reputation and it’s very fulfilling.”

All in all, the game day experience for the typical band member is quite a contrast from that of the average UGA student, but for the band, all of their hard work during the week pays off when it’s time for Saturday football. When reflecting on her time spent with the band this season, Daniels says, “The Redcoat experience is something that I will never forget, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”