Enter The Pep Band
“From the top,” Mr. Gollub, the director, says as the band members raise their instruments and prepare for another round of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir. For the past month and a half, Mr. Gollub has been putting together a program for kids who are in band to be a part of sportsmanship. The new Pep Band meets Tuesdays activity period, and accepts all people who can play instruments, whether they are in a band or not.
A pep band is similar to a marching band. They provide music for major sporting events, but play in the stands rather than on the field. Pep bands are made up of a wide assortment of instruments, and the director welcomes all instruments. As of late, there have been mostly saxophones and percussion pieces.
In regards to what the pep band will look like, Mr. Gollub said, “It is my goal that when we have an athletic event either at home or away, we have some representation in the stands that generates excitement. I would like a drum line of 8 or more and at least 15 wind players consisting of sax, trumpet, flute, trombone and any other that [somebody] is excited to play.” He also voiced his goal of having the pep band ready to play during the winter sports season and at the HHS Winter Carnival. He added, “So far there is a solid group and we are slowly but surely growing. We are playing AC/DC, Beyonce, Van Halen, Katy Perry, and Michael Jackson just to name a few.” And his words for anybody interested in the pep band: “Join us – it’s going to be great.”
While this year’s pep band is still relatively new, the lack of members could be a problem for a band that requires a lot of energy and sound. And while it is disappointing to see such low turnout, this is not a new concept, nor is it new to lack support. When asked to comment, Mr. Murphy, a history teacher and a staff member of Hanover for many decades, said, “There have been attempts to resurrect it in the past, but none of them have been successful.” Mr. Gollub acknowledged this fact as well before saying, “It’s never good when the visiting team brings a pep band to play in our stands and we have nothing at all. We’ve got great musicians and great athletes at our school – let’s share in the spirit and support our teams with some music.” Therefore, it is up to the musicians of Hanover High to determine whether or not they want to see this pep band make it.
