The renowned Racer Band is making the most of a challenging semester. With football season canceled and performances on pause, the band has had to find ways to safely perform while maintaining the charisma that Murray State loves.
Brent Johnson, director of athletic bands and associate director of bands, said the Racer Band will have one performance on Oct. 10 for friends and family called the “Friends and Family Performance.” This will give students credits for their courses, allow the community to support the band and give students an opportunity to do what they love: entertain. The event will be livestreamed to incorporate family and friends not in Murray.
Katie Zheng, senior music education major and trumpet section leader, said they rehearse 2-4 times a week with each section of the band rotating in small groups. For example, the individual brass and woodwind sectionals meet on Mondays and are further split up by each instrument section.
Zheng said the band has been micro-organized and careful about the standards needing to be followed to maintain the students’ health and safety.
“With the rehearsal schedules being shortened and not having as many performances, it has definitely been a different experience for us all but the work we’ve done has been nothing short of rewarding,” Zheng said.
Under normal circumstances, the Racer Band rehearses four times a week with all 200+ students at each practice. This year, rehearsals are being staggered to reduce the number of students on the field at a time, and the band only meets up with all members each Friday.
Johnson said each student is required to wear masks at all times. The instruments where players use their mouths, like brass and woodwinds, remove their masks only to play. Johnson had to write the formation of the performance number in a way that kept students at a minimum of 6 feet apart. Each section is also assigned to a specific part of the stadium to transition through rehearsals.
“I am not going to say it hasn’t been tough adapting to these new procedures,” Johnson said. “An immense amount of preparation, investigation and study has gone into every detail of what we do. But, the most inspiring part is the commitment of the students to follow the rules and safety protocols so they are able to participate in this activity that they love so much.”
Johnson said he is fortunate that their activities take place outside, which allows for appropriate distancing and dispersal of air to protect the students.
“It is amazing to see them out there working hard to put together a show for only one performance,” Johnson. “The character that is being demonstrated by these wonderful students is first-rate.”
Johnson said it takes a tremendous amount of work to learn a show, so it is apparent how the students love what they do, and they’ll do what must be done for a chance of performing despite the circumstances.
Johnson, who became director in December 2019, said it can be difficult for students to adjust to new leadership and throwing a worldwide pandemic in the mix made it even more challenging.
“After all the disappointments 2020 has brought, I do feel like having this abbreviated season of Racer Band is providing our students with a dose of positivity and rejuvenation that we have all been craving for months,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t be prouder of their resilience and determination.”
The Racer Band also hosts the Festival of Champions, a high school marching band competition, where they perform for several hundred high school students, and this event was canceled as well.
Allison Grace, senior music education major, plays the flute and is the vice president of Racer Band. Grace said she and the other student officers have been given tasks by Johnson and director of university bands Trae Blanco to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Grace said the students’ health and safety are Johnson and Blanco’s main priority, which is very comforting for her.
“My section specifically spaces out during sectional times where we are all 6 feet apart and wear masks during all transitions and non-playing times,” Grace said. “We also ensure that we are sanitizing our hands between each activity. We each have our own stand and music binder so we don’t have to share with anyone else like we have done in the past. All of the stands are then sanitized after rehearsal so they are ready for the next use.”
Grace said these adjustments have kept everyone safe and have worked out well so far.
“Even though this year for Racer Band looks different, I still think it’s going to be an amazing season,” Grace said. “Racer Band has the most passionate set of members and we are all so excited to be back together and making music again safely. I really believe that the 2020 version of Racer Band is going to be one of the best yet.”
Blanco said the Racer Band is taking this time to work toward excellence in performance while ensuring everyone is properly following COVID-19 guidelines. The band, Blanco said, is striving to accomplish the DNA of the organization: community engagement, excellence in musical achievement and commitment to members’ development in both skill and community friendships.
“Perhaps the most challenging task at hand for us is maintaining the energy and drive without the opportunity for weekly performances for the public,” Blanco said. “Our students love to give back to the community with their time and talents. Since we are unable to have those opportunities at local high school band festivals, football games and our own Festival of Champions, we are having to be creative in the way we push them towards excellence and create ‘performances’ that make them happy.”
Blanco said one of the ways they engaged students and the community was through a Facebook live performance last week, which has gotten over 12,000 views. Even more, a company based in Texas is creating a video and audio recording of the Murray State fight song with a special appearance from Racer One as another form of engagement.
“These activities, although they seem small, will help us continue to create student engagement and excitement, and with that fulfillment we hope to keep their energy going towards the big October performance,” Blanco said.
Blanco, who has worked at four institutions and has guest lectured with marching band leadership programs at universities across the country, said Murray State music students are exceptional. The student leaders of Racer Band, Blanco said, were supportive and committed to providing a safe experience this band season no matter the conditions.
“Our student leadership arrives early, moves things safely and maintains distance, they stay late and spray and sanitize music stands, they’ve organized events to create the social experience with the band while following all the guidelines for distancing, and they do it all without any praise or thanks,” Blanco said.
Although the students might need reminders from time to time, Blanco said all the band members are committed to achieving a safe season with a musical reward. For many students, music isn’t just their hobby but who they are, Blanco said.
“I’m very proud of them and all our ensemble student participants this year,” Blanco said. “Being back in an ensemble for them is having the connection they’ve longed for since March. We can’t hug or hold hands, but the notes that resonate together in a group are our connection now, and they are powerful.”
On Thursday, Sept. 3, the Racer Band is doing a small performance before the movie night showing of Frozen II at Roy Stewart Stadium.