Mason Galemore
Contributing Writer
mgalemore@murraystate.edu
Racer Band has persisted through unparalleled challenges caused by COVID-19, and they ended this semester with a first and final performance.
The Friends and Family Performance took place this past Saturday, Oct. 24, at Roy Stewart Stadium in the drizzling rain with the company of a socially distanced and masked audience, as well as viewers through the livestream.
Director of University bands Trae Blanco, who livestreamed the event, said the performance was fantastic and emotions were high.
“I think if you look on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll see many pictures of students crying, celebrating and so grateful for the opportunity to showcase their work and talents,” Blanco said. “I saw each of the drum majors cry, several of the seniors and it was hard to hold back tears knowing the amount of obstacles the students had overcome to get to this point.”
Carrying a tradition of nearly 20 years, the band opened with A Space Odyssey’s “2001.” The Racer Band couldn’t complete the performance without playing the Halloween favorite Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” another tradition of many years. They ended the show with the Murray State Fight Song.
Katie Zheng, senior music education major and trumpet section leader, said it was an incredible experience to perform with the Racer Band for their close family and friends, especially considering the challenges that COVID-19 created.
Zheng said she met some of her closest friends and mentors through Racer Band.
“Since this was my senior year and fourth and final season, it was very special to get to perform one last time to close out my time at Murray State,” Zheng said. “The very first experience I had at Murray State was my freshman year at band camp the week before classes started, I moved into my dorm early and was thrown into the unknown with people I’d never met and in a new place, but the Racer Band immediately provided a sense of family and comfort and helped ease the transition into college life.”
Zheng said Racer Band Halloween is a longstanding tradition that is typically done for Homecoming. Since this Homecoming will be held virtually, the Racer Band performed “Thriller” in costumes on Friday night for a video recording that will be released during the virtual Homecoming celebration.
Blanco said this fall was wildly unique, but the Racer Band was prepared for it because of the great leadership that has been building over the last 20 years. Now, Blanco said the student leaders have helped others to continue being wonderful leaders.
“The community loves Racer Band, and we are grateful to be such an integral part of the fabric of Murray,” Blanco said. “Our students worked exceptionally hard and are certainly the model citizens of safety and following guidelines set by the Racer Restart Initiative. I’m very proud of their work, their performance and the leadership of the organization for making the season possible.”