We’ve all seen the video of UNC's pep band breaking it down at the PNC Arena Saturday at the Providence game.
Within a few hours, we were everywhere. CBS Sports, Fox Sports, USA Today — all that good stuff. Being a band kid was fun this weekend. It’s always been fun — even before we skyrocketed into butt-smacking fame. Here’s why:
1. The games, of course!
I’m a junior transfer, so this is my first year at UNC. I hadn’t been to an “athletic” school before this one, so going to every football and men’s basketball game was a fantastic opportunity to experience real, collegiate sports.
I could have gone to games whether or not I was in band, of course, but I would have had to get tickets, find a seat, find friends to go with and all of that. In the band section, we always have the same seats with the same people. And we don’t have to stress about the lottery system for basketball, ever; thank gosh. I showed up an hour before the Duke game this year and got a great seat. :)
2. Travel!
Whenever our teams travel, we do too! We have little bands that travel with the basketball team during tournament time, and I’m super jealous (a couple groups of 30 doesn’t encompass all 250 of us.)
During football season, we all travel. This year when the football team scored a spot at the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando, we all had a grueling 13-hour bus ride to Florida.
But we got a free day at Disney and awesome hotels, so it was sooooo worth it.
3. Free stuff!
OK, this one is kind of an asterisk because all varsity sports get gear like this. But whatever, I wouldn’t be able to afford any of this otherwise. Thanks, band!
4. Marching season!
Marching band shows are super fun. I miss having band rehearsal twice a week, though some of us found them kind of exhausting…
She’s fine. No, really, she’s fine.
5. Meeting other bands!
We performed with NC A&T and it was pretty cool! Check it out:
6. Being a part of game day!
Would game day be the same without the band, dance team or cheerleaders? Probably not. We’re a part of the whole spectacle. The football team takes the field through a tunnel of us. We start cheers and the “Tar Heels” chant. When we march to the stadium from Wilson Library and play the fight song as the basketball team runs onto the court we’re not just the Pride of the ACC — we’re a part of UNC. We make Carolina game days Carolina game days. And I wouldn’t replace this experience with anything.
Here’s some of our members talking about their experience in band:
The Marching Tar Heels – Join Us from Hannah Macie on Vimeo.
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