This time of year, Farrand Field is the scene of 8-to-5s, pinwheels and the high step. The Golden Buffalo Marching Band is back for its 107th season.
Itâs a hectic few weeksâalong with 113 veterans, 97 new members are taking their first steps onto the field September 12âbut Director Matthew Roeder says he wouldnât trade it for the world.
âThe opening of the semester and football season is a very exciting time of year,â he says. âEveryone is showing their school spirit and sharing in our traditions.â
With fresh faces in almost every squad, band camp and the early days of the semester are filled with fundamentalsâlearning pre-game, mastering the fight song, memorizing stand musicâbut Roeder says once the band gets into the heart of the season, things really start cooking on the field.
âWeâre doing three different halftime shows this season. The âEvolution of Funkâ will feature music by Blood, Sweat and Tears and Bruno Mars.
âThen, during Homecoming and Family Weekend, weâll bring everyone âback to Boulderâ in a sense. The âColorado Throwbackâ show will include John Denverâs âRocky Mountain Highâ and a song by Coloradoâs own One Republic.
âFinally weâll perform a few of Earth, Wind and Fireâs most popular songs. A member of the group, Phil Bailey, is a CU graduate.â
Leading the band this year are three veteran drum majors, Floyd Pierce, Eric Badovinatz and Evan FernĂĄndez. In his third year in the field directorâs uniform, FernĂĄndez says even now, the idea of putting on a show in front of thousands can be intimidating. âYou walk into the stadium and thereâs all these people and youâre thinking, âHoly cow!â But then the nerves settle down and you just remember that weâre there to support the Buffs, no matter what.â
Like most band members (85 percent this season), FernĂĄndez is a non-music major. But he says his time spent with his band mates has enriched his history and Spanish studies. âAs a history major, itâs neat for me to know that our band has been playing for more than 100 years. So we have just as storied of a history as any other band in the country,â he says.
Also a non-major and veteran band member, clarinet section leader Natalie Robertson says band practice is her releaseâa time to replenish among others like her to whom music is important. âItâs a time when I take a break from chemistry class and biology class, and I come here and do what I love.â
Indeed, FernĂĄndez says a deep love of music is what unites the diverse members of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band. âWe have so many people from all around the world, all around the country, different majors, different backgroundsâcoming together, united by music,â he says.
âThe marching band is truly representative of the entire CU-Boulder student body,â says Roeder. âNon-music majors help make the group well-rounded. But our music majors are also crucial to our success. Their expertise on their instruments and their love for music bring the performance and spirit of the band to a high level.â
This year, as every year, the band will keep its four-word mantra close at hand. Tradition, heartbeat, spirit and pride. For biochemistry major Robertson, the spirit and pride are palpable. âThe best part of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band is the school spirit. Anytime, anywhere, if someone starts clapping we sing the fight song.
âIn high school, bandâs really more about pride in the band. Here, itâs about pride in CU,â she says.
FernĂĄndez, meanwhile, has one big goal for his final year at the helm. âWin or lose, rain or shine, weâre there ⊠weâre the heartbeat of the stadium.â
Donât miss the Golden Buffalo Marching Bandâs first performance at the Pearl Street Stampede, Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m., and every at Folsom Field.