USU’s pep band adds another level of excitement to games

The stadium is filled with energy. The teams are playing, the fans are cheering, the spirit squad is dancing, and driving all that excitement and activity is the pep band.

“What the pep band does with the team is we play tunes from this day and age and we rock, I guess,” said Gordon Fjeldsted, a senior in computer science and the pep band’s drummer, “And we’re just there to add another atmosphere to the Spectrum or to Utah State that not many people are able to add.”

Getting everyone energized and psyched for the games is what puts the “pep” in pep band, said Clifford Tam, a senior in clarinet performance.

“When we make a goal, we play. When we enter time-outs, we play, you know,” he said. “It’s great.”

In addition to playing music during time-outs and goals, the band leads the students in the school fight song, “The Scotsman.”

Sometimes they end up interjecting over the student section’s cheers, Fjeldsted said.

“It’s not our fault; it’s the director. He says we have to play the fight song,” he said. “And also it’s still not our fault because, like, there’s people over the headset saying go do this, go do that.”

The pep band’s songs and cheers are arranged to get the crowd involved and excited, said Haley Cornwell, an undecided freshman who plays the trumpet. She said getting the crowd cheering to the music adds an atmosphere that pumps up the team and gets them excited to go out on the court and do their best.

“I think it definitely encourages them,” said Hannah Jones, a senior in music education, student conductor and piccolo player. “You know, as a musician, when somebody cheers me on, I definitely play better, so I assume it’s the same for a sports team. I think that’s why they drag us around.”

The pep band traveled to Las Vegas during spring break for the Mountain West tournament.

When the Aggies weren’t playing on the court, the pep band had free rein to explore Las Vegas, Fjeldsted said, but because a majority of the band members are Mormon or under the age of 21, their options were somewhat limited.

“So for some of the band members, they’ve gone to M&M world, they’ve gone to Coke World, they’ve ridden the roller coaster around the New York, New York,” he said.

Fjeldsted went with a group of friends to the Paris Hotel one night for dinner, he said.

“It’s kind of interesting to see the culture of Las Vegas, this part of it at least,” Cornwell said.

Playing at the tournament is different than playing for the Spectrum due to the difference in the number of fans, Cornwell said. When fewer people are in the stands cheering, the effect isn’t as powerful as it is when the entire student section of the Spectrum is filled.

“Honestly, I wish we had a better turnout every year,” Jones said, “but it’s always cool to see the Hurd that does come.”

The combination of the Hurd, or student section, and pep band at homes games creates an effect known as the Spectrum magic, Fjeldsted said.

“It’s hard to describe the Spectrum magic the Hurd can bring,” he said. “They’re just there berating the other team. They just completely destroy them morally in so many ways, and then the band is there for everyone else to add this atmosphere of, ‘We’re here to play music and we’re here to make sure everyone has a good time.’”

Hanging out together, traveling with the team, going to games and playing the instruments is what’s most rewarding about being part of the pep squad, Tam said.

“Most people think it’s a lot of hard work, but there’s just so much to do and it’s actually a lot more fun than you would think,” Fjeldsted said, “You get perfect seats for the Spectrum, you get the benefits of going to the basketball game tournaments.”

Working closely with the spirit squad and bringing pep to the fans is what makes the band so fun, Cornwell said.

“The directors, the cheer squad the team – just one big family,” Tam said. “The fact that we’re all there for each other kind of speaks for itself.”

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