Bailey Thompson | News Editor
Dynamic halftime performances, crowds singing along to the fight song and football games infused with the energy of much larger schools: these are things that Ben Protheroe, director of athletic bands, dreams of for the future of Western’s Athletic Band.
Although having a band is not something that is new for Western, the current aspirations of the group extends beyond anything that the Western Athletic Band has attempted in recent years.
“The Athletic Band has been around in some capacity for a long time. They used to have a marching band back in the ‘80s… it was a pretty big deal back then, and I’m not sure why it fizzled out,” said Protheroe.
Even though it can be challenging for the band to recruit at times since Western has a small Music Department and music majors aren’t required to participate, Protheroe still sees it as a valuable opportunity for many students as well as positive advertising for the program.
“An athletic band is a really good marketing tool for both the music department and the school,” said Protheroe. “When a lot of people look to where they want to go to school, especially if they have been involved with music, being in a marching band can be a big part of it.”
With this thought, he was even able to confirm with a student in the room that she was very close to not coming to Western initially because there used to not be a marching band. Over the span of this year, though, that has begun to change dramatically.
“We started the year with 10 members, which has been the norm for the past five years,” said Protheroe. “And at our biggest this year we hit 34 winds. If you add the drumline to that, it adds another 15.”
This determined group takes their work very seriously and takes pride in their work, but Protheroe shared that they also like to have fun in the process.
“Most everybody has gotten a nickname, and nobody goes by their real names for the most part,” said Protheroe. “And it’s usually something silly.”
Currently, the band only practices once a week for two hours on Sunday nights, but Protheroe explained that this could change in the future if the band continues to expand and take on more group commitments, like local parades or sporting event performances.
Protheroe also shared that it is not required that anyone audition for the band, only for those students who are applying for one of the 10 scholarships that are offered to band members.
“We’ll find a place for you. If you don’t know how to play something, we’ll find a place for you,” said Protheroe, reinforcing the idea that anyone can be involved if they have the desire to.
If students would like to learn more about the band, they can contact Protheroe at protheroeb@wou.edu.
Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu
Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton
