Football season has passed, but that doesn't mean it is off-season for members of UT's Pride of the Southland Marching Band. What spectators see at Neyland Stadium is just one part of life for the members of "Pride," as it is known by band members. There is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes that members have to balance in their everyday lives, on and off-season.

Most spectators could hypothesize the amount of hours it takes to prepare for a gameday performance, and many would not be surprised to hear that more than nine hours per week go into a single Saturday performance. What most people don't realize is that the marching band is not their sole musical commitment. In addition to the marching band, members may perform with up to five additional groups.

Playing with the band is having the opportunity to carry on the tradition of the program from year to year.
Kristin Arp, assistant drum major and junior in instrumental music education

Kristin Arp, assistant drum major and a junior in instrumental music education, comments, "In the fall, I'm involved with the marching band, the Volleyball Pep Band, the UT Wind Ensemble, the UT Trumpet Ensemble, and I also have a quintet that I play in called Horizon Brass. In the spring, marching band and Volleyball Pep Band are replaced with the Lady Vols Basketball Pep Band."

This can result in more than two hours of daily practice outside of marching band, according to Arp. On top of that, each performance group will have extra practice immediately before an event.

This may not seem unusual for those who have dedicated their college careers to music, but many members of the marching band are not music majors, including drum major Ben Farr, a senior in nuclear engineering. These commitments in combination with a full load of classes can be very difficult to manage.

"It is definitely a challenge that every band member is willing to take. Managing your time between classes, rehearsals, and studying drills and music can certainly be demanding," Farr says.

So why endure all this extra work just in order to play with the band? You may get a few different responses, but they all have one thing in common - every member is proud to play.

"Playing with the band is having the opportunity to carry on the tradition of the program from year to year," Arp says.

"We get to share with people and perform what we have been working on for weeks," Andrea Colombo, a senior trumpet performance major, says.

Chelsea Plaut, a junior in mathematics, puts in succinctly, "My favorite part is performing."

They don't call it the Pride of the Southland Band for nothing.

While each member of the band continues to work hard throughout the year, the band as a whole is currently taking a break until the Orange and White game in April.