When the Famous Maroon Band takes the field for opening day of the 2009 football season, their role will be much broader than just providing background music as the teams fight it out.
Director of bands Elva Kaye Lance said she sees her role and that of the band as playing a much bigger part in the environment and atmosphere surrounding the gridiron activity.
For seven years, the veteran musician and instructor has led the band in a two-fold mission: one, to provide a quality musical experience for the fans by performing challenging and entertaining pre-game and halftime sets and, two, to support the football team by providing a soundtrack for what is happening on the field—cued by game action to encourage and motivate the crowd.
"When we are out there, our goal is to ensure our fans are entertained from the first play to the last and that they have a first-rate experience while cheering on the Bulldogs."