- [Narrator] This program has been made possible in part by the support of Clara Pat Lamade Robison.

Additional support has been provided by the Pennsylvania Public Television Network.

The network receives funding from the Commonwealth to provide public television to all Pennsylvanians, by the Penn State Alumni Association, informing, involving, and inspiring Penn State alumni and friends worldwide through programs, events and communications, by the members of the Penn State Alumni Blue Band Association, and by viewers like you.

Thank you.

- [Drum Major] Left, right, one, two, three!

(steady marching band music) (drumbeat rolling) - [Band Alumnus] Penn State Blue Band is one of the best college marching bands in the country.

- Whether you're an instrumentalist or a baton twirler, it's not easy to be part of that band.

- My name is Jeremy Railing.

I'm from Carlisle.

- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

- Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

- And I play the mellophone.

- I play the clarinet, and my dream is to be in the Blue Band.

- I really wanna be in the Blue Band.

- And I wanna be in the Blue Band.

(upbeat marching band music) - In high school, you are 100% a band geek.

But when you get to college, it's not, "Oh, you're not a band geek."

It's, "Wow, they're a member of the Blue Band.

That's so cool.

How do you do what you do?"

- It is the ultimate prize to march at Beaver Stadium and have 100,000 people erupt.

(dramatic music) - [Crowd] We are Penn State!

(audience cheering) - My name is Eleanor Graham.

I play trombone.

I'm from Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, and I want to be in the Blue Band.

(catchy acoustic music) Is it the same one that was in, I never really had to make a decision that I wanted to be in the Blue Band because my mom and dad actually met in the Blue Band.

I guess that's how they formed their relationship and eventually got married and had me.

(trombone playing) - [Bep] We've encouraged her throughout the years to join the Blue Band, so that she has the same experiences we did, to have this huge family of friends.

- Just having her experience that with us and seeing that it was fun for us, a couple of old folks can have fun.

And I think she got the idea.

(Bep laughing) And we bought a really big whip too.

(Bep laughing) - Since she was small, she would go out, especially at Homecoming, and she would be on the sidelines while the Alumni Band was rehearsing.

She was always out there and she just has grown to love it as much as her mom and her dad.

(trombone playing) (upbeat acoustic music) - [Carrie] Well, she's always set goals for herself.

- Yeah.

- And this is one of the goals that she has dreamed for years, I mean, since first or second grade.

(mellophone playing) - Well, my parents actually graduated from Ohio State University and they support me going to Penn State because they know that, I mean it is a good school.

I mean it's not the best school, you know, that they think, but it is a pretty good school and they do support me, although they probably secretly wish that I would be marching in their band.

- If she makes it, that would be super.

I mean, you know, that would be great.

- Well, we love to tease her.

- Yeah.

- And tell her that she's doing the second best band in the land.

- Their motto is the best darn band in the land, but I always joke with them.

They can be the best band in their land, but once they cross that state line, they're not the best band anymore.

(slow music) - In 11th grade, it's when the questions really start, like what do you wanna do after high school and everything?

And of course, the first thing out of my mouth is, "I'm going to be in the Blue Band."

And they are like, "Don't you mean you're going to audition for the Blue Band?"

I'm like, "No.

I'm going to be in the Blue Band."

I'm like, "I'm not taking no for an answer.

I can't."

- Should I take my music, Casey Thompson?

- You should take anything you need to practice.

- Okay.

- All my friends are in band.

I've made pretty much all of my friendships through the band, whether concert band or marching band, and if it wasn't for band, I would have no friends.

- Music is pretty much my life.

Everything I've done has been related to music.

I've been in my school musicals.

I've been in the band, pretty much every band my school offered I was in.

(crowd cheering) - [Announcer] Our next senior is Eleanor Graham.

(crowd cheering) - [Eleanor] I've pretty much been immersed in music forever, and I hope it continues later in life.

- [Announcer] Has received her silver award.

(steady marching band music) - When she found out that I was in the Blue Band, she was just like, "Well, what's it like?

What's it like?"

Well, it's nothing like what you're used to here in Lewistown.

(slow marching band music) The fact that she has wanted for so long to be in the band, there's no doubt in my mind that, on the first game this fall, I'm going to see her coming through the tunnel.

(mellophone playing) (drumbeat rolling) - Casey fell in love with marching band after she saw the Blue Band first perform.

As we were watching the band, I was peeking out of the corner of my eye, just watching her smile, and I could almost see the dream in her eyes.

(audience cheering) After that, that was it.

That was the ticket right there.

(upbeat marching band music) - When I watch them, what I feel, it makes my heart pound.

You hear the bass drum but you think it's your own heart and it's, that's what it is.

- She's always wanted to be in the Blue Band, and I'd say, it's tough.

You have to be good.

You can't just get in there on average skills.

So, she'd work extra hard and she'd practice and make sure she had the best form she could possibly.

(clarinet playing) - [Roy] I think she has a sense that she's going to make it but she also has the sense of, what's going to happen if I don't?

- Let's go, Rams!

- [Roy] So, she's a little bit scared, a little bit edgy right now but she won't show it but I can see it in her face.

(drumbeat rolling) - I'm scared, because if I don't make it, the dream's kind of gone.

Excited too, because it's my dream.

If I make it, it's going to be like the best time in my life.

I know it.

(upbeat marching band music) - The Blue Band is hard work.

The music is the main thing, as far as I'm concerned, because anybody who really enjoys, wants to play, and wants to play with a really good group and that's what the Blue Band is all about.

And I think part of it is the great leaders that the Blue Band has had over the years and they make you feel like you're really doing something important.

- I think the longevity of directors points to this being a great place to be and the idea of being part of that tradition and helping to build that tradition is evident in the fact that folks have been with the band and stayed with the band in directing capacities for a significant number of years.

(slow marching band music) - And they always say that Penn State has the greatest show in college football, and I really can't blame them.

Having seen all the different stadiums, we do have an awesome stadium, awesome fans, and an awesome Blue Band.

(upbeat marching band music) - I first realized I wanted to be a member of the Blue Band when I was 12 in the stadium at Homecoming with my father.

We watched the Blue Band perform, and just watching the power of the Blue Band block coming out, I looked at my dad that day and I said, "I want to come to Penn State someday and do that.

That would be amazing."

(slow music) - I really, really want to be in Blue Band.

I mean, I don't know how to describe it, how much it would mean to me to be in it.

It'd be awesome to put on the uniform, march out on that field in front of 110,000 screaming fans.

My brother's actually in the Blue Band right now.

He'll be the president this year and seeing him play his trumpet and really enjoy what he does really pushed me to do that with trombone.

- Well, this year is pretty special, because my brother is trying out for the band, so I'm looking forward to maybe having both of us out here for the games.

I know our parents, our family are going to be really excited for that if that happens.

His first year, my last year.

To have that together and kind of pass the torch, so to speak, to him, for his tenure here would be pretty special.

- One, two, three, four.

(drumbeat rolling) (upbeat marching band music) - Bryan's very dedicated to his studies, whether it be music or otherwise.

He's the kid everybody wants in their program.

He's gone from being just an average freshman to really buying into music and buying into marching band especially and just taking off with it and now he's one of our premiere players.

(drumbeat rolling) - After a while, playing, just playing more and more and getting better and better, I was like, "Hey, this is really cool."

You know?

I can get better by practicing.

Who knew?

But it was really fun after a while, just practicing, playing, getting better, learning new stuff, playing with other people.

(drumbeat rolling) - I like playing the trumpet because wind instruments are one of the most expressive types of instruments, and quite frankly, I like being one of the loudest ones in the band.

(upbeat marching band music) It's always a challenge trying to play higher and faster.

The Blue Band combines my two loves basically, music and football.

It gets you into the football games for free.

(audience cheering) I am incredibly nervous.

I couldn't get season tickets.

So, that is a big thing for me.

I have to see some football while I'm up there.

- Use your air.

Use your support.

Breathe through and play.

Boy, I can't wait until hopefully he makes it.

I really look forward to Homecoming this year, so that I can stand next to him on the field at post game and play along beside him while he is wearing the uniform and I'm wearing the alumni jacket.

But that's what I'm looking forward to.

(drumbeat rolling) - [Bryan] This summer, I've been practicing a lot, everyday for a couple of hours and I have drum lessons.

- So on the third one, the third time, - Practicing a lot is the main thing that I'm doing to get ready for the audition.

- My parents both, they want to go, they're obviously going to go to the games next year no matter what because my brother will be a senior.

But they tell me over and over again how much it would mean to them if we were both in it in the same year.

That alone makes we really want to keep pushing myself to really get better.

(trombone playing) But it would be a really big blow to me if I didn't make it because of all the work I've put in.

(upbeat marching band music) - The tradition of the drum major at Penn State is pretty much set in stone.

I mean, Jeff Robertson started that in 1972 with the flip.

(upbeat marching band music) And I felt like I was not only carrying the tradition today but I was representing every drum major that carried that suit every year prior to me.

(bright music) - My name is Matt Sabo.

I'm from Delmont, Pennsylvania and I am the new Penn State Blue Band drum major.

- It's a terrific honor.

It's the first time we've ever had a student move on from here to be a drum major at a Big Ten school.

I think the students are excited for Matt.

Most of these kids know him very well actually and he's established quite a reputation here.

- That's a really good cue!

- [Kevin] The kids admire him, respect him.

He earned that respect while he was here.

- Will you show us the flip?

- Yeah, do it!

- Do the flip!

- Do it.

- Yeah.

- The flip is over a 30 year tradition and it's required by all Penn State drum majors.

The band will line up in what is called a fanfare block.

The drum major will strut through the band and perform a traditional front flip on the 50 yard line and the history is that, if he makes it, then Penn State is off on a road to victory and if he doesn't make it, then we are looking at a hard season.

(audience cheering) - Yeah.

- In the two years that I was drum major, I missed one flip and we lost against Pitt and some people came up to me and said I cost them the game.

- I don't know, like, he's running and all of a sudden he flips and it's just amazing.

- (laughs) It's just the best thing in the world, pretty much.

- It is.

- Yeah.

- He's under more pressure than anybody.

- I think, probably.

- He's going to have 110,000 people watching.

- I think, - He's got to make that jump.

If he makes it, the season's great.

The people love him, and he's going to have a good year.

- I think Joe Pa sat hi down like he does his teams and say, you know, "Keep your head about you.

Go out, play hard and have a good time."

(slow music) - Well, when I see the drum major come out, it just gives me chills.

I think this is great.

I'm very, very proud of him.

And I know his mom and dad are too because we've talked about it.

I've told a few of my customers that the young man comes in here that's a drum major and they can't believe it either.

Little town of Delmont?

You know, we're not used to that.

- The kids at school used to make fun of me for being in the band.

They'd call like like a band geek.

- Band nerds.

- I'm a very big band geek.

- Yeah, I guess so.

I'm involved with a lot of it, a lot of musical stuff, but I'm not really a fan of the classifications.

- [Casey] It's just who I am.

I'm a band geek and I'll be the first one to admit it.

I enjoy it and that's where my friends are and that's where I've really become who I am.

- But as soon as you say to somebody that you were in the Blue Band, they seem to know that's it's actually a pretty cool group of people.

We're really good at what we do.

We have fun while we do it, and we put on a good show.

We represent Penn State and there are a lot of people who wish that they could do that in the same way.

- There are not many opportunities for a high school musician to play for over 100,000 people.

It is the ultimate prize to march at Beaver Stadium and go out onto that field and have 100,000 people erupt.

(crowd cheering) Until you do it, you don't know.

Until it happens, you don't know.

(chiming music) - I was three years old when I started to be a majorette.

And I learned because my mom was a majorette advisor and I kind of grew up around that my whole entire life.

The first time that I really remember the Blue Band was actually at my aunt's house and I was downstairs in their basement and they just had it covered in Penn State stuff and she was talking to me and she said, "You know you could be one of those majorettes some day."

And it was just kind of like a, "Oh no, I could never do that."

I was only about five, so I wasn't that good of a twirler then, but now I see it as kind of, well, it's just around the corner, so I could do that someday.

(chiming music) - I'm trying out for the Blue Band because I did the marching band in high school and I made a lot of great friendships that I'm going to keep for a long time and I'm going to make those same friendships in college to keep for a long time.

Two, three.

This summer, I borrowed a flag from my high school band director and I've just been practicing every now and then.

So it has to come down to me?

- Yay!

I've been helping Ashley with basics like drop spins and flutters and teaching her bits and parts of routines to help her get ready for her auditions for the Blue Band Silks.

Eight, nine, 10.

- I'm getting very nervous to audition because like, I don't really know what to expect.

So, it's kind of nerve wracking.

I do want those experience with the friendships and memories and all the hard work and stuff.

I just think it would be a lot of fun and it'd be cool to say, "Hey, I was part of the Blue Band."

(upbeat marching band music) - Watch the free hand.

- There's always the mother daughter bickering going on but when it comes down to it, she's normally the one that wins all those battles and she's always right and it's kind of great having her as my coach.

- But don't pop up and down.

- Everyone knows The Touch of Blue as winning at nationals, as being the entertainment, along with the Blue Band at the football games, and it would just be such an honor to be a part of that because everyone knows them for high standards.

(chiming music) (rooster crowing) - Well, I actually just graduated high school and I'm pretty pumped because I get to go to Penn State University at the main campus and I have my Blue Band audition and I'm pretty excited about just the whole college experience and hopefully making the band and having a great experience with that as well.

(chiming music) - Well, today's all about ushering in a new era of the Blue Band.

We get to see all these prospective rookies, all the different talents they bring to the table.

We get to find out who's going to make it, who's not going to make it.

It's very bittersweet in that regard.

It's really hard cutting kids, these kids that try really hard, but it works out in the end and we end up with a great finished product, and a week from now, we're going to be on the field.

So, we're excited.

(steady music) - I'm kind of nervous, really tired.

It's early, just excited.

I'm excited.

- Okay, what do you play?

- Trumpet.

- I play the trumpet too, excellent.

- [Steve] You're going to see people coming in, registering.

The parents are stressed out.

These kids are moving into college for the first time.

(plastic crinkles) - That's not going to stay.

- They're getting registered to audition for this band.

They don't know if they are going to make it or not.

So, it's very stressful.

- (sighs) I just signed up for an audition slot and I saw the huge line of other people, so I'm kind of getting nervous now, but I'm still excited, get to go move into my dorms.

(chiming music) - My mom and dad and I just dumped everything in my dorm room and then my parents dropped me off and said good bye and there I was with a trumpet and no idea where I was.

(mellophone playing) And the first person that I saw in the hallway was some guy warming up and I knew I wasn't even close to being as good as he was.

And I got really, really nervous.

(upbeat marching band music) - I'm pretty nervous, I mean, I play this song a lot, so I'm confident with the song, just nervous of how I'll play it and how everything is going to go but I guess we'll see.

- Yes.

- Hi, come on in.

- [Dr. Bundy] The students arrive four to five days before the remainder of the student body at Penn State and they begin the audition process at that point.

The first thing that they do is to play a music audition.

They come in and perform something for us, something that they've selected that they've prepared over the summer.

(drumbeat rolling) - Very good.

- (indistinct) was rough.

- How'd you do?

- But my solo was good.

- Do you think you did okay?

- I don't know.

I guess we'll have to see.

- The sight reading portion is really intended to see how quickly a student can look at a new piece of music and render a pretty accurate realization of that music.

We're interested in having students who can pick up that music as quickly as possible and get it up to a performance level as quickly as possible.

Casey, you ready to give it a try?

- Well, it's not going to be good, but I can try.

- Well, remember that sight reading is supposed to be difficult.

- Yeah.

I think my piece that I prepared went well but the sight reading piece, not so good.

But I did my best.

(insects buzzing) (slow music) - These are going to be the days of your lives.

These next four years or maybe five for some of you, maybe six for some of you, these are going to be the days that you will talk about and remember for a lifetime.

We have a difficult decision.

We have difficult decisions.

We are not going to be able to take everybody.

We're going to have to let go about 107 musicians.

That's a pretty nice size band in itself.

I wish you the very best of luck in the next couple days as we go through this process.

(slow music) - [Announcer] Good morning.

Good morning.

- Good morning!

- And let's go to attention.

- [Announcer] Band, 10 hut.

(group chanting) - [Group] Let's go State!

- One.

- One!

- [Dr. Bundy] We consider the high step to be our trademark style, and in this day and age, there are not that many bands, high school bands, anymore, who are performing what is called the university style or Big Ten style of marching.

So, we need to introduce that to most students right from the ground up.

- Three.

- Three!

- Four.

- Four!

- We have a very big stadium.

So, with that high step, you know, those people who are all the way in the far back row can actually see what's going on.

And it looks very energetic and it gets the crowd excited as well.

- Just make sure you keep your balance and then you'll be good.

- Yeah (laughs).

- [Dr. Bundy] A lot of students, when they initially are exposed to this, do find it very challenging and can get frustrated.

- [Announcer] From the other end.

- The high step is interesting.

My feet and my legs aren't used to doing that, so they are getting kind of tired but it's not bad.

- It's kind of hard on my toes right now, 'cause whenever I did high step in high school, we only did it for like eight yards.

So I would scrunch my toes really hard and that's really starting to hurt now.

(drumbeat rolling) (majorettes chanting) - There's basically two fundamentals for a Silk member.

The first one's the fundamentals of the flag.

Then the second piece, obviously, is the marching piece, technique with the fundamentals with the marching.

- [Group] Everybody, - One of the things we look for is consistency in the line, so that it's uniform the whole way through, so that when you see one girl next to the next one, the next one, every student is the same.

- Ready, and bounce, two, three, four.

- We just got finished with the first part of the audition and now we're going to do the portion of pregame.

- [Russell] There are a couple times you can say, "Yep, that one is probably going to be the one that's going to go," just from little mistakes that happen, mental breaks that happen, because it's competition.

They're out here to win a spot in this band.

- Five, six, seven, eight, nine.

(majorettes chanting) - [Coach] Two, three, four.

- Right now, they're learning pregame.

The portion they need to learn for auditions today is the portion that we do on the field when the band first comes out.

They need to be able to catch their tricks all at the same time as a team and do the releases of their baton at the same time, those kinds of things.

One, two, three.

All of the students are going through a period of stress right now just because what they are learning is new to them.

Even the returning girls, this is not their favorite part, because they know they could be cut today.

If somebody is better than them, they could be cut as well, so it's a little bit of stress, a little bit of anxiety, a little bit of excitement all in the same thing because they're looking past this to think, "Wow, if I make it, this is an awesome opportunity for me to be part of a group and a band in the Big Ten."

(steady marching band music) - They'd add music.

So now, not only do you have to march the Penn State way, you then had to play a song while trying to march the Penn State way.

It's hard to play and march at the same time.

I think people don't realize that.

- Whenever the marching and the music come together, that's when it's pretty exciting, and we start judging people.

We start making decisions.

(upbeat marching band music) - We just played and marched at the same time with part of the pregame show and the student helpers kind of evaluated how we were doing.

- Well, the clarinet section, we've got an awful lot of prospective new students here auditioning and we're not going to be able to take nearly all of them, so the marching could make a difference for some of them based on their playing.

- I feel really confident.

I feel like it's going to be easy almost.

- [Group] Hit.

- I think today was a lot better than yesterday.

Yeah.

Even though I'm like melting (laughs).

- I'm a little nervous about them evaluating my marching, just because of that three-quarter turn.

That's really a killer for me.

- [Announcer] Three quarters, move.

- [Group] Turn step.

(Eleanor laughing) - It's alright.

It's alright - [Announcer] Three quarters, move.

- [Group] Turn freeze.

- Wrong way.

There you go.

- Wrong way.

- Wrong way.

(Eleanor moans) - You know, they might not even be the best marcher but they really are trying and they really want to be in it.

Then that's what we're looking for.

We're trying to really see the ones that, - We're just looking at all their, all the fundamentals they've learned all morning long, how they incorporate playing.

- It's not going to count - It's not much.

- For a whole ton.

- Dr. Bundy is going to have the final say in whatever is going to happen.

- Yeah.

- So this is just, he doesn't get a chance to watch everybody all day long.

So we're just going to give him a little more insight.

(trombones blaring) (slow music) - This was truly a tough audition.

The list that is posted on the back bulletin board back there, so check.

If your name is on the list, then please come back.

(group chattering) - They put the list up and we found out who made it, and I made it.

I'm quite excited.

(slow music) - There's 10 on the line this year.

I'm going to post it over here.

You know, you made it tough.

It was a good audition today.

Thank you, girls.

(slow music) - I didn't make the squad, so that means I have to tryout, well, next year.

I don't, you know, I'm going to take it one year at a time, so I can't say, you know, I'll try out the next year or the next year after that, but you know, I learned a lot and I just have to grow from what I learned today and I learned a new style of twirling that I wasn't used to before, so.

(slow music) (chiming music) - Yay!

- I just made the line and the feeling is indescribable.

It's been something I've wanted all of my life.

And after coming off last year, not making it, I came back, and I worked hard all year and it really paid off and I'm really, really excited.

(slow music) - [Drum Major] Forward march.

- One of the things that we're going to do right now is just break again into sectionals and we'll probably come around and look at some things in small units.

Staff will look at some small units.

We need just your cooperation.

Keep working, doing the best you can, and we will try to do the very best job we can to give everyone a fair shot here.

We'll be able to take about half of the folks that are on this field tonight.

This makes these decisions extremely difficult, extremely difficult.

There's competition in every section and extreme competition in some sections.

It's very tough.

I mean, the longer you spend with these kids, the more you want to take all of them.

So for me, at the beginning there, I try to stay back a little bit, observe, and put my two cents in.

Check with the staff on what they're thinking, and when it comes down to, okay, we can now take two of these five that are remaining, then I make that decision, so that it's not any of the other staff.

If a student wants to be angry at someone, they should be angry at me.

(trumpets blaring) Yeah, she's drifting a lot, but she got a pretty good sound actually while she's moving.

Pretty good sound.

(clarinets playing) Okay, that's pretty good.

Clarinets at least (laughs) should be strong.

- We'll be out of here.

- All right, folks, as I said several times already, we really appreciate your interest.

We appreciate you being here and auditioning and working so hard.

I've also said once already, this is the worst part of my job.

All right?

I love my job except for tonight.

All right?

Tonight is the one part I do not like about my job.

- Then it's time for cuts.

And that, that was so scary, because they start going through the list and your heart's just pumping.

And you're like, "Please call my name, please call my name."

- I'm going to read here shortly a list of the folks who we would like to have come back for rehearsal tomorrow morning.

- [Thomas] And you're just hoping that your name is going to be one of the ones called because if your name's not called, you don't come back.

- [Dr. Bundy] Trumpets now, Kleckner, Garbosky, Zellers, Railing.

Rookie mellophones, Stimmel, Sass, Stufft, Moreno, Rollstone, Haffelfinger, Radick.

And now rookie trombones, Ferentz, Neidig, Garguilo, Schneiderhan, Kilmer, Stein, Graham, Ball.

In the rookie clarinets, the following names please for tomorrow 8:30, Noverel, Chismar, Taylor, Graham, Fuhrer, Zenker.

(slow music) Again, rookie clarinets, Noverel, Chismar, Taylor, Graham, Fuhrer, Zenker.

- [Thomas] That's how the Blue Band is.

It's one of the premiere marching bands in the United States.

You gotta go through the competition.

You gotta go through everything to make it one of the best bands.

(slow music) - I guess, well, first, I respect the Blue Band so much that I know they only take the best, so if they had taken me, they would be compromising the Blue Band.

So, it's almost happy, even though I don't look like it, that they didn't take me.

(slow music) (bright music) - This is my best friend Sarah and we both auditioned for the Blue Band today and we got in.

(group laughing) It's good.

- So now, we can breathe and sleep well tonight.

(Kristen sighs) - I really don't know what else to say.

I'm just, I'm ecstatic that I made it.

- Well, I'm going to be coming back tomorrow and I'm going to be playing snare.

So, it's really exciting for me.

- Pretty excited, like a lot of relief I guess.

- I made the band.

Today's been crazy.

It's been like the biggest emotional rollercoaster of my life, and probably the sweatiest and coldest day I've ever had ever.

Just waiting for them to call my name.

It was horrible.

Hi, dad.

They called the names.

They called my name.

(woman laughing) I have never felt this good in my life, honestly.

It's pretty much the greatest feeling ever.

She made the band too!

She didn't.

- I feel badly for the kids that we weren't able to keep and hopefully by tomorrow, I'll be over that and start thinking about what we have to do to take the ones that we did keep for this year's band and start getting them ready to be a band.

(steady music) (slow music) - Band camp, to me, is really probably the most amazing part of being a member of the marching Blue Band, because you get to make members.

You take a group of kids that all have a common experience in music and marching.

'Cause you're not there unless you have some talent and you walk in with everybody's own experience and you've got to craft that into what the Blue Band experience is.

- A one, two, - [Tom] It's about making family.

And really, that was the most amazing experience to me.

- [Dr. Bundy] As I told the rookies, now it starts becoming a lot of work, all right?

But there is a big payoff also.

You know?

Big risk, big reward.

All right?

This is big work, big reward.

(drumbeat rolling) - L8.

- Thank you.

- L9.

- Well, the booklets that we have for each position in the block band, it describes every movement that they have to make as part of the pregame show.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, up, two, ready go.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

- [Chris] We all have booklets that have our individual steps in them, like for every four counts for the song.

- [Dr. Bundy] One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

- There's like codes for what to do and then just you have to do it yourself, you have to like just follow along.

Everyone's responsible for their own moves.

- [Dr. Bundy] Go, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Eight more.

One, two, ready lift.

(upbeat marching band music) - I'm feeling pretty good.

I mean, I'm tired, but yesterday was hard, but I mean, I'm ready for another day.

- I think keeping up physically as we have three practices during the day at band camp, it can begin to take a toll on your body, especially by the second day.

Dr. Bundy likes to keep a close watch on students around the second day.

- I remember band camp being very hot, just 90, 95, every single day.

It never rained.

Just a lot of sweat and dust, dirt, killing of grass.

- Well, other than having my lungs full of dirt and not being able to breathe, it's going pretty good.

- They've stress pretty intensely that pregame is the most important thing that we do and that's the thing that we really need to perfect.

All the fans and alumni are used to seeing the same thing and we really have to look like the rest of the girls.

So, we've been working on that a lot, learning it on the field with all the moves as well.

- [Dr. Bundy] Sound off and shout "Drop turn," so we wake up our neighbor who can't hear it or has perhaps soiled themselves when they came out into the 107,000 seat stadium.

- So if we do it big, (group chattering) All right?

- Okay.

- The bigger the better.

Trust me you'll be like, "Oh yeah!

Got it!"

(group laughing) (whistle blaring) - Drop turn, drop turn, drop turn, drop turn, out up, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, drop step.

- Good!

We need snappier movements on the half time chair step.

Sorry, I don't mean to be screaming right at you.

- It's all right.

(group laughing) ♪ Penn State forever ♪ - It's been very hot.

We've put in a lot of hours of rehearsal, you know, nine hours a day.

And there's bound to be some fatigue that sets in.

The challenge right now is to keep them motivated to get to that performance and not get burned out or frustrated by all the hard work that they are putting in and not realizing yet the high that they'll get from that performance.

(drumbeat rolling) Out up, two, three, four.

- It's coming along.

The music's going well.

And I'm really looking forward to next Saturday because the way things are going, we're going to put on a really good show on the field on Saturday.

(drumbeat rolling) (band members chanting) - You know, it's 9:30 by my clock.

At 1:30 on Thursday, we didn't even know everybody in here.

By my count, that's 56 hours ago.

I want you to think back to what you've accomplished now.

This time a week from now, you will have performed for 107,000 plus people.

It'll be history at this point in time next week.

(group clapping) Good job!

I'm very proud of what you've done.

I'm looking forward to this band.

I think it could be a really good one.

Congratulations, rookies!

(group clapping) - I assumed that it was easier than my high school's marching band and it is definitely not.

There's a lot more tradition to it and a lot more skill involved.

- We learned a lot of stuff.

We learned a lot of drill and music in the past couple days and I still have a lot to do.

It just seems a lot longer than it really was.

- It was a lot of fun.

I made a lot of friends.

They're really nice, and it was a little bit harder than I thought it would be, but it was still fun.

- I am looking forward to the first game.

I mean, it's, I'm in the Blue Band.

I'm going to get to play.

I'm going to get to march.

- I'm just really, really excited for that, to get through that and have that first experience on the field.

I hear there's nothing like it and I'm just really excited to experience that.

(bells ringing) (upbeat marching band music) - We've begun classes on Monday and now the students have gotten into their normal day-to-day routine and now they're having to find a way to budget their time between their classes and their homework and their studies and of course, their rehearsals out here.

- Rehearsals are shorter during the week because we don't have time to have those long nine-hour days of rehearsal because people are in the classes.

Because I guess that's the reason some people actually come to college instead of for the Blue Band.

- [Dr. Bundy] Good quick tempo.

(drumbeat rolling) - Well, this week we have to have all our music memorized plus added on to classes, it's really, really hard.

- Well, it's extremely hard for people who haven't been here before to stay focused through all this because you're constantly being faced with new and foreign material.

So, it's hard because everything is foreign to them.

So, it's frustrating.

- Once classes started, it was really tough balancing band and balancing my schoolwork.

By the end of the week, I was putting in at least 21 or more hours a week just trying to get everything memorized.

I'd have to stay up late because the only time I had to memorize music was after classes and after band.

It was just really tough to get my schoolwork done with the Blue Band in the picture.

I know that it's something that I had to do.

(slow music) Maybe next year, maybe the next time, I'll be able to balance out my schoolwork better with playing drums.

(slow music) (alarm clock beeping) (inspirational music) - [Kristen] This day is really important to me.

I practiced my audition to get into this band.

I got into this band, and here I am.

It's the first game.

I'm pretty pumped and I'm very excited.

(inspirational music) (band members chatting) - [Chris] The whole week I've been counting down to the first game, so it's pretty exciting.

- [Eleanor] I'm really nervous about the game, just because if you mess up and you're that one person that messes up, everyone knows who you are.

(slow music) - [Jeremy] I feel pretty good now but I have no idea what it's going to be like once we get in front of that many people.

(dramatic music) - Today's game day.

It is why you do Blue Band.

It's why you worked so hard.

This is just what this is all about.

It's exciting.

It's thrilling.

107,000 of your best friends and family, can't get any better than this.

- Today is all about everything.

I mean, this is what we've been working for for the past 10 days and you know, it's like Christmas.

- [Dan] I tell the rookies to enjoy today because, just to soak it all in, because this is the best day as a rookie.

- We usually just tell them to try to be as courageous as possible.

There's nothing like their first experience marching into the stadium.

They're going to remember this for the rest of their lives, so make sure they are not the one who went the wrong way.

- I remember I almost wet myself my first time we marched out because my first game was Michigan, so it was a big game.

But yeah, it's going to be scary but it's going to be a good scary.

It'll be a fun scary.

- You got one shot today.

One shot.

(band members chanting) - [Group] Let's go state!

Hey!

- This our home opener.

This is the first time on the field for these rookies.

All right?

It's going to be the last home opener for some people and the chance to be excellent occurs when preparation and opportunity come together.

All right?

You have prepared hard.

This afternoon, you've got the opportunity.

Let's get those two things to merge and let's really be excellent this afternoon.

Are you ready to do this?

(group cheering) (drumbeat rolling) - [Fan] Oh, they're just awesome!

The enthusiasm, the school spirit.

- Yeah, I especially like the way they're motivated no matter what they do.

It's fantastic.

(band member shouts) - She's never missed a Blue Band march up University Drive in 30 years, ever.

- Never.

- Never.

She goes all the time.

- Always there, cheering them on.

(drumbeat rolling) - It's a way to bring together all the alumni 'cause they had bands whenever they were here.

And it just brings everyone together, like all the traditional songs, so definitely I love them.

- Who's your daddy?

- Penn State Nittany Lions (cheers)!

- My wife is a Penn State Blue Band die-hard.

She has a t-shirt that says on the front that, in between the halves of the band performance, the football team will put on an exhibition.

- Well, it's just part of Penn State history.

It's part of everything that we do and live for as Penn Staters.

- Let's go state!

Let's go state!

(crowd cheering) (drumbeat rolling) - You end up over at the tunnel.

(band members chanting) And the electricity is just, it's bursting.

- Well, we're at the stadium right now.

We're getting ready to go in and do pregame and we're all getting pumped up and ready to go.

- Don't screw up.

- (laughs) I won't screw up.

- Is it too tight?

- No, it's fine.

I'm excited.

I'm nervous for the game but I'm excited at the same time.

It's time to go.

(dramatic marching band music) - I was through the tunnel.

The band was still waiting in the tunnel.

I'm looking around in the stands and I'm scared to death.

And I remember looking out through the tunnel and at the time I can see Mt.

Nittany.

Peaceful, grass, you know?

And I thought to myself, I'd rather be out there right now.

- Every Saturday morning before the game, 5 minutes before I was ready to do this, I'd be sick in my stomach, scared skinny, and I'd be saying to myself, "Why did I put myself into the position that I have to do this?"

- [Matt] I'm a little nervous.

The grass is a little damp which I would rather have not had but it shouldn't be a problem, as long as I get my speed and jump as high as I can.

(upbeat marching band music) - It's totally crooked.

(crowd chanting) - And then the football team would come back in after warm ups and then we just jammed ourselves in that little tiny space.

- Here we go.

- I'm thinking "Oh my gosh there's a lot of people there."

They're howling and they're yelling and the fans are going crazy and I'm sitting there thinking, "Okay, let's just not make a complete fool of myself out there."

(crowd cheering) - One of my favorite memories was when the drum line stepped off the end line into Beaver Stadium.

It was as if you were controlling the volume control on a stereo.

(drumbeat rolling) (crowd cheering) You get to turn that volume up just a little bit, not too much yet, but just to set the stage for what's coming.

- When the drums come out on the field, even sitting here and now just talking about it, chills.

Because it's the same feeling that I had every time.

(drumbeat rolling) (crowd cheering) - Being at the front of the line, it was kind of like being in the front seat of a roller coaster, you know?

You're going up the hill, you hear the drums going out (clicks tongue).

(crowd cheering) And then all of a sudden, you start down the other side.

(whistle blaring) (drumbeat rolling) (crowd cheering) - And then when we came out of the tunnel, I don't think my feet touched the ground.

I was so excited but then I was also nervous.

So, it was a combination of "Am I going to be able to play?

I know I can march."

But I wasn't sure I could do both at the same time my first time out.

It was really the most unique experience I've probably ever had.

(crowd chanting) - [Tom] Within less than a minute, you're exploded onto the field in front of 110,000 people and kicking off a fanfare that you know is just going to bring people to their feet.

- Let's go State!

- Oh my god!

- It's overwhelming at first, but then it's like coming home.

- [Announcer] And the seven-time national champion Penn State majorettes, the Touch of Blue.

(whistle blaring) - Drop turn.

- Drop turn.

- As I was buried in that block, I already know how many steps I'm going to take.

I know where I'm going to plant to do that flip.

There's no turning back.

(upbeat marching band music) (crowd cheering) (crowd erupts) (upbeat marching band music) (crowd cheering) - [Announcer] And now, a great college marching band tradition, the Blue Band's trademark drill, "The Floating Lion."

(upbeat marching band music) Hail to the lions!

- The very first time I went out onto the field through that tunnel, I couldn't breathe.

I am positive I that didn't play a note the entire first show.

(upbeat marching band music) - Penn State and the love for the Blue Band and the fans' love for the Blue Band is extremely unique.

(upbeat marching band music) - Performing in front of an appreciative crowd is the most memorable time of my Blue Band experience.

You'll hear the crowd (cheers) or (boos).

They'll groan and that tells you that they're participating and they're watching.

- One, two, ready turn.

(band members clapping) (drumbeat rolling) - [Announcer] Sing along.

- The formation, this sucker was written in 1965, and it's still one of the premier pregames for a collegiate band.

Having the word Lions go one way and then flip it around and have it go Lions the other way, it's just incredible!

Usually when the band is coming back playing Nittany Lion, I say, "Come on, tubas, let's hit it."

I say that because if I didn't say something, I would probably be getting my handkerchief out and wiping my eyes.

(upbeat marching band music) (crowd cheering) (drumbeat rolling) - The excitement, the thrill, the fear, just all the emotions playing together.

It's just a rush.

I mean, it feels like the first pregame show goes by in about two seconds.

(crowd cheering) (upbeat marching band music) (crowd cheering) - Oh my God, we're running.

(crowd cheering) - That was amazing.

That was not like anything I've ever done before.

It was, it was really cool.

- That was definitely worth every single bit of pain and sweat and hard work.

This is what it's all about, all these people watching you.

Even if you mess up, you know that they still are proud of you and what you've done.

- It was everything and more of what I thought it would be.

All the thousands of people cheering you on.

It was great!

- This is huge!

I can't believe I'm even part of this.

It's just so awesome to be here right now.

- It's definitely a memory that's going to last me for the rest of my life.

- [Crowd] We are.

- [Crowd] Penn State.

- [Crowd] We are.

- [Crowd] Penn State.

- [Crowd] We are.

- [Crowd] Penn State.

- [Alumnus] That first game is just the beginning.

They have three to four more years of experiences that they will be able to tell their kids, their grandkids.

And it will just be an incredible time for them.

No one knows where it's going to lead.

- Being in the Blue Band when you're here is something, not that you take for granted, but once you don't have that in your life anymore, it's definitely a life-changing event.

So, it meant everything in the world to me.

- [Greg] Why did we love it so much?

- I don't know.

- Where else would you get the chance to walk around in the mud, in the rain, in 95 degree temperatures - In a wool uniform.

- When you would much rather be somewhere else?

I think being part of the Blue Band, you're part of an experience that other people just don't get to do.

So instead of just being one in 40,000 students walking around campus, you're part of a tradition that goes back 100 years and leaves a mark.

- These are friends for life.

You spend a lot of hours together.

You share a lot of great experiences and the blood, the sweat, and sometimes the tears, all bring you together.

Even girls that weren't there the years I was there, when I get there for Homecoming, we're all one again.

Though we are separated in years, we welcome each other into that circle.

- It's the one experience that is like no other.

We're the only people who get to come back for alumni and get to do the same thing that we did when we were students here.

I mean, the football players can come out onto the field and wave but they don't get to go out and play.

(upbeat marching band music) - I think it feels great with all the 110,000 people cheering.

I always tell my friends, they can spot me.

I'm usually in the first or second rank and I'm the only one in the whole band that's in step.

That's bad.

I know.

(upbeat marching band music) - [Alumnus] We will do it for the glory of Penn State.

And that's something that's really cool because you realize you are part of a legacy that is huge and a huge tradition that not everybody has had the opportunity to be part of.

(crowd cheering) - I guess it was a couple years ago that my son said to me, "Dad, can I ask you a question?

Why do you love Penn State so much?"

And I said, "I thought you'd never ask."

And I broke out this old VHS tape and I popped it in and my son and my daughter watched for 45 minutes and they were like, "Wow, we get it!"

(crowd cheering) (steady marching band music) - It was hard to make the band.

The fact that I made it through and was able to put on the uniform was a real special feeling.

There's nothing like it and Blue Band has a long and proud history, and being part of that history means a lot to me.

It meant a lot to me then but it means even more to me now.

- I could remember playing the tuba part in the alma mater or "The Star Spangled Banner" or the Nittany Lion and it just hits a string that starts a few tears going.

You think about the days when you were doing it also.

And it doesn't seem possible.

All those years have, where have they gone?

But there's a good thing about that because there's other people coming along behind you and they're gonna, they'll feel the same way.

(crowd chanting) (upbeat marching band music) (crowd cheering) (upbeat marching band music) ♪ Every college has a legend ♪ ♪ Passed on from year to year ♪ ♪ To which they pledge allegiance ♪ ♪ And always cherish dear ♪ ♪ But of all the honored idols ♪ ♪ There's but one that stands the test ♪ ♪ It's the stately Nittany Lion ♪ ♪ The symbol of our best ♪ ♪ Hail to the Lion ♪ ♪ Loyal and true ♪ - [Narrator] For more information on this program, visit wpsu.org/makingtheblueband.

This program has been made possible in part by the support of Clara Pat Lamade Robison, by the Pennsylvania Public Television Network.

The network receives funding from the Commonwealth to provide public television to all Pennsylvanians, by the Penn State Alumni Association, informing, involving, and inspiring Penn State alumni and friends worldwide through programs, events and communications, by the members of the Penn State Alumni Blue Band Association and by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(chiming music)