Since fifth grade, I have been playing one of the greatest instruments of all time, trombone. I was a total “band geek” in school, playing all the way through high school. My involvement in music has definitely made me the person I am today. Music is a huge part of my life and I love playing trombone. Therefore, when I came to USC, I sought out a fun, relaxing, and positive environment in which I could continue my passion. The USC Trojan Marching Band sounded like something I would really enjoy, considering I spent 30 hours a week in high school involved in marching band, and I looked forward to getting my feet wet!
My freshmen year was so much fun. I got to meet so many different people from so many different majors. One neat thing about the band is that everyone is so different and people have such different lives, but they all get together and share their passion for music. I got to travel up to Stanford for the weekender that year, which was a lot of fun. We performed in Union Square in San Francisco, and it was amazing seeing how many people showed up to see the band play. It definitely gave me a sense of how important this organization is to a lot of people.
In the spring of my freshman year, I started being able to go on “gigs”. People from the L.A. area pay us to play at their events for them and it is really fun. One gig I went on was to a country club in the city of Laguna for the mayor. I was able to travel other places in the Los Angeles area too, which I really enjoyed.
This past summer was actually difficult because I would be at home and I would start singing band songs in my head and think about being in uniform. I was so excited to start my sophomore year.
So far this year, I have played at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, I traveled to Arizona State to play at the USC vs. Arizona State game, and gone on plenty of gigs all over L.A. I am about to leave for Notre Dame, where I will play as a member of the band at the USC vs. Notre Dame game this Saturday. This year is turning out to be really fun and I have enjoyed the experiences I have had.
Also, this year, I have been able to establish some great friendships within the band. It is nice to have a place where you can genuinely like the people you are working with and enjoy their company. And without band, I would have never met these people. I was also to find one of my main study groups through people in band!
All in all, being a member of the greatest marching band in the history of the universe (ever) is something that I really enjoy and something I get a lot out of. Going to practice is a really nice way to break up my day and give myself some time to not stress out about homework and classes. I look forward to taking a leadership role next year as a junior and having many more fun experiences throughout the rest of college.
If you have any questions about the organization or are interested in joining the USC Trojan Marching Band, you can visit the website here:
or send me an email or if you are feeling bold, you can leave a comment :).
Fight On!
Where’s my shout out?!
Fight On! I am married to a Trojan Marching Band Alumni and I am a USC grad too. We used a recording of the band for the processional at our wedding. The Spiritmof Troy lasts a lifetime! Enjoy.
yayyy! 🙂 FIGHT ON!!
Nice article 🙂 ha ha i feel so bold for leaving a comment.
I can relate to you “big time” as an alumni of both the TMB trombone section and Viterbi SOE. For whatever reason, the ‘bone section always has a lot of engineers in it. I guess that just means that we’re smart (or “bold”). Hahaha, Fight On!
Great article, Greg. And to think I knew you when you could barely make a sound out of that trombone! You’re an asset to them at USC. Congratulations!