Imagine being the baritone section leader of the Sacramento State Marching Band, engulfed in the pinging loudness of shiny gold and silver instruments with a group of people who want nothing more than to make more noise.

“The goal for marching band is to be the biggest, loudest, most spirited section out there during football games,” said 23-year-old junior music education major and baritone section leader David Heredia. “We always want to (put) our best foot forward, look our best and play our best.”

The Sac State band has been providing quality entertainment and support for the Hornet football teams for the 65 years.

The dedicated ensemble of students – who gets the crowd energized and helps bring spirit into the games – has formed the largest marching band ever put in Sac State history. Six years ago the marching band had 60 performers and now there are 146, in addition to 10 support staff and six instructors.

Piccolos, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, mellophones, trombones, baritones, sousaphones, battery percussion, color guard and the front ensemble make up the various sections of the marching band, while the front ensemble consists of xylophones, marimbas, keyboards and guitars.

“We (marching band members) provide spirit, support (and) entertainment – all those kinds of elements that make college football unique. It’s a great American tradition,” said Associate Director of Bands and Music Education Lecturer Clay Redfield.

The marching band previously provided its musical services to other athletic orgnizations such as basketball and volleyball, but they had to give it up for the sake of each member’s well being and the quality of their performances.

“There was a point where we did supply some music for [others sports], but we don’t do that any longer,” Redfield said. “We did it because my predecessor had done it, but it’s too much to ask of the organization. We didn’t want to put something out that wasn’t our best product,”

Twins Rebekah and Sarah McGlasson, 17, began marching in high school and made the choice to continue marching together as they entered Sac State.

“The biggest difference between college marching band and high school marching band is that people actually want to be here – and they’re good enough; it’s a whole different level.” Rebekah McGlasson said.

Marching for Sac State is a serious time commitment and requires a lot of dedication. Students spend up to 8 ½ hours practicing together during the week and are expected to dedicate a lot of free time to practicing.

“In college band you have to practice more on your own time than in the class because you don’t get together as much during the week,” Sarah McGlasson said. “(Instructors) assume that you know everything.”

Students in the marching band consider themselves one big family and bond together in order to create harmonic, quality music.

“We always want to get better – we don’t settle for ‘good enough,” Heredia said. “It’s always got to be the best and then better than that.”

Heredia said the marching band’s sound is unique when the timing is right.

“It’s one of those things you would have to experience,” Heredia said. “When we get really going – and we are playing at our best and we are playing at our loudest – everybody will know when the Sac State sound hits.”

Briana and Janice can be reached at [email protected]