Marching Thunder director says annual showcase a great place to recruit new members
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Marshall University's Marching Thunder is headed back to the Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival, literally bigger than ever.
The 64th annual event comes to University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28. It is the only event in which all eight Kanawha County public high schools compete and is considered a showcase of their band programs.
The Marshall band now features more than 300 members. That makes it the largest band in school history, topping last year's record-breaking 280-member ensemble, Band Director Steve Barnett said.
Barnett, now in his eighth season with the Marching Thunder, says the band has grown almost every year since he arrived. He attributes that success to his members.
"Really good kids attract more good kids," he said.
Barnett said the best way to recruit new members is for veteran marchers to spread the word to students at their old high schools.
"The second best way is to actually show them," he said.
Although football games put the band before its largest crowds, Barnett said events like the Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival are better for recruiting new members.
The people at such shows are "marching experts" - band directors, students and their parents - who can truly appreciate the Marching Thunder's marching precision and musicianship, Barnett said.
"Everybody there is there for the band. We get tremendous audience response," he said. "Those festivals are where we get the bulk of our members."
Once they're in college, Barnett said his students stick with the program because they love playing. Hardly any members are in the band for scholarships, and 85 percent of them aren't music majors, he said. They come from all areas of study at the university, including premedical and engineering programs.
"They're doing it because they want to be in it," he said. "It's just a real pleasant, positive environment."
Barnett said the band is also retaining more members than it used to thanks to its new practice facilities.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Marshall University's Marching Thunder is headed back to the Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival, literally bigger than ever.
The 64th annual event comes to University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28. It is the only event in which all eight Kanawha County public high schools compete and is considered a showcase of their band programs.
The Marshall band now features more than 300 members. That makes it the largest band in school history, topping last year's record-breaking 280-member ensemble, Band Director Steve Barnett said.
Barnett, now in his eighth season with the Marching Thunder, says the band has grown almost every year since he arrived. He attributes that success to his members.
"Really good kids attract more good kids," he said.
Barnett said the best way to recruit new members is for veteran marchers to spread the word to students at their old high schools.
"The second best way is to actually show them," he said.
Although football games put the band before its largest crowds, Barnett said events like the Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival are better for recruiting new members.
The people at such shows are "marching experts" - band directors, students and their parents - who can truly appreciate the Marching Thunder's marching precision and musicianship, Barnett said.
"Everybody there is there for the band. We get tremendous audience response," he said. "Those festivals are where we get the bulk of our members."
Once they're in college, Barnett said his students stick with the program because they love playing. Hardly any members are in the band for scholarships, and 85 percent of them aren't music majors, he said. They come from all areas of study at the university, including premedical and engineering programs.
"They're doing it because they want to be in it," he said. "It's just a real pleasant, positive environment."
Barnett said the band is also retaining more members than it used to thanks to its new practice facilities.
The band now rehearses on an outdoor artificial turf practice field it shares with intramural sports teams.
Field equipment like drum major stands used to be stored in a tin shed. Now they're housed in a brick storage building. The band's uniforms, which used to be stored underneath the Henderson Center's bleachers and in an old racquetball court, now are kept in the building as well.
The band now practices in the Henderson Center's old auxiliary gymnasium and has new offices in a repurposed weight room.
"Before that, we had nothing. We were moved all over campus. As they say, 'You've come a long way, baby,'" Barnett said.
Although a bigger band means a bigger sound and more possibilities for field formations, Barnett said traveling with such a massive ensemble isn't always easy.
"Traveling with a large group, I tell people all the time, is more of a crusade than a trip. It's a major deal," he said.
He relies on his staff and band members to make sure everything goes smoothly.
This year marks the band's fourth appearance at the Kanawha County festival. The band alternates years with West Virginia University's marching band
The Marching Thunder will take Laidley Field after all eight high school bands have performed and judges are tallying their scores.
Tickets for the Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival are available at all eight county high schools, Kerr's Music World in Charleston and Gorby's Music in South Charleston. Tickets are $7 in advance or $8 at the gate.
Contact writer Zack Harold at 304-348-7939 or zack.har...@dailymail.com.
