A Rose Thrown At Any Other Time

Our colleagues from Ann Arbor have left East Lansing, the Spartan Marching Band blew the roof off of the Wharton Center at Spartan Spectacular, and the sun now sets before rehearsals even finish. At the same time, the Spartan Marching Band has been hard at work preparing for our next showcase, this time at Bands of America Grand Nationals at Lucas Oil Stadium.

For a number of members of the SMB, this is a return to the venue of dreams, whether they performed at BoA or at DCI Finals. Brendon McKinley, a third-year member of the trumpet section, falls into the former category. McKinley performed with Jenison High School, where they viewed Grand Nationals as the “ highlight of the marching season.” He described the atmosphere as “a little intimidating with how big the stadium is and how full the crowd in attendance is as well. However, it is still one of my favorite venues to perform in, the crowd loves the show no matter what and everyone watching is there to support you. I am excited to be back there this year with the SMB because I know we’re going to turn some heads and get the audience on their feet because we are not only just a regular college band, but we are in fact one of the best in the country.”

Madison Longtin, a second-year member of the color guard, echoed these thoughts. Longtin performed at Lucas Oil Stadium both with Rockford High School and Phantom Regiment. She mentioned that she is excited to be back, and the thought of performing there is going to bring back so many memories. She also mentioned that she is looking forward to having "a true 'fun run' rather than competing at that venue.”

Similarly, Kylie Seabridge, a second-year member of the color guard, places great emphasis on Lucas Oil Stadium. First performing there with the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools’ marching band, she mentioned that “the stadium feels bigger. It’s the field that we grew up watching DCI groups perform on. It creates this unexplainable feeling of being on the same turf as the ones we look up to and hope to become. The crowd is always big, the lights shine brightly down onto the field. You hear your supporters cheering for you in the crowd and it becomes surreal. You realize that you’ve finally made it. After my senior year [of high school], I’ve thankfully been able to return as a staff member of the color guard that I used to participate in. Going back as a staff member is different than being there as a performer. Instead of feeling accomplished for having a good run through of my own, I feel prouder and admire the work my students have put in and to see the raw emotions that happen coming off the field after a phenomenal performance. Knowing that the Michigan State Marching Band was going to have the chance to perform at Grand Nationals this year brings forth the old performer in me. Thinking about the week that’s ahead of me has me antsy. I'm excited to get back on the field. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve had that adrenaline rush walking on a football field. I’m ready to feel alive again.”

This won’t be the SMB’s first time at BoA Grand Nationals. We were invited to perform there in 2018, and Sarah Perris, a member of the color guard from 2018-2021, remembered thinking “‘wow, that was me last year’ and being really excited to inspire the next generation of the SMB” as she performed Everybody’s Everything on the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The SMB will perform on Friday night, and then the next day, we will be performing at Spartan Stadium for the last time this year. This final performance at our home stadium is one that is a cause for so many emotions as we perform these traditions with that the SMB holds dear to our hearts. For fourth-year trumpet player Morgan Schwarz, this day is one that is quite bittersweet. Being surrounded by the band for most of her life, “knowing that it is now my turn to march around Sparty and step out of the block to put a rose into the Red Cedar has had a profound impact on me. With the Rose being the symbol of the B1G Conference, it is really awesome that I get to interact with something that symbolizes the greater community that I am a part of outside of Michigan State. Being able to go back to Adams field, where the band all started and have my senior moments there is an emotional moment. I grew up around the band, and would watch the band on Adams Field on game days, so the fact that it will be my last time on Adams as an active band member is such a bizarre thing to even think about.”

As someone who will be joining Morgan and so many others this weekend, it feels so strange to think about my time in this organization coming to an end. This band is what drew me to this university, and being a part of the SMB has been such a massive part of my college experience. I’ve made some of my best friends here, and it has given me a chance to continue to participate in the sport that I’ve come to love over everything else, beyond what I even thought was possible. Throwing a rose into the river, singing the second verse of MSU Shadows while choking back the inevitable tears, surrounded by the people who have made Michigan State feel like home is something I’ve come to love, yet seeing the end rapidly coming is strange.

At Lucas Oil Stadium, we will be returning to Broadway, this time with an additional medley of tunes from Hadestown and A Chorus Line that Spartan Stadium didn’t get to hear. The next day, we will be performing a salute to our veterans, with two Spartan Stadium staples in “Esprit de Corps” and the Armed Forces Medley, while simultaneously saluting our graduating class.

If you want to see more of the SMB, then you are in luck, as we have one more performance after this weekend. On November 29th, the SMB will travel to Ford Field, as we will perform a medley of SMB favorites from four years ago.