The Spartan Marching Band has many iconic songs from the roaring State Fanfare to the energetic (and SMB favorite) Jungle Boogie, but for a few sections in the band the most iconic songs are ones that only the most dedicated of fans have heard. Most of the hornline has unique tunes that they play to warm up with their section. The tradition of section-specific tunes is one that fans may not know about if they have never had the opportunity to watch the band prepare for their Adams Field performance, but these performances are certainly not one to skip out on next gameday. The tenor saxophones, baritones, and tubas hope to see you on Friday at their performances as they offered to give a little bit of backstory to their tunes.
The tenor saxophones have a short and bouncy tune that they simply call “Ditty.” Section leader Michael McGovern says he was told that the song, actually named “Scotland the Brave,” was originally played by the tenors in 1999 during a matchup against Notre Dame. This silly jab at the fighting Irish appeared to bring MSU some good luck as the team went on to win that game 23-13. Unfortunately MSU and Notre Dame meetings became less frequent as the years went on, but the section enjoyed playing the song so much that it became a part of their traditions. The tenors now choose a person or group of people to ambush with the tune by circling up around them and doing an Irish jig with their performance of the ditty.
The baritone section is next with their bubbly tune “Faygo.” Squad leader Seth Darling provided a snippet of the official spartan baritone history book to explain the tune’s origin: “The official drink of the Spartan Baritones is Faygo. Faygo is a brand of pop based in Detroit. The tradition of Faygo is rooted in the Spartan Baritones section song, which is the Faygo Boat Song, used in commercials in the 1970s. In the 1970s, every section in the band had a section song that was performed at a given time during a football game. For years the Spartan Baritones did not have a song. However, in 1976 an arrangement of the Faygo tune was written by Matt and Andy James (Matt was then a baritone squad leader). Originally it was performed in Spartan Stadium as the traditional third quarter cheer (which reportedly rotated throughout the band to each section for each game of the season). Since MSU's contract with Pepsi, which likely took effect in the early 2000s, Faygo is no longer played in Spartan Stadium. However, the section has played it during every gameday sectional warm up on Adams Field (formerly Landon Field) since then.”
Finally, the tuba section plays a few section-specific songs on Adams Field, but the current section is a little unsure of the origin story of them. The first of those songs is “Sonic Boom,” a piece that likely evolved from low brass marching band sections, but does not appear to have a single origin. The fast-paced intense tune is also sometimes called “Snakepit,” “Brass Fanfare,” or “Tuba Fanfare.” The second song is “Crazy Train,” a rendition of the famous rock tune by Ozzy Osbourne. The band has a stand tune titled “Let’s Go,” that is also a version of the iconic song, but the Adams Field version the tuba section plays showcases a more complex baseline and a tuba-led melody. The last song is called “Keg in the Closet.” The tune is not a rendition of Kenny Chesney’s song, but instead appears to have originated as a trumpet stand tune in the Wisconsin Marching Band. Recordings of the song online are usually accompanied by a picture of a keg in a closet with the text “help yourself, Wisconsin.” The tuba section ends its performance on Adams with this song and often alumni will join in to sing along. Despite the blurry origin of all of these current tunes, the Adams performances still have a lot of history in the section with tuba alumni Skippy (aka Tim Draeger) reporting that the section used to play “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” and the theme from “Jaws.”
While most fans associate the Spartan Marching Band with its electrifying halftime performances and iconic stand tunes, the section-specific tunes reveal another layer of camaraderie and musical heritage. From the tenor saxophones’ playful “Ditty” to the baritones’ bubbly “Faygo” and the tubas’ spirited lineup of tunes, these performances showcase the band’s rich history and vibrant spirit. Next time you’re on campus before a game, don’t miss the chance to experience these unique traditions first hand—they’re a testament to the pride and creativity that define the Spartan Marching Band.
With love to our musical traditions and Spartan Fans,