Marching band prepares for other-worldly show
By Sarah McWilliams Kansan Correspondent
Cymbals will crash, drums will pound and horns will blast as the 248 members of the Marching Jayhawks take the field during halftime at the KU homecoming game.
The band will play the theme from Star Wars at the game on Saturday. The KU Alumni Band also will play a tune called Zing It!
"They really have a commitment to being quality-oriented, which sets them apart from some other groups," said Robert Foster, band director, of the Marching Jayhawks.
The University of Colorado marching band will play for the first half of the 15-minute halftime show. The Marching Jayhawks and the Alumni Band will play for the second half.
"That's just the way the conference has always been set up," Foster said.
The Marching Jayhawks have been practicing for the show since the week before school started.
"The primary goal is to perform with excellence," Foster said. Past homecoming games have had some notable halftimes.
Foster said that at the 1971 game's halftime, a big, blue egg was rolled onto the field. Out of that egg popped Baby Jay.
For a few years after that, the halftime show celebrated Baby Jay's birthday, Foster said.
This year's halftime differs from previous years' halftimes because it falls on Parents Day. For many band members, this is the only time their parents will see them perform all year, Foster said.
Rob Finch, Olathe senior, plays the clarinet for the Marching Jayhawks. The homecoming game will be the only time his parents will see him play this fall.
"It's always exciting to let them see how much work we've done for band and to see the finished product," Finch said.
"There are a lot of alumni that come back for their annual trip, a homecoming in the real sense of the word," Foster said.
Chris Hamilton/KANSAN
The KU Marching Band practices for the performance they will give at Saturday's homecoming game against Texas Tech at Memorial Stadium. For some band members, the performance will be the only one their families will see.
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