What Music Means to the MVs

Music is all around us—even if you aren’t a member of the Marching Virginians. Music has the power to shape how we feel, think, and act. It’s there for us in our best moments and our worst moments.

For the Marching Virginians, music isn’t just a hobby—it’s how we connect with our peers, fans, and community. Every Hokie football fan recognizes the sound of V-Tag after a first-down or of Tech Triumph as the Hokies score a touchdown. Since the music of the Marching Virginians is so important to Virginia Tech, I wanted to know which songs and artists make the Marching Virginians who they are.

Image courtesy of MV Online Content


Why did you learn to play an instrument?

I’ve loved music since I was born, and my parents always made a huge effort to expose me to all kinds of music… I learned an instrument because that’s what you do in my family—everyone is fairly musical… I found a lot of solace in music.
— Claudia Pack, Tenor Saxophone
I thought it was so cool… I grew up as a young child watching shows on TV that had music related things in them—Little Einsteins was a big one for me… When band came around, I was like, ‘this is it, I’m so excited to be able to do this.’
— Layla Wilson, Trumpet

What is your favorite thing to play in the Marching Virginians?

My favorite shows [were] Metallica and El Toro [Caliente].
— Jonathan Amorino, Trombone
My favorite stand tune is “Bom Bom” — it has really fun horn moves!
— Quinn O'Conner, Clarinet
I love “[Welcome to the] Black Parade” because the tenors have melody…we get to show off our skills and how hard we’ve worked.
— Claudia Pack, Tenor Saxophone

Do you have any special memories related to music?

My favorite memory is how it feels to perform—not just on the football field, but on stage…just looking out into the audience and seeing everyone’s faces lit up and engaged…it’s such a great feeling.
— Layla Wilson, Trumpet
My sister and I have a shared playlist of songs that help us with our anxiety… It reminds us of when she was in high school, I was in middle school, and we would drive to school together while listening to music, and everything was okay.
— Claudia Pack, Tenor Saxophone

What is your favorite genre of music and why?

“Alternative, because there’s so much that can go underneath it, like Noah Kahan and Hozier… it’s a very broad music genre.”
— Quinn O'Conner, Clarinet
I love EDM… I love festivals and raves.
— Jonathan Amorino, Trombone
My favorite genre is metal… I love the energy that comes with it—heavy drum set, electric guitar…but if you combine it with the strings, like symphonic metal, that’s where it’s at.
— Layla Wilson, Trumpet
“I’d say jazz [and] rock are my favorites. I love jazz for the complexity of it and rock because it’s all based on jazz. I have a strong ‘dad’ influence on my taste in music… a lot of Billy Joel, Michael McDonald, Doobie Brothers, Dave Matthews band…”
— Claudia Pack, Tenor Saxophone

What song best describes you?

“The vibe I want to give off is “Harlem Nocturne”… The vibe that I think I give off is “Now That’s What I Call Polka” by Weird Al [Yankovic].”
— Claudia Pack, Tenor Saxophone
I’ll have to go with “Freaks” by Timmy Trumpet — or “Narco” by Timmy Trumpet.
— Jonathan Amorino, Trombone
My current hype song is “Good Luck Babe” by Chappell Roan.
— Quinn O'Conner, Clarinet

Image courtesy of MV Online Content

I had a blast getting to know these MVs and their unique tastes in music. You can learn so much about a person just from their favorite songs. If you ever need to break the ice, try comparing playlists! You never know what you might find.