Hokies Pep Band supports the men’s basketball team. Source: Hokies Pep Band Instagram (@hokiespepband)
While we may be in our fifth week of the semester, it goes without saying that the absence of the Marching Virginians leaves the passing of time feeling a little slow. Without daily practices, the smiling faces of our fellow bandmates, and a 7 p.m. “deuces!” in our lives each evening, the spring semester definitely leaves some longing for the return of nights in Lane. For some students, though, the fun has just begun.
Nestled in the corner of Cassell Coliseum, basketball fans and guests alike can bear witness to the Hokies Pep Band. Boasting over 100 members, the band elevates each men’s basketball home game with its pride and true Hokie spirit. Keen listeners will notice songs both new and old, some borrowed from the Marching Virginians catalog and some learned specifically for the energy Cassell brings. It’s an experience that, if you can get into Cassell, you won’t want to miss.
“Pep Band takes the musical energy of an on-field band and trades some of the rigidity in favor of allowing the ensemble to take on its own personality,” said Andrew Stewart, four-year Hokies Pep Band member and MV Tone. When I reached out to him, he made sure to emphasize how the pep band has some serious funk. “The Pep Band has a certain looseness and swagger to it that you don’t get during the marching season. Not to mention we add some awesome guitar, bass, and drum set players!”
The Hokies Pep Band takes the condensed setting of Cassell Coliseum and runs with it. Since there aren’t as many rowdy fans as Lane Stadium in Cassell, guests are able to interact with the sounds of the pep band on a much closer level.
“In both the wind and the rhythm section, people get to have a great time by playing with the intent to make people nod their heads and stomp their feet,” says Austin Wright, Marching Virginian Sax and bass player. “Pep Band is a group of students who care not just about playing their instruments, but being a part of the wonderful atmosphere in Cassell.”
Even with the hype of a packed crowd, the synergy of the pep band is truly off the charts. Listeners can thank seasoned director and Marching Virginian aficionado Chad Reep for that.
“We still work hard in pep band, and we sound VERY good,” said Reep. “There are less horn moves, and more individualistic movement. So the students have a little more freedom in how they want to move. Musically, though, we are still very together and uniform.” Anyone in the immediate vicinity of all things Marching Virginians know that Chad expects nothing less from his esteemed students.
In talking to each of the Pep Band members and Reep, however, I could tell how appreciative each were that the Pep Band exists. The group was seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, a key point that was mentioned in both interviews with senior members.
“I had the honor of joining [Pep] band in my freshman year in which we were in Cassell with maybe [one quarter] of the band in attendance for a game at a time,” Andrew said. “I’ve watched the band transform from a fairly empty stadium to performing on a national stage for the women’s NCAA tournament.”
Austin echoed the same sentiment: “My freshman year, the pep band essentially did not exist due to Covid…[we] had to be a much smaller unit.”
Now, however? It’s like night and day. The band is like a massive wall of sound cascading over the seats that ring Cassell Coliseum. Yet, to Reep, the motivation stays the same.
“Both Marching Band and Pep Band provide an amazing collegiate atmosphere for our college athletics, and even though they may be a little different, they are still a part of the same family. We are here to provide entertainment to the college crowds and support our Hokies!”
Catch the Hokie Pep Band on Monday, February 19th at their next home game as the men’s basketball team takes on in-state rival and 21st ranked Virginia at 7:00 p.m.