I typically don’t write too much about my job in this medium because…..well, that’s my job. It’s what I do on a daily basis. If I’m going to take the time to commit my thoughts to the blogosphere, I’d rather it be something different from my daily routine. But recently, I had an experience through my job that went well above what is my ordinary. One might say it went a few feet above, and spinning on both its way up and down. You see, for the first past two weeks, and culminating in yesterday’s Homecoming game, I entered into the world of twirling.
The origins came out of a tendency to do whatever it takes to raise funds for the program. Two years ago, when we were undertaking a fundraising campaign to buy new uniforms, I challenged the band that whatever section secured the most donations in their name, I would march in. I was hoping for the tubas, since that was the instrument I played. Trombone would’ve been nice too. With either of those I could make a functional contribution. But of course, that’s not what happened. Instead, it was the Color Guard who took the prize. Whether they had outside help, I don’t know. And, of course, I had no previous Color Guard experience. But a deal’s a deal; we needed the new uniforms, and so I took a crash course in guardsmanship.
And I went the full deal. I attended Color Guard warm-ups, which, for our unit, is a whole lot of dancing, I practiced the routines, tried to learn more tosses, and I even wore a uniform. Here’s the photographic proof.
We were performing a medley of tunes from the musical Grease, and on that day, I only color-guarded in 1/3rd of the tune…and that was more than enough. A few spins, a toss, and march around with my pole. I think I was on the field for a total of 1 minute…and that was plenty to remember. What challenged me the most was that, when I was in marching band, I recalled it easy to learn where to go on the field, because you associated it with the musical phrase you were playing. But with guard, I wasn’t playing anything. So being able to know what I was doing and when…well, that was a tall order. I think doing anything over a minute would’ve been out of the realm of the possible.
But I got through it; it was fun, and I came away with a much better appreciation for what the Color Guard does. I had never spent much time with them; we didn’t have a guard in the University of Iowa Band, and while we had them at Florida, Illinois and Fresno State, I (shamefully) never took the time to learn what it was all about. That’s on me. By doing Guard, even for one week, for one minute, I had a better understanding just for what they go through. It’s not easy, folks; give them your respect!
Fast forward two years later and here we go again. It’s another band fundraiser, and again, “my services” are up for bid. This time, the setting is an auction, and I’m involved because one of the items available was me marching in the Homecoming halftime show. Whoever had the winning bid would designate the section yours truly was going to be part of. Well, that distinction went to a couple who has been very generous in their support of us over the past few years; we wouldn’t have gotten our new uniforms without them. As it turns out, the wife was a majorette in high school. Because of that, they’ve become sponsors of our twirlers. And….well, I think you see where this is going. Once the bidding was done, my role at Homecoming had been chosen: I would now be a twirler.
Now, I was a little more familiar with twirlers than I was guard…..but I definitely had no idea how they operated. The University of Iowa had the Golden Girl. Due to my, shall we say, “extended undergraduate stay”, I saw three of them. They were always extremely talented and almost god-like. I don’t mean that as if they were arrogant and aloof. The three I was around for were always extremely nice. But they were so talented, it seemed to me that they were on an entirely different stratosphere than me. Of course, as those who knew back then, anything with class would’ve been on a different stratosphere than me! I believe the Golden Girl was a full scholarship position, and so whoever was in it was REALLY good.
Florida introduced me to the idea of team twirlers, in the form of the Gatorettes. This was something different, an entire line of baton twirlers. Tall boots, with a lot of sequins and rhinestones. As I was discovering rhinestones is a thing in the twirler world. They also had a coach, which I think you probably have to have with that many involved. And when Gator Band came into contact with other SEC bands, I discovered that the twirler line was something common. I think I saw it in effect at Georgia, LSU, and Auburn, if memory serves me right. There were probably other twirler teams in America’s Premiere Conference, but in my two years in Gainesville, I didn’t see every band. Then it was off to Illinois for two years, and again, a feature twirler. And just like at Iowa, the twirler functioned on her own, didn’t have a coach, just did her thing (and did it very well, I might add. Again, very talented). At this point, I was a graduate assistant, so the baton twirler didn’t seem like from another planet, like I felt back as an undergraduate. She was a nice, down to earth person, with a talent that added to the band’s performance. Pretty cool, right?
My first college teaching job was at Fresno State. I could fill the blogosphere with what I learned in my five years there, and still have more to say. But for the purpose of this blog, I’ll make it brief. Our twirler situation was very similar to what I noticed at Iowa and Illinois: a feature twirler, without a coach, didn’t have spots in the marching drills; just did their own thing. But what I’ll add is this: during my last couple years there, we went from one featured twirler to two. And if I’m not mistaken, after I left, they added a third; I don’t know if that’s still the case. The reason I bring that up is, I remember being interviewed for the Fresno Bee newspaper in either my fourth or fifth year, for an article about the resurgence of baton twirling. I mentioned how our band had added a twirler, because there was both talent and interest. Again, I knew nothing twirling; I just knew I liked having them in the band.
2018 UMass Twirlers, with coach Kristi Ochs
When I came to UMass in 2011, I discovered a very different twirling situation. There were multiple twirlers with their own coach. No one was a featured position, but it also wasn’t a full line of 20 or more, like I had seen in the SEC (It just means more). The number was never set; some years it was 3, 4, maybe even as a high as 6. There is an audition to be in, but it’s not a scholarship, nationally recruited position, like I saw at Iowa. The audition came down to showing coach Kristi Ochs your skill level and your experience on a team.
Before I go any further, I should talk about the coach. Kristi has her own twirling group, the Belchertown Twirlers, from the nearby town of that name (The town’s name is Belchertown, not Twirlers, in case you were wondering). They have groups ranging from age 4 – 21, and perform at events regionally and nationally. They have been Massachusetts State champs, and numerous UMass twirlers have been part of it. A few of the UMass twirlers that are with Kristi have won national competitions. So the point I’m getting at is….she knows her stuff. And back to that article in the Fresno Bee, I don’t know the backstory on twirling in the Northeast, but when I arrived, it appeared to be really healthy. Lots of kids participate in the Belchertown Twirlers. And when we host UMass Band Day, there are multiple twirling teams there from throughout New England.
UMass Band Day 2017. Twirlers on the bottom left.
But just because I’m around a healthy twirling scene, it doesn’t mean I know anything about it. Why would I? When you have a great coach like Kristi, you just let it happen. The professional handles all the details. The same goes for our Color Guard. Chris McHugh Sirard does a great job; no need for me to micro-manage! But I should mention something else here….in addition to having a coach, our UMass twirlers are really integrated into everything we do. They even get their own drill spots on the field, which was something new for me. The previous twirlers I had been around just sort of picked their own spots and went there. But not UMass; Kristi would work with our drill writers, to make sure the twirlers were included in advantageous spots on the field.
So now that you know the backstory, let’s go to two weeks ago, when it was time for me to live up to the auction bid. The first thing I learned is…twirling starts young! UMass currently has three twirlers: Ally Littlefield, Madison Walgreen, and MiKenna Conley, and all of them started twirling in their elementary school years (and most likely closer to Kindergarten than Sixth Grade). I asked Kristi when she started, and she told me “My rattle was a baton.” So…I’m 45 and have never done this, and I’m going to have to perform in 2 weeks with a team that has been doing this activity for the better part of their lives. No small task, as I’m sure you’re guessing!
Now, what you should know is, the routine I was taught wasn’t the same level of work our twirlers typically do. Our twirlers are really good; they do things that I couldn’t comprehend tackling. For my debut (and finale), the work was substantially easier….for them. It doesn’t mean it was easy for me; rather the complete opposite! And if you are wondering how I got to go from band director to twirler, it’s because for this game, we were trying something new. One of our graduate assistants asked last spring for ways to become more involved. We took him up on that, and decided that, for the Homecoming game, the graduate students were responsible for a halftime production. They had to write the music, the drill and teach it to the band. Therefore, yours truly was free to practice the art of twirling. We should use the word “art” loosely…at least as it pertains to my twirling!
My first lesson. Flanked by Madison Walgreen on the left and Ally Littlefield on the right
The Homecoming game, where all this would take place, was November 3rd, and my twirling odyssey began on Monday, October 22nd. While the band ran through its musical warm-ups, UMass twirlers Ally Littlefield and Madison Walgreen started me off from square one. We hadn’t gone too far when it was learned this might need some simplification. I give you…the thumb toss. You can find videos online about how to pull that one off. You can also find videos on how to tie a bowtie. I’ve watched most of those. And yet, three years into wearing a bowtie for my game-day uniform, I’m still having a student tie it for me. Some things you just can’t get. You may remember Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblaunch couldn’t throw the ball to first. That’s me….except my first base is a bowtie and a thumb toss. Luckily, Ally didn’t dwell on it, and when Coach Kristi arrived later on, the idea of teaching me a thumb toss went the way of many a good intention.
Now something you’ll notice about the picture above, this basic lesson is happening in front of the whole band, most of whom (if not all), didn’t know about my twirling plan. At first, I think people assumed this was just a gag; the drum major is leading warm-ups, I’m just wasting time with the twirlers. Little did they know, this was no (intentional) gag! And while snickers may have been going on, I was in dead earnest…and having to fight embarrassment. Let’s be honest; I’m a 5 foot 7, 45 year old, pudgy guy, trying to learn from 20 years old who are REALLY good. There’s an inevitable comedic aspect to it. But you know, I think it was good to start from the very beginning in front of everyone. Had I learned the routine away from everyone else, I don’t know how it would’ve gone over. The band might have been distracted when I made my debut; and if any bando is reading this, A.) I’m sorry, B.) you should be studying, and C.) you can confirm, the first time I passed by you or performed in your vicinity, your attention probably wasn’t focused on the task at hand. Sam Adelsohn, you know who you are! That’s okay, we won’t tell Prof. Hannum. It’ll just be our little secret. So I think for the band, and for me, it was good to start with an audience. After all, this wasn’t just going to be rehearsed; the end game was that I would actually perform at halftime of a football game; there would be an audience. Might as well get over the self-confidence issues from the get-go.
As you may recall, when I made my Color Guard appearance, I only performed 1/3rd of our tune. But this time around, I don’t think Kristi had a stopping place in mind. She asked me how much I wanted to do, and I said, “As much as I can.” In retrospect, I don’t know if I actually could of done any of it….but the point is, there was no end in sight. The tune we were doing was a medley of two Aretha Franklin songs, Respect and Natural Woman. It would have been easy to just have me twirl through Respect, but Kristi’s routine just kept going….and my early departure never happened. I guess I was in it for the long haul!
That first day, I learned a couple basic tricks: passing the baton under my left arm, make a circle, and the pass under my left leg. That one wasn’t too bad. Neither was the lunging, where the baton went under both legs. What should’ve been easy wasn’t, though. That was a side-to-side stepping, where you take four steps to the left, then four steps to the right, all the time twirling the baton. On count 2, your right foot is SUPPOSED to go behind your left. I emphasize “supposed”, because for reasons that probably only God knows, I just couldn’t get comfortable with that. I’ve never been a good dancer, so there is that. The other thing that got me was a pose where you just bounce up and down while twirling. Needless to say, after just a day or two, my twirling wasn’t exactly automatic. So I just held my baton, let it bounce up and down in my loose grasp, and bounced on that one leg. And oh yes…smile pretty!
I should also mention, we had marching drill to do as well. This was a trip, because twirlers….well, at least the UMass Twirlers don’t march like everyone else. You put your left hand on your hip, hold the baton in your right hand, and swing it back and forth while you go along your way. This goes for both marching and running. I think it might be called a “strut,” and I’ll tell you, it looks pretty cool. At least it did when demonstrated by Ally. For me, I’m sure there was an element of the ridiculous to it. Come to think of it, I have no doubt pretty much everything about me twirling was ridiculous, but let the record reflect….I took it seriously! I went to every practice and was always working at it.
Among the tricks I learned was a toss where you left the baton roll down your arms and then launch it straight up. I learned a cowboy spin, followed by something that look like a lasso routine. We even had a few exchanges (I think there were a total of 5 in the final production) where I and another twirler tossed batons at each other. Then ones where I was able to look straight at the person tossing weren’t too bad. But the one where I circled and tossed the person to my left without looking at them….that one took a LOT of work. Not to mention the fact that the person to my right had a baton coming at me! I don’t think I got comfortable with that one till the day of the performance….but SPOILER ALERT…I don’t think I dropped on that exchange once, during either of the shows!
As the days went on, the routine got more and more complex. By this time, the Rubicon had been crossed: I was going the entire 3 minute production. There was no turning back….and I have to say, most of that was because of the incredibly supportive and encouraging atmosphere the UMass twirlers provided. Kristi was always helpful; she pointed out what I needed to work on, but never treated me like a lost cause. She never criticized or groaned, but was always enthusiastic. And the team itself were so helpful. Ally Littlefield worked with me in particular, but both MiKenna and Madison were always kind. I was never made to feel like I was wasting their time. Those three are so talented and this routine had to be easy for them….but they never made me feel like it was an inconvenience. I’ll admit, I had never known too much about the UMass Twirlers in my previous seven years. I knew their names and would occasionally compliment them from the directors tower, but I had minimal interaction. The reason I bring this up is, the UMass Marching Band, from the days of my legendary predecessor, George Parks, has long promoted a feeling of family and acceptance. One of Prof. Parks’ most famous “Starred Thoughts” is, “Band is for everyone.” My compliments to the Twirlers; it’s clear they take that to heart, just as much as everyone else (I hope) does in our band. Twirling, apparently, is also for everyone!
About a couple days in, I realized I was going to need to put some extra time in to make this even remotely close to respectable. You remember, the team I would be twirling with had been doing this elementary school. How was I supposed to match that? I remember an article I once read about Magic Johnson, where he said, in junior high, he took a basketball with him everywhere. He wasn’t always dribbling; rather, he just wanted to make sure he was holding it, so that his hand would become accustomed to the feel. With that in mind, my purpose was clear. For the next week and half, wherever I’d go, so would “Rocky.” The name comes from the fact I am currently reading a history of the Rockefeller Family, so it was on my mind. Walking across campus, I’ve got a baton in my hand. Walking up and down Echo Hill to and from a bus stop; you can bet I’ve got a left hand on a hip and a right arm strutting. Watching TV at home while on the couch, or doing e-mail in my office, I’m gripping “Rocky” and twirling him around. You could say, I was attempting to become One with the Baton. How else could I make up the 15 year gap (at least) between my team and me?
We had two band events the weekend before the Homecoming. Saturday was a cold, wet football game at UCONN, and Sunday was the MICCA State Marching Band Finals. On neither occasion would I be twirling. Yet on both occasions, I had “Rocky” with me. On the bus rides both days, I had my Rockefeller history in one hand, and “Rocky” in the other. On the sidelines at UCONN, I practiced a few of the tosses and poses I had learned. The Twirlers, seated far above me, seemed pleased. Their pupil may not be good…but he was sincere!
I should also point out the great value there is in using a baton to direct foot traffic! When, at the MICCA Finals, a large majority of marching band members were going to run into the protected pace between our speakers (a major “No No” with our valiant equipment crüe), “Rocky” was of great aid in maintaining order. But sadly, no poses were involved.
And so, we move on to the week of the performance, and time is getting tight. We don’t rehearse marching band on Mondays at this point in the season, because its time to get the Hoop/Ice Band (pep band for basketball and hockey) started. Then, on another day, the grad students couldn’t be with us. They were going to work with the front ensemble, singers and small groups, up at Grinnell Arena (the percussion practice area). That left me to run the drill rehearsal, something I hadn’t done at all yet on this tune. The rehearsal went fine, but I missed out on valuable reps with the twirlers. That was problematic, because at this point, it was continuity I badly needed. For better or worse, I had an idea how to somewhat replicate the different elements in the routine. What I struggled with was….well, besides the struggle with just twirling a baton….was anticipating what was always coming next. I’m not going to lie, even in the performance, I was more than occasionally looking (hopefully out of the corner of my eye and not a full head pivot) at Ally or Madison, trying to make sure I was with what they were doing. And truthfully…I usually wasn’t. Once I saw what they were doing, though, I typically could catch up. I knew what the technique was. But knowing when it was coming….ahh, there’s the rub! (To quote Cantiflas)
One of the things that made it tougher for me than marching with an instrument was that the twirler routine doesn’t always line up with the music. For example, Respect, in the TA’s arrangement, ends with a big chord and then a bar of silence, before beginning Natural Woman. If you’re a musician, you’re thinking this is hold, your horn is to the box, you play your chord, and then you’re frozen, before the next tune starts. Well, that’s not the case when you’re a twirler! We had work that went right through the chord, right through the silence and continued into Natural Woman. For the musicians, Natural Woman was the start of a new idea, and as such, a new drill move. But for us twirlers (and yes, friends, I did just say “us twirlers” because frankly, that’s what I am at this point in the narrative. I’m not the band director right now), we’ve got work continuously. Everything we’re doing is by the numbers. And so, I had to shut off my musical instincts, and trust the counts Kristi was giving us. Lesson to be learned here: put faith in your teacher!
At this point, I guess we should discuss what I was going to wear. My first instinct was to have the twirlers wear my typical game day attire: dress shirt, blue blazer, khaki slacks, bow tie, sweater vest, and most important of all straw boater hat.
But let’s be honest: that’s not good twirling attire. They wear a one-piece skirt, with lots of rhinestones. A.) I wasn’t going to fit in that, and B.) as silly as this is going to sound, it’s true. I wasn’t doing this to be ridiculous. I knew it would get a lot of laughs, and I was okay with that. After all, so much of marching band is entertainment. But for me, this was going to be for real. I wasn’t out to embarrass myself. Kristi and the team were really working with me; I owed it to them to do my best. And so, I couldn’t wear a ridiculous outfit. I settled on buying a pair of UMass gym shorts, and then I had a long sleeve UMass t-shirt, which Ally rhine-stoned it up. I wore some gym socks and a pair of black Nikes. It wasn’t going to look the same as the team, but I think it sort of worked. What do you think?
Somebody’s shoes aren’t like the others!
This fall, we’ve had a ton of rain, and it’s really played mayhem with our marching band schedule. Because the fields have been so soggy, we’ve been relocated to a parking lot, or just forced to stay indoors. The day before the game, an afternoon shower made the latter our only option; there just wasn’t going to be enough dry time in the afternoon to chalk up yard lines in the parking lot. Normally I would’ve been upset. But then again, normally I’m not a baton twirler. I had no problem at all with an indoor rehearsal, because while the winds and percussion could do music, I would have extra time to twirl. It goes to show you how little I knew about our twirlers. I had no idea how, on rain days, they disappear to the racquetball courts in Boyden Gym. They’re small, confined, and with a tall ceiling….good for tossing. And since they are closed off, I could twirl without observation….Lord knows, plenty of that was coming in the morrow! This session is exactly what I needed. We spent over an hour, just going over the entire routine, chunk by chunk, as well as straight down. And again, I can’t emphasize enough how patient and encouraging Kristi and the team were. I was rough….but by the session’s end, I think I had a better idea. If nothing else, the sequencing was with me. Now, if only I can keep that information on lock-down in my head!
I should say something about tossing and catching. Twirlers do some phenomenal stunts, where they toss the baton up in the air, twirl around, and then catch it. We tried that with me a couple times in the racquetball court. Each time, it ended up with the baton crashing down on my head or back. I think what we settled with was me tossing it up, striking something akin to the Heisman pose, and then catching. At least that was the idea. I’m sure it would never be confused for this guy:
What was causing me the most problems was going back to baseball. I had always been taught to watch the ball into the glove, never take your eyes off the ball. Yet with a baton toss, you OFTEN take your eyes off the ball…err, baton. How else are you going to spin around? I have to admit, that was a habit I couldn’t break. My counterparts made it look natural….me, I’m watching that baton all the way into my hands. And oh yes…I also had to overcome a tendency to curse when I had a drop. Smiles everyone!
And so, it was soon Saturday morning. A trip to the Amherst Farmers Market, a stop at the Band Alumni pancake breakfast, and about a 90 minute window to get rehearsal in, before it rained on us. And rain it did….but not before we were able to rehearse the Aretha Franklin Medley on the field of McGuirk Alumni Stadium. With the staff far above, running rehearsal from the top of the stands, we twirlers got moved around on the field. This was a different experience for me. Usually I’m the one making corrections to the multitude below. Now I was being corrected. But I was a good sport….even though the corrections put us more into obvious view. There would be no hiding to any spectator what I was up to. And since it was Homecoming, those stands would have plenty of my former students in them. No two ways about it, the twirling debut of Timothy Todd Anderson would have no shortage of witnesses!
Before each home game, the Minuteman Band does a concert, where we perform the music for the day. We set up on the lawn in front of the Band Parents tail-gater. Its’ a fun event that gives the parents the ability to see their child perform, up close and personal. Aretha Franklin was to be third on the program, and I couldn’t see the twirlers. I had “Rocky” with me just in case. But just as we were finishing the previous tune, I saw the twirlers were gathered on the pavement behind the band. They and the color guard were going to run through their routines. I made a bee-line over there, took off my straw hat and my blue blazer and made my twirling debut. Here’s some pictures. You judge for yourself!
And yes, I did twirl in sweater vest, bow tie and khakis. Hey, I didn’t have time to change; I was going to have to conduct the Star Spangled Banner just 30 minutes later! There was a bit of an audience on hand; a University photographer I know from the gym took some pictures…haven’t seen where those ended up (aka, not sure if I should be worried). And among those who did pay witness was the gentleman whose auction bid put all this into motion. The Color Guard did see it and were encouraging. I thought it went okay….but I was clearly nervous. This wasn’t going to be ready for halftime. As they say, “Will it play in Peoria?”
Fast forward now to the second quarter. Ally tells me the twirlers practice before halftime. So I tell my TAs (you know, the same guys who wrote the halftime show that I’m about to perform in) to take over in the stands, and when to bring the band down for halftime. Me, it’s time to get changed and go into action. I felt like Superman. Well no…actually, that’s a lie. I didn’t feel like Superman at all. Rather than a phone booth, I was using a restroom stall. And when I emerged, the UMass logo on my chest glistening with rhinestones, I saw a friend of mine from Church in front of me. Fortunately, he hadn’t seen me. I decided to drop back and put my blazer back on. There were too many questions I just didn’t want to answer. Let me find the twirlers, let me get my practice on, and let fate have its way.
I found the team on the pavement outside one of the gates of the stadium. Because it was Homecoming, it wasn’t just Kristi, Ally, McKenna and Madison. There were 4 or 5 alumni twirlers there too, practicing a routine. A few of them had been in the band under me, while a few others I didn’t know. And friends, I have to tell you, this was the most nervous I had been. These individuals were the real deal; they were talented, they were UMass twirler alumni. They had performed with pride in our band….and here’s me. There were people like Jackie Peaslee, one of the best twirlers I’ve seen. I’m not lying to you when I say I was uneasy; the last thing I wanted was for them to feel insulted. I wasn’t treating this like a joke but the fact is…..the UMass Twirlers are good, and I’m an ungraceful beginner. There’s only so much you can do!
Alumni and current twirlers
But here’s the thing: I’ve already said how the UMass Twirlers are a welcoming part of the “Band is for everyone” credo; that also extends to their alumni. They applauded my efforts and you know something….that really got to me. To have those who proudly twirled for UMass in such a great style, to have them supporting me….well, I felt great about it. I got through the routine; we did it a couple times….and I’m feeling okay. It’s not perfect; there’s some things I’m still a little rushed at…..but the sequence is there. The biggest thing for me: I am now remembering the four count pose and circle/exchange after the 30 count scatter. I know that probably sounds like nonsense to the layperson…..but trust me. That’s something I just couldn’t remember pretty much till game day. Because if I forget it, there’s at least one drop happening. Eek, the horror! And now….there’s no more time to worry; it’s time to go over to the gate, rejoin the band, and take the field.
A day later, I can’t tell you if I was embarrassed or proud…probably a combination of the two. I’m not talking about the performance; I’m talking about the walk-up to the band. This was the first time they had seen me in my get-up. I think some of them may have thought this was a joke to this point. But seeing me in my rhine-stoned UMass shirt with “Rocky” in hand, alongside the rest of the team, there was the proof. This was no joke….at least not for me. This was happening. Cheers went up as I came in. And I knew the stands were full of people who were waiting for this. I don’t know how many alumni knew a few days earlier; I publicized it on Facebook the night before. But I have no doubt that the band rumor mill, which continues into Alumni Land, had been working on this. The point is, as halftime was about to begin, I’m sure the secret was out.
And just like that….it was time. I had watched so many times before the UMass Band run through the gate, cheering and hollering, rarin’ to start halftime. I usually walked along slowly, went to the front, checked in with Pat, our sound guy, and gave the cue to the drum major to bring the band to attention. Not so today. Today, I pulled up at the Side 2 30 yard line, checked where I was in between Ally and Madison…and waited. I heard our hype video playing behind me. I scanned the crowd and smiled. I couldn’t really make out faces….or maybe I was trying not to. I couldn’t completely give up being the band director, though. I hollered at Alex Wang, the drum major, to hurry things along. I knew we had a tight schedule at halftime, with the introduction of our seniors as well as our Band Alumni. Poor Alex, he was also the drum major on the 50 yardline when I marched guard, two years prior. The waiting seemed an eternity. It probably was only a few seconds….but at the moment, it seemed endless. Is this how Marie Antoinette felt when placed in the Guillotine? No doubt it was the nerves. How on God’s green Earth did I get myself into this? I, director of a college marching band, possessing a doctorate, standing on a football field in a rhinestoned t-shirt and gym shorts, holding a twirling baton. How was this happening?
And then the whistle blew. The band went to the ready. I looked over at Madison, to confirm what the twirlers do at this point. I had never practiced this moment before! I bowed my head, and crossed my hands over the baton, in imitation over her. This was about to happen. Matt Sypek, our band announcer began reading the script I had written just a day earlier….back when I was a band director. Now, my office in the Band Building was as remote as Antarctica. I wasn’t the band director right now, not for the next three minutes at least. Another whistle from Alex, the band yells “Hut”, and we all snap to attention. “We” includes me. The baton rests on my right knee, my left arm stretches upward, I lean back. I am hopefully in line with Ally, Madison and McKenna. There’s no turning back now. Matt reads the final words I wrote and then I hear the drum taps. This…..is…..about…..to…..HAPPEN!
I’ll let the pictures tell the rest, because frankly, what happened over the following three minutes was a blur of energy, adrenaline, hysteria, and (to me, honestly) glory.
Near the beginning, eyes on Madison to make sure I’m doing it right. Free hand making sure my gym shorts don’t slip.
An exchange. I think I caught this. Eyes on the baton.
A toss. I can’t remember if I actually tossed this or just faked it. Eyes are on something.
Lunge pass through the legs. I remembered this one!
After the over the arm, it’s under the leg. I might know what I’m doing!
The end of the show. I assure you, the smile is genuine!
Three minutes later, I collapsed on the 50 yard line. That was my one concession to comedy. Everything else, no matter how many laughs it had produced, was done “for realsie.” And if there had been laughs, I never knew. I was so completely in the moment, Csikszentmihalyi might have said I was in “the flow.” What I did know was, I had one drop, I recovered quickly, and I had done the entire routine. I’m sure it wasn’t perfect…..but it happened. It was gone on in a flash, and I had been part of it. Halftime then continued with the introduction of band alumni, our band seniors, and joint performances of Twilight Shadows and My Way. It was back to being a band director, and with a need to be off the field in 5 minutes, all business. But part of me was still bubbling with pride over what had just happened. As soon as half-time was done, I ran across the lot adjacent to the stadium. I saw Kristi and the twirlers going off to the restroom. I wanted to catch them first. I think I just needed affirmation. And boy did I get it! Kristi was all full of cheer; “You did so good!” she proclaimed. And man, when I tell you my heart was bursting, that’s no lie! I was like a school kid receiving an “A” on his book report. I had the teacher’s approval and it meant everything. I could not have been more proud. Thank you Kristi and UMass Twirlers!
But the day’s not over yet. I still had one more performance to go. As UMass Band fans know, the Minuteman Band’s day is not done when the game ends. Rather, we continue for a while after, with our post-game show. That’s where we perform our field show again, and I had decided we’d do Aretha Franklin one more time. This was so our hard-working TAs could have their material showcased again. That’s no lie…but I would be lying if I did not admit, I just wanted to twirl more than once. As I told people, it was hard….but it was fun. I truly enjoyed the process.
For reasons I don’t know, I changed out of my costume (that’s what twirlers called their uniforms, apparently) and back into my suit. But not long after the end of the Third Quarter, it was time to give instructions to the TAs, turn the band over to them, and get back into twirler mode. The sun had gone down by now and it was getting cold. I can’t imagine how I looked, back in my costume, with a heavy black rain jacket over it. Functionality over style, my friends. We reviewed the routine a couple times, went over a couple isolated moments that I wanted help on….and then waited…..and waited…and waited even more. But it was a good wait. The UMass football team had been losing, but in the closing two minutes, came back to tie the game. We went to overtime. And then double overtime. And finally triple overtime, which saw the Minutemen seal it with a game-ending field goal. Everyone was in good spirits, but we were cold. The whole band had uniforms on and many were shivering; I was in my rain coat and gym shorts!
I’ll spare you the details of the build-up to the post-game show. You’ve already read about the build-up to halftime. One thing I will add is, every section has a hype ritual they do, to get ready to perform. I don’t know if it’s a secret only know to the UMass Twirlers, but just to be safe, I’ll spare you the details. Just let it suffice that I was very honored to be allowed to participate. My second performance had two drops, rather than the one at halftime, but I still think it was better. My sense of continuity was improved sense of continuity; there was less looking at Ally and Madison for help. When it was done, I high-fived all 3 of them. In reality, I wanted to hug them. I was so appreciative for the process, for the mentorship, for the journey. I was still awkward and ungraceful….but I had done it. I twirled with an excellent team and was proud of what was accomplished. I wish I had a chance to thank Kristi and the team for all the two weeks had meant to me; hopefully this blog will suffice.
We still had our full field show to perform, as well as the band senior’s presentation, and since I was cold, I didn’t want to stand around in shorts and a long-sleeve tee anymore. The rhinestones may add glitter but they don’t do much for warmth! So I changed back into my suit for the rest of the festivities. I still had “Rocky” with me, but as we came to the close of the night, that too would end. One of the most beautiful traditions of the UMass Band is the playing of My Way. It’s our signature song, and this is the 40th year it’s happened It’s played at the end of every performance, and as such, it unites multiple generations of band members. Nowhere is this more true than at the Homecoming post-game. Hundreds, and I mean, hundreds of band alumni pour out of the stands and join the “baby” band on the field. People who marched in the 1970s, with those who just marched today, armed linked, voices joined in song, a complete celebration of the bond. It’s very beautiful, and means everything to anyone who has been part of the Minuteman Band.
Well anyway, the alumni twirlers came to join their baby counterparts on the field. Not all of them marched at halftime, so not everyone had a baton. Madison asked me if I was done with “Rocky” (for the record, she never called it that. I think I’m the only one to use that term), so that each alumni twirler could have a baton. Makes perfect sense. I told her, “Go ahead, my twirler career is over.” It was meant as a light-hearted comment, but you know what…..it hit me. I’m not going to lie, I felt a little like Cinderella at midnight. All this fun, this journey….this magic (?), all done. All good things pass and you never want to overstay your welcome. And I was so happy to see all the alumni sharing in fellowship; it’s right for the twirlers of now and past to be united. And no, I was under no delusion that I was one of them. Two weeks and a three minute performance doesn’t make one in the club. The fact was, my time was over. I’m the director and the current twirlers are band members. Therefore, my students. There’s a wall that will always be there and should always be there. They are great students, but they are students all the same. Just as Kristi is my colleague; I’m not her student anymore. There is a special bond between the twirlers and their alumni; it should be celebrated, and I have no claim to it. There were no tears from me. But still….I couldn’t help feeling the finality of it, the midnight bell had chimed. This wonderful two weeks of quick steps, cowboy spins, exchanges and half a dozen other tricks I never learned the names of….it was now like Napoleon Bonaparte, just a part of history.
But what a history it had been! A college football blogger back in late September wrote about how baton twirlers don’t belong in marching band. It went along the lines of band being the ultimate team activity (which I agree with whole-heartedly) and how twirlers don’t fit into that. I’ve already mentioned the featured twirlers at Iowa and Illinois. But those also individuals, not a team. The UMass Twirlers are the definition of a team, and as such belong in the team activity of marching band. But not just any marching band. They belong in OUR marching band, the Minuteman Marching Band. As Prof. Parks said, “Band is for everyone.” Well…so is twirling. I would never dare correct one of Prof. Parks’ Starred Thoughts….but perhaps I can be granted an addendum? Would that be okay? If so, ket’s go with this:
“(Twirling in the Minuteman Marching) Band is for Everyone!” to which I was going to add, with a nod to GEICO, “So easy a band director can do it!” But the truth of the matter is… it isn’t easy. But just as I’ve told our band, “I’ll never tell you this will be easy. I’ll tell you it’ll be worth it.” Being part of the UMass Twirlers for two weeks…….worth every minute of it. It may have been an auction bid which made it possible, but I feel like I got the full reward. To Kristi and the twirlers……thanks for the memories; I’ll remember them much better than when to do the exchange!
Till then, eyes and batons with pride!
Photo credit to UMMB alum Meghana Arvind
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