Ryan “Stack” Clark, One of the 330 Strong, Was Ing Saturday Scrimmage
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ON A CAMPUS RECOVERING FROM UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY, THE MARCHING VIRGINIANS FACE A DAUNTING TASK: TO HEAL THEMSELVES—AND GET EVERYONE DANCING AGAIN YOU PUT YOUR RIGHT FOOT IN. Tentatively, you step onto the Virginia Tech campus on a sublime Sunday afternoon in mid-August. Classes are a week away, so only a few people are walking across the Drillfield. Not much is BY STEVE WULF going on. Then you hear it: the boom-boom of the bass PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID BURNETT drums, the boppity-bop of the tenors, the tak-tak-tak of the snares, the tinkle of the glockenspiels. This is the 1 5 first day of band camp for the Marching Virginians, and the 8 drum line is rousing Blacksburg from its summer trance. C M Y K C M Y K COLLEGE FOOTBALL 330 STRONG Let’s stop for just a moment to consider the line leaders Rob Curtin (fifth year; economics) and “Krusty” Christensen (third year tuba; mechanical It may not be fancy—and it At the Thursday rehearsal in Cassell Coliseum, college marching band. There are those who would Adam Church (fourth year; agriculture). McKee has engineering) to the hardware store to get bee spray. may have bees—but the Alexandra Davis (fourth year tuba; music) and her dismiss it as an anachronism, a bunch of dorks who been the director of the MVs for 22 years, but this All between 8 and 9 o’clock. tuba trailer does the trick. beau, Brian Taylor (fourth year tuba; political play dress-up and sousaphones and music not is a new one. Percussion and tubas are stored in Meetings follow: with the officers, with drum science), demonstrate the steps and panache normally found on an iPod. Forget and forgive such three funky truck trailers next to the horticulture majors Jordan “Razor” Booker (third year; required for the “Hokie Pokie.” cynics, because chances are they have never been center overlooking the band’s field, which it shares psychology/biochemistry) and Stephen Shelburne when Georgia beat us in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.” “And you shake yourself about …” Put them to a big college football game and seen how much with the track program. Bees have taken advantage (third year; music), with the fraternity and sorority Dave bursts with pride over them: “It’s rare to in uniforms, drape 55-pound sousaphones around a band means to school spirit. They’ve never of holes that were drilled in the trucks’ sides to providing support this week, with the flag leader- have a sophomore drum major, and I had two last their necks and multiply by 11, and you can see marveled at the formations or heard the fanfare or secure the tuba racks. ship. Every once in a while, McKee’s cell phone goes year. Jordan and Stephen were both magnificent, why it’s a crowd pleaser: the Rockettes meet felt the rumble beneath their feet. It would be nice if VaTech had the same band off to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching from the first day of camp to that day in Augusta.” Fantasia. “I first saw it when I was 5 years old,” They’ve almost certainly never been to Lane facilities as, say, Penn State—McKee actually has a In.” New arrivals and alumni pop in to say hi. He That day in Augusta was April 21: Ryan Clark’s says Alexandra. “I’ve wanted to be a tuba Stadium and witnessed the “330 Strong” of the PowerPoint in which he compares the Nittany Lions’ shows them, on his desktop, a news story about the memorial service at Lakeside High. More than 100 ever since.” Marching Virginians move as one to form the out- spacious bathrooms with his Porta-Johns—but new Marching Virginians uniforms, each with a MVs went down to Georgia to honor him, and at To those outside Hokie Nation, the “Hokie Pokie” line of their state then scurry to morph into the what the heck. “I still have the greatest job in the tribute to Ryan Clark sewn inside. the middle of the service, they played the soar- might seem a turkey of a song, the province of Virginia Tech logo—a complex maneuver that ing theme from Superman that they usually break party DJs of the last century. But back in 1980, takes just 25 seconds—all while playing “Carry out at the end of the game—when lighter band then-band director James Sochinski decided it Me Back” and “VPI Victory March.” Nor have non- ON HIS DESK, A COASTER READS, “WHAT IF THE members are held aloft. Jordan had to conduct it. should be part of the MVs’ repertory. So he wrote a believers had the pleasure of watching a chorus line “I’m trying very hard to keep my composure,” he neat arrangement and asked executive officer Bob HOKIE POKIE REALLYIS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT?” recalls. “I look over to my left and see someone cry- White to choreograph a dance for the tuba section. ing. I look over to my right and see more tears. So Bob, an electrical engineer who has a daughter, I look straight ahead and someone else is crying … Taylor (third year trombone; geology), in the band, officers on Tuesday afternoon, and, judging from I look up and see Stack’s name. That’s when I lost is also the unofficial photographer for the Marching The big drama of the day is the percussion cut: the groans and the cheers, Hokie Nation is more it. But I knew if I started crying, everyone would. Virginians, which is why he’s known as Slide Show six of 39 must go. McKee, who was a drummer in a likely to hear “Freebird” than “I Feel Pretty” at So I just conducted with my eyes closed.” Bob. Anyway, Bob says, “The band tried other ’70s rock band (ever hear of Cacapon?), and Will halftime of the Miami game, on Nov. 17. Jordan smiles at the memory. dances that didn’t catch on, but when people saw Petersen, the assistant band director, wander out- Will, a former tuba in the Indiana U. marching the tubas do the ‘Hokie Pokie’ at halftime of the side Squires to listen as Rob (snare) and Adam band, may be ample of girth, but he’s light of spirit, “U of V A sounds like some bulls— to me, to me/ 1981 Peach Bowl, there was no turning back.” (tenors) put the drum line to the test. When they’re and he and Dave make a fine good-cop/good-cop U of V A sounds like some bulls— to me.” There is a deeper meaning to the song. “To done, McKee tells them, “Whether or not you make team. “The MVs are as much about leadership as Already looking shell-shocked from registration be in the Marching Virginians,” says treasurer it, you should be proud you tried. If you don’t make they are about musicianship or marching,” says and auditions, the rookies are in the Recital Hall, Shannon Snyder (fifth year clarinet; animal it, don’t call Mom and tell her you’re taking the Dave. “Sooner or later, the kids will get tired of listening to the leadership sing a little ditty. While and poultry sciences/agriculture and applied next bus home. There are opportunities to play on hearing my voice. I want to make it later.” the song is ostensibly about the rival Cavaliers, economics), “you have to throw yourself into this campus, and there’s always next year.” To that end, he’s brought in outside leaders for a it’s really about raising the spirit level. The exec, it. Dave is constantly telling us to ‘sell it’ so The percussion leadership reconvenes in McKee’s seminar: Clay Davis and Vic Stewart, two former Seager, calls, “Hi, rookies.” When they come back people in the nosebleeds can see and hear us. office and gives him their eight snares, five tenors, MVs and successful business executives. Their with a weak “Hi, Josh,” he calls, “Hi, old-timers,” You have to give of yourself.” six basses, eight cymbals and six mallets (glocken- theme is 212, the number of degrees at which water spiels). Neither Dave nor Will second-guesses the boils. “Too often people stop at 211, and all they choices; they let band members decide who’ll be get is hot water,” says Davis. “One more degree, “I LOOK UP AND SEE STACK’S NAME. THAT’S WHEN I LOST posted on the list in the drum room. “I really like that little extra effort, gives you steam power.” the stories of perseverance here,” says Dave. Truth be told, the officers don’t need much lead- IT. BUT I KNEW IF I STARTED CRYING, EVERYONE WOULD. One of them is bass drum Tom “TMart” Martin ership help; they’re naturals. The executive officer, SO I JUST CONDUCTED WITH MY EYES CLOSED.” Camp’s grueling five-a-days (second year; geology), who volunteered to be a Josh Seager (fifth year alto sax; mechanical engi- make surviving the cut world,” he says. His office in the Squires Student manager last year after he was cut: “I was down for neering), wants to design roller coasters, though (top) that much sweeter. Center is filled with framed tributes to all the bowl two days, but I was happy they let me be a man- his people skills mark him for something grander. and outmanned veterans give a rousing “Hi, Josh.” And they do. They give their time: 15-hour days games the MVs have been to.