In The Social Media Craze

Bands are jumping on the bandwagon of the latest online trends.

- Savy Leiser

This past summer, the trumpet section at the University of Southern California (USC) Trojan Marching Band got a new member: Pidgey, a first generation Pokémon. The Spirit of Troy tweeted a screenshot of the popular new game Pokémon Go, which placed Pidgey right next to USC’s line of trumpets. “If you’re doing a trend high school students are interested in, you’re going to get recruitment,” says Brett Padelford, USC director of public relations.

Whether it’s a college band recruiting new members, a military band spreading pride, or a high school band preparing for competition, every band incorporating popular music, dances, and social media trends has a common goal: to entertain, excite, and engage its audience.

BANDS SAY, “WATCH ME!”

During the past two football seasons, bands around the country have been entertaining crowds with their renditions of Silentó’s 2015 hit, “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).” “We try to be entertainers; popular music is the way in,” says Dr. Renardo Murray, director of bands at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi.

Alcorn State performed “Watch Me” at its 2015 game against Georgia Tech. During the dance, most wind players set their instruments down on the field, freeing their full bodies to dance to the drumline’s beat and the sousaphones’ melody.

After the game, the Alcorn State Band enjoyed positive responses from the show’s spectators and congratulatory emails from people who saw a video of the show posted to YouTube. “We [even] received emails from the Georgia Tech band,” Murray says.