With NCAA basketball heating up and heading into the post season next week on some levels, the familiar sound of the college band is bound to ring through web casts and TV broadcasts throughout the nation.  But are pep bands a thing of the past, or are they necessary to the enjoyment of college basketball?

From our side, we love pep bands.  When you get a good pep band that really gets into the game and provides a positive atmosphere for the teams, it really does make a vast difference over pre-recorded music.

Back in January, NCAA’s High Five counted down the best pep bands in college basketball.

http://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2015-01-05/high-five-best-pep-bands-george-mason-green-machine

GMU Green Machine from Yahoo Sports

The top pep band, The George Mason University Green Machine led by Dr. Michael Nickens (aka Doc Nix).  Ironic as the school didn’t even have a true pep band going back to the latter part of the 20th century, but what they’ve done since the school’s improbable run to the Final Four ten years ago, has created an atmosphere at the Fairfax, Virginia, school that was sorely missed and yearned for by students.

Some of the positive factors of the Green Machine, is they play music that the students in the band and at the games can relate to.  This raises the fun level of the members of the band which comes through in what they are playing and then extends to the crowd.  Take a look at their YouTube channel and it’s hard not to get energized listening to the Doc Nix-lead group play Bon Jovi, Rage Against the Machine, Otis Redding or one of the dozens of songs they have in their arsenal.

Check out this video from Mason Madness, their basketball kickoff from earlier this season:

What also makes the Green Machine so different is how they incorporate different elements into their sound, such as singers, violins, violas and even DJs.

Keep an eye on the movements of the band members, they’re moving in a fluid formation that exudes fun and isn’t too stiff or stuffy.  They put a lot of effort into their performances and it shows.

Don’t think that your pep band has to be the Green Machine overnight, because they weren’t the Green Machine.  Doc Nix led a group of students into becoming such an awesome production by bringing passion and fun to the experience.  Even small schools can do this.  Here are some suggestions for schools looking to add or improve their pep band experience:

1. Master the school fight song and alma mater.
2. A good-sized song catalog.  At least 15-30 songs ranging all genres, but look to expand on this as your band gains more experience.  It gives your listeners a good variety of songs to listen to.  Try not to repeat songs, then work on not repeating songs each game.
3. New music, always be on the lookout to add new music.  Especially Top 40 and music that relates to the students.  The students are your future alumni, if they enjoy basketball games as students, that will only help your school in the future when they become business leaders in your community.
4. Keep it fun for everyone.  Play songs the band enjoys playing, the songs that they would play if they didn’t have to.
5. Familiar songs that most people know.  The following list is just a suggestion of songs to start with and songs we’ve heard over the years:
   • Livin’ on a Prayer (encourages call-and-response)
   • Land of 1,000 Dances
   • Carry on My Wayward Son
   • Thriller
   • Worlds Apart (WWE song, has a lot of horns)
   • Happy
   • Shake It Off
   • Bulls on Parade
   • Enter Sandman
   • Mony Mony
   • We Will Rock You
   • Can’t Hold Us
   • Rock Around The Clock
   • Stayin’ Alive
6. Songs that use the big sound that take advantage of the full sound of the band.  Horns and drums dominate a lot of songs, but if you have strings, guitars, etc. that can add to the sound, adapt accordingly.
7. Have fun, encourage synchronized movement among band members.
8. Encourage drum lines and beats during brief stoppages.
9. Add crowd prompts to encourage fan involvement.
10. Play songs that fans can sing-a-long to, or move to.  Like YMCA, Macarena, etc.

DiverseEducation.com: George Mason University Marches to the Peppy Musical Mix of ‘Doc Nix’

As we get ready to assist the Old Dominion Athletic Conference with their conference tournament, and the NCAA Division-III National Championship tournament, we can’t wait to hear what the pep bands have in store for the upcoming weeks of college basketball.  Have fun out there!