People often dismiss pep bands as the music that plays in the background at games without grabbing much attention. But for the group at Eastern, their tunes mean a whole lot more than quick breaks during games or halftime shows. With fresh direction and ideas pouring in from the students, this pep band is turning into a real emblem of togetherness, that raw campus buzz, and some genuine shifts happening around here.
Charles Hallahan stepped up this past year to guide Eastern’s pep band. He talks about what these bands really do and how they’re wrapped up in collective moments. “Hard to nail it down precisely,” Hallahan pointed out, “yet pep bands touch on so much: they link to community vibes and that lively spark popping up all over campus.” Sure, folks tie them mostly to school events, but Hallahan stressed the core is the music itself, forging those instances that draw everyone in close.
For Hallahan, getting involved with Eastern’s pep band felt like circling back to old territory, “As the band launched into their first basketball sessions, it pulled me right back to those college gym atmospheres, complete with a band firing things up, connecting straight to big parts of my earlier work.” That throwback feeling amps up his eagerness for where the program heads next.
Hallahan wants to hold off on massive overhauls, but he spots potential for expansion. “I’d say it’s more about gradual development, perhaps some natural progression, not huge flips.” Down the line, he pictures the band stretching out past sports gigs. “This outfit should shine as a major icon for the university folks, acting like a roaming representative that plays, shows up, stands for the school in every possible spot.”
One recent change shows this growth in action, the pep band started showing up for women’s basketball games as well. This is a real switch in how they spread out across campus. That lively vibe now hits those matches too, it broadens what the band covers and backs Hallahan’s idea of them popping up anywhere spirit needs a boost.
Hallahan figures any tweaks to the pep band land squarely on him. “Handling those falls to me,” he noted; still, he invites thoughts from students, staff, administrators and anyone else. He also highlighted how the band builds a real sense of fitting in, pointing out that “past the actual music-making, it’s a strong place to feel part of something.”
Lakeem Davis, back for another round in the pep band, views it as an intimate extension of marching band ways. “Sort of a condensed, evening take on marching band.” He mentions how they ” stay in a small, tight group, jumping straight into the game energy.”
Davis did point out that a, “key shift [is] no more color guard up in the stands.” The move aimed to free up guard folks for spring prep time, but Davis added that guard members hang out in the stands cheering anyway. “Still, I do miss the whole team out there performing.”
Will Tonnies, new to the pep band, sees it differently. He thinks of it as keeping the marching band drive alive through winter. “[It’s] basically, the cold-season slot for marching band types.” What gets him pumped is joining at the start, “[I’m] excited to dive into these beginning days at Eastern’s pep band, helping shape a bit of history.”
Tonnies picked up on changes in the music picks and the overall drive during plays. “[We are] moving toward brighter, more engaging songs throughout the season.” He reckons these tweaks boost how the band comes across. “When the audience catches on to the tracks, they’ll join in, get that real groove going,” boosting how visible the pep band is might draw in more recruits later.
Anika Budlow, a senior from the color guard side, shared mixed feelings on the updates. She sees pep band as a bridge pulling campus folks together behind Eastern’s teams. “Those melodies tie bonds, stir up joy,” she said. But Budlow felt let down by the guard getting sidelined from the pep band this year. “Losing our spot to show off in the stands hits as the biggest switch,” she noted, mentioning lots of students got puzzled by it and long for the guard displays.
Even with varied takes, the students all nod to this: pep band counts for plenty. Through fond memories and fresh ideas, Eastern’s pep band keeps adapting, pushing that school pride along, note by note.
