Colorado Mesa University’s marching band members are on the field and ready to roll when the whistle blows. The band’s practices are run with a slightly militaristic attitude, with the members standing in a straight line as their conductor, Dr. Hinkle, breaks down the day’s agenda.
The Maverick Stampede is busy this week drilling for their upcoming show, the Rocky Point Holiday show, which they will perform at the upcoming CMU football games and events. Rehearsals are full of singing, marching, dancing and instrumental practice in preparation for the show. Each and every member is present and accounted for.
The Maverick Stampede was founded in the fall of 2012, and is proud to be CMU’s largest student organization, with over 155 members in the fall of 2016. The band is open to all CMU students who wish to be a part of it, but it is not a sport (yes, marching band is a sport) for the faint of heart. It demands consistent practice, dedication and most importantly, attendance at practice.
Flutist Brittani Kissner showed up to practice on Tuesday with a bad cold, told her section leader she wasn’t feeling well enough to march, and stayed to watch the three-hour rehearsal so she could follow her section from the sidelines. “Attendance is very important, otherwise there’s just a big hole in your section,” Kissner said.
The band is looking forward to another season of fun music and performing for energetic crowds at football games.
“It should be an easy, simple season, with just a couple games, and four Saturday performances,” said Kissner.
Fellow flutist Justin Nickerson said, “I’m looking forward to playing a new instrument for a second consecutive season. Games are fun, especially the energy in the stands. So is the parade around campus on game day.” The band members take over the campus and the streets at they march from Stocker Stadium back to their practice field on the opposite side of campus.
Dr. Hinkle leads the Maverick Stampede as Head of Athletic Bands, trumpet instructor, advisor of Music Ed. majors and a full-time professor of music. He has integrated a couple of pop songs into the setlist this season, including “NO” by Meghan Trainor and “Cheerleader” by OMI.
These songs are “specifically geared towards the students,” said Hinkle.
He does this in order to achieve a “better connection to the student population,” Hinkle said. Dr. Hinkle founded the Maverick Stampede back in 2012 and has been building it up from the ground ever since.
“I liked the challenge of growing a band and building traditions. I don’t have to change silly traditions from before,” Hinkle said.
This coming week, the Maverick Stampede will be performing a combined show featuring their new numbers, including “Cheerleader.” They have been breaking the show down to the core, rehearsing each section one by one before putting it all together, in order to perfect it for the CMU community to enjoy watching. They are preparing for a brass-kicking season.
