Who brings the music to the students and gets them excited at games and events? It’s the Colorado Mesa University Maverick Stampede. This is the CMU marching band that is prepared and ready for a season of pumping up the crowd and music.

“The Maverick Stampede, CMU’s marching band and largest student organization, has been rehearsing since Aug. 10 this season to prepare for performances that will take place at various on and off-campus events through Dec. 7,” Director of Athletic Bands Jonathan Hinkle said. “These include campus and downtown parades, various home football game-day events [performances for tailgaters, on-field performances during pregame and halftime and in the stands] and other CMU athletic and campus events.”

As the Stampede keeps busy with providing tunes to the crowds they are also going on tour this October.

“The Maverick Stampede has begun working to produce a special on-field exhibition show titled “Stampede Rocks!” featuring musical motives of legendary rock-and-roll bands including Queen, Kiss, Black Sabbath, Journey, Guns & Roses, Bon Jovi and Lynyrd Skynyrd,” Hinkle said.

This rock show medley was a collaboration of senior student leaders, Preston Sitton and Gave Gallegos, drumline staff leader, Isaac Lavadie and director Hinkle.

“The Maverick Stampede is looking forward to taking “Stampede Rocks!” on tour in October, with performance stops at various high schools and a final featured guest performance at the Arapahoe Marching Band Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 20,” Hinkle said.

This tour is a three-day trip that not only is a marching band competition, but also serves as recruitment for future CMU students and band members. The show is over seven minutes in length since there are many songs in the set. The tour will begin with a send-off performance at CBA regionals on Thursday, Oct. 18. They leave early the next morning and as they make their way they will stop at various high schools. Then they will perform twice at the Arapahoe Invitational.

Another exciting aspect for the Stampede is the home football game during parents weekend on Oct. 13 where they will perform songs from the “Stampede Rock!” Tour. They will also be dressing up in ‘rock costumes’.

“We anticipate that students and audience members will join in the fun of this look, perhaps even dressing-up themselves,” Hinkle said. “There will be plenty of opportunities for audience members to sing along to a favorite rock chorus (like “Living on a Prayer”) while the band performs.”

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This year Hinkle explained that the Stampede has a strong group of students.

“Exceptionally motivated and enthusiastic group of student leaders, strong returning veteran members and a large group of talented rookie members joining CMU and the Maverick Stampede from more and more non-Mesa County schools (from the front range and beyond),” Hinkle said. “I am excited about the expanding diversity of the ensemble.”

The Stampede season was prepared in March of last semester and preseason camp began Aug. 10. There are several performances that the band has to learn for various off-field performances as well. Hinkle explained that there is a lot of work that is put into the marching band season.

“It has been my experience as a school band director, now for 17 years, that many audience members are surprised to learn how much rehearsal time is necessary to make a group such as the Maverick Stampede come together even for a ‘short’ performance,” Hinkle explained. “This is just truly how “good” marching bands work . . . so many moving parts.”

On campus or off-campus the Maverick Stampede will represent CMU and pump up the crowd.