The Jesuit-Ursuline Ranger Band
It’s 7 o’clock in the morning, and the members of the Jesuit-Ursuline Ranger Band are just beginning to start with music and drills. All of the band members know that it takes practice, determination, and more practice to get to the right spots at the right time when the show is live. This is a routine that encompasses most mornings for the band members and has instilled a discipline that truly shows in their performances.
The show the Band members are preparing assiduously for is based off the popular rock band “Queen,” consisting of complex movements and visuals from over 80 ardent band members. The show will be performed at every football game this season, and the band will add more to the show as the year continues. All movements are hit Queen songs that are considered to be held close to the hearts of many. The show starts off with “We Will Rock You,” followed by “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” eventually finishing with callback to “We Will Rock You.” Michael Miramontes ’18, who plays clarinet, described the performance as “spectacular” and “a nice twist on a classic [songs].” Sam Eppich ’18, a snare drummer in the drum line, explained that “even the opposing team [sometimes] cheers for us” and that their choice for this year’s show will definitely be “a fan favorite.”
The Preparation
The Ranger Band directors have been planning out the show for 6 months, starting in early spring around April, picking songs to include in the show, and using a professional music arranger to convert the music into pieces that the band can play. Then in the beginning of August during Band Camp, the Ranger Band honed their skills and “really [dove] into the music” according to Assistant Band Director Mr. Zane Crownover. “We hired a professional music arranger to take each part of the song,” Mr. Crownover explained. “We’re really excited.” The show enjoyed at the halftime of every game is a product of months of preparation and hard work by not only the band members but also the directors. After months of work and morning practices everyday, the Ranger Band hoped to stun the crowd throughout the season with an exciting show to be remembered.
Cotton Bowl Show
The last time the Jesuit-Ursuline Ranger Band put on a show in the Cotton Bowl was three years ago, and Friday night they made a spectacular return. According to Sam Eppich ’18, “only the current seniors had played in the Cotton Bowl,” during their freshman year in the fall of 2013. Eppich explained that “[he hadn’t] done anything on the scale of the Cotton Bowl,” but he was still “excited to perform.” The Cotton Bowl’s over 90,000 seat stadium was the perfect platform for the Ranger Band to exhibit their truly spectacular performance. The performance was something to be proud of as the show stunned both sides of the stadium, receiving a strong, positive response from the crowd. The magnanimous domed stadium amplified the Ranger Band’s astonishing performance.
Be sure to see the Ranger Band perform at halftime in Postell Stadium on Friday, September 9 and every home game this season to see how the show progresses. Go Rangers!
