{"id":6546,"date":"2024-01-16T17:59:25","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T23:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/?p=6546"},"modified":"2024-01-26T13:46:28","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T19:46:28","slug":"we-are-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/16\/we-are-alive\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We are alive\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>UTRGV Marching Band made its performance debut in Fall 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Timothy Chapman<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"764\" src=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-16-at-5.55.20-PM-1024x764.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-16-at-5.55.20-PM-1024x764.png 1024w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-16-at-5.55.20-PM-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-16-at-5.55.20-PM-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-16-at-5.55.20-PM.png 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Courtesy photo Paul Farris<br>UTRGV Marching Band walking down the McAllen Holiday Parade on Dec. 2.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/utrgvradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Tim-2024-Marching-band-story_mixdown.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">In a record time of less than seven months, the UTRGV Marching Band wowed crowds across the Rio Grande Valley during its performances last fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The marching band\u2019s first performances were at an Oct. 14 Pigskin Jubilee event and the Dec. 2 McAllen Holiday Parade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UTRGV Athletic Band Director Ronnie Rios said a typical university would have done its first performance in its second or third year. However, UTRGV did it in a matter of weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cAs a matter of fact, that was one of our proverbs that we announced at our shows was, \u2018Eight weeks ago, this band was not around, but today we are alive,\u2019\u201d Rios said. \u201cThe name of our show was called \u2018Being Alive.\u2019 We actually did a Stephen Sondheim song in the middle of our production called \u2018Being Alive.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Rios explained he decided to let the band play as soon as possible because of the hard work members put in, saying he wanted to give them something they would be proud of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cIt would have been very convenient not to perform, but I think the students deserved to perform after all the hard work that they put in, and they deserved that and they embraced it,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Color guard member Laura Mendoza said leading up to the first performances, she was asking herself if the band could really do this, but through talented musicians, it all worked out in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cWe worked as a team,\u201d Mendoza said. \u201cWe definitely relied on one another, and it was probably, like I think it was the best thing to really go in like headfirst into it. Because like Rios said, it makes everything easier from now on. And now we know what to do from here on out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The marching band\u2019s very first performances were at a Pigskin Jubilee where the band played at one event early in the day and then traveled to a different event later in the evening and Mendoza described how quickly the band improved within those hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cIt felt like a disaster at first,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the more and more that we figured out, like, \u2018OK, this is what we got to do, this is where we got to go.\u2019 And we figured it out and we did it pretty well. Pretty damn good job.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Drum Major Paul Farris said the feeling around the band was more excitement than nervousness and he made sure to keep his fellow players calm by giving them words of encouragement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cI tell my sectionmates when I was in [the McAllen Holiday Parade] \u2026 \u2018When you look at the crowd, the first person that&#8217;s right in front of you is me, so you don&#8217;t have to feel nervous, I\u2019m the closest to the stands so I feel like they\u2019re looking at me and they&#8217;re looking at you and you\u2019ll be OK,\u201d Farris said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Farris said it was special being able to grow interest in the community and have the support while the band performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201c I know our first performance, we had kids that their eyes were saucers just watching us the whole time,\u201d he said. \u201c<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information about the marching band and how to join, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utrgv.edu\/marchingforward\/\">utrgv.edu\/marchingforward<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is Timothy Chapman for Vaquero Radio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UTRGV Marching Band made its performance debut in Fall 2023 Timothy Chapman In a record time of less<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":6547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[569,34],"tags":[606,41,42,26],"class_list":["post-6546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic","category-entertainment","tag-606","tag-fall","tag-students","tag-utrgv"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - 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