The scoreboard may have told one story on Homecoming night, but the music coming from the stands certainly told another. With every song and cheer, the pep band kept the energy moving throughout the crowd and student section, showing that school spirit does not depend on the final score.
Between each play, the band played songs like “Radioactive,” “The Hey Song,” “Seven Nation Army,” and many more. After every point the Buffalo team scored, they played the school song, “Stand For Our Team,” – a tradition that has continued within the pep band for years.
The band played with a clear, resolute sound throughout the stadium, allowing the crowd to immediately recognize the tunes. With each number, the bleachers seemed to shake with the intensity of the music as students sang and stomped along. The student section cheered along with the songs, adding their own voices to the music and filling the stadium with sound.
Homecoming is far from an ordinary game. The stands were filled with more than twice the number of band members they typically have, and unlike most sporting events, they stayed from start to finish. With dozens of songs played throughout the night, the band has a much bigger role in keeping the Homecoming crowd energized and creating a spirited atmosphere with each note.
The size of the band also gave their Homecoming performance a different sound than the average game. With more musicians playing together, each song carried a fuller sound through the stadium, making the band’s presence difficult to miss.
When the clock hit zero, even though the Bison had lost this time, the band played Stand For Our Team one final time, showing that the school spirit is bigger than the scoreboard.
