The Goin' Band is Goin' Places With Joel Pagán

Director of the Goin' Band from Raiderland, Dr. Joel E. Pagán, joins this episode of The Vocal Cue with your host, Hayden Browning. They discuss workload, communication, instruments and dive into the upcoming Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where the Goin' Band will be featured.

Dr. Joel E. Pagán is Assistant Professor of Music, Associate Director of Bands, and Director of Athletic Bands at Texas Tech University where he serves as the director of the Goin' Band from Raiderland, conductor of the Concert Band, and director of the Court Jesters Indoor Athletic Band. His primary areas of research interest include music teacher preparation, music teacher effectiveness, secondary student engagement, conducting, and educational psychology.

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Kind of like pecan. Yeah. Pagan. Pagan. Kind of a hard dream pagan kind of.

unknown 0:06

Yeah.

Speaker 1 0:12

Hello, welcome to the Vocal Cue. I'm your host, Hayden Browning. Today I'm here with Dr. Joel E. Pagan of Texas Tech University. He's assistant professor of music as well as associate director of the bands and director of the athletic bands. Which is a lot to do. It is a lot. So I want you to go into that. I want to talk about how much work do you actually do? Because it seems like you have a lot on your plate.

Speaker 0:38

Yeah, there is. I mean, um, as associate director of bands, I mean my primary um responsibilities at tech is I direct all the athletic bands, which includes the Going Band from Raider Land, of course. Um, but we also have indoor athletic bands, so the court gestures. Uh, so we play at all the home men and women basketball games. We also do some select volleyball games, so and there's a lot of behind-the-scenes planning that goes along with that. We have to get the group together, and so and that tends to coincide with right in the middle of our marching season as well. So with going band, there's a lot that goes into that, obviously. Lots of students, lots of planning, uh new um show for every home game that we do. We travel typically the two-away games, and in the midst of that, we're also getting ready to get our court gesture started. So, um, in terms of time, there's a lot that happens in the fall because not only are we gearing up with the going band, but we're also trying to get people who are interested, and there's usually quite a bit who want to play for all the basketball games. And so, like right now, we're actually doing that. We just played for a volleyball game last week, we're getting ready to play for one tomorrow night. Uh, so it's kind of dual duty. So there's a lot that goes on to that in in the fall. And of course, in the spring, um, it's primarily the basketball bands that we're doing. And as you know, with the basketball team doing really well, it keeps us really busy, and we're playing for all the home games for the men and women, so there's a lot that goes into that. Um, and then we have post-game, postseason travel in the spring as well. And then towards that, we're also gearing up for the following year because we have to plan for all the shows for the following year. So there's it's uh it's a cycle that just never stops with the athletic bands.

Speaker 1 2:07

Wow, it sounds like a very communicative process. It is very much so. How much of that communication do you think goes between uh conductor to students, from conductor to um management? Like how much of that goes into play?

Speaker 2:20

Well, there's a lot. I mean, we we're constantly communicating with the students, obviously, with all that's going on, but not just with the students, but even with um administration, with athletics, you know, because a lot of what we do, of course, supports athletics. So there's a lot, there's a lot of moving parts, you know, with what we do, with what they do, so there's got to be a lot of open communication. Wow, that's excellent. Yeah.

Speaker 1 2:38

Well, um, speaking of preparing and preparations, what preparations have you made for this upcoming Macy's Day Parade?

Speaker 2:45

Oh, quite a bit, yeah. So we've this is something we've actually known this for about two years now, believe it or not. Um we submitted an application a couple years ago. We knew about a year out, a little under a year out, that we've been accepted to go. Um so at that point, we'd already start thinking about okay, what are we going to do to represent Texas Tech? And part of this process with Macy's is they don't want us to reveal what we're doing until we're actually there. And so the whole idea is that we see it for the first time on NBC for the Macy's parade when they broadcast that. Um but I what I can say is that you know, once one thing we wanted to do is we wanted to play music that was if if you were a if you were a Texas Tech alum, when you hear it, you're gonna know right away, oh my gosh, this is Texas Tech, this is what's this is this is our school. And so we we have a medley of tunes that will speak to the heart of of what Texas Tech is. So it's gonna be really exciting when when they hear that for the first time.

Speaker 1 3:39

Could you go in a little bit of like I know you can't give specific information, but could you give us like hints towards the type of music we may be listening to?

Speaker 3:48

Well, absolutely. I mean, if you know if you if you're ever to listen to the radio, even like on any of the the talk tech radio, um you'll hear some of the music in the background, things like the fight song that's very iconic. So there'll be little pieces of that that you'll hear. You'll hear pieces of a lot of traditional tunes that we play even in the stands that are very recognizable, very iconic when it when it comes to the going band. So um I can say that there's gonna be you know two or three really iconic tunes that when you hear them, you'll know right away. Oh, this is Texas Tech University, and this is the Going Band doing this. So it's gonna be a really cool experience to hear. It's amazing.

Speaker 1 4:18

Um are you are you looking forward to spending that time with your students kind of one-on-one on this traveling journey?

Speaker 4:24

Oh yeah, it'll be fun. I mean, we you know, I always enjoy traveling with the students, and for this, it's gonna be it's gonna be a long week. You know, we we had the first couple of days in New York City where the students are essentially gonna have some free time on their own, which is gonna be nice. Um but then once Wednesday hits things, things really get um pretty busy. So, in terms of one-on-one, you know, with 418 students, there's it's a little difficult to be one-on-one with all of them, but uh we'll be certainly spending a lot of time together. Um, like I said, that Wednesday we start doing rehearsals for the Macy's Day Parade, and our rehearsals are usually around 2 30 in the morning, is what time that starts because the NBC crew and the camera, they have to watch every group that performs, and so they have to track that with their with their cameras. And so we'll be doing that first thing very early, Thanksgiving morning, and then the parade that morning. Um, and then Friday we'll we'll be heading back. So I I I look forward to it. It's always fun, and really I like to I almost live vicariously with the students because a lot of them, some are flying for the very first time, going to New York City, um, some maybe coming out of the state for the very first time, and some are going to New York for the first time. So being able to experience this trip with them and seeing you know the reaction to it, just the culture of the city, it's gonna be a lot of fun. Has this been your first time going out to New York City? No, this is uh I've been there a few times. Um I was lucky enough to go last year, and actually, um, so Mizzou, which is the University of Missouri's marching band, um, the March in Mizzou went last year, and I was able to basically hang with them so I can watch the whole experience firsthand. That's awesome. Um so yeah, it was really, really neat for them to have me out and do that. So I got to see and basically walk the whole parade route with them and experience that. So it would give me a better idea what to expect for this year. Um, but this is probably my fourth time going to New York City, so I'd I've been and I actually took a trip with my family last year in January just so that we can have that one-on-one time just with them. They'll be with me this year, but it's a little different experience when you have family and work at the same time. So I did get to enjoy the city just um with them last year.

Speaker 1 6:16

Well, that's excellent. Uh I'm sure that ties into that communication because you'd probably have to let Mizzou know a a year beforehand that you're gonna be tagging along. Did you have to do that?

Speaker 6:25

Yeah, well, they you know, they the the the director is uh part of an athletic um committee for athletic bands um in the throughout throughout the United States, and her name's Amy Knopps, and she she knew that we had been accepted because she was part of that committee. Um with Macy's. So she actually approached me um that summer when we first found out and kind of whispered in my ear, hey, congratulations. I heard you made it with your band, that's great. She goes, if there's anything I can do, you know, I've been there a couple of times with my band, so this would be a great experience. Uh if you want to come out and hang out with us for that, um, you're more than welcome to. And so it worked out where I was able to go do that. So they they extended that invitation for us to come over there and do that. That's how kind of them. Yeah.

Speaker 1 7:07

Absolutely, yeah, they were great. Speaking of uh good gracious, um, Wesley Watley, the Macy's Day Parade creative producer, has uh said this about the going Ben. They filled the stadiums with joyful, energetic, crowd-pleasing programming. And it's time that they bring that big Texas sound to the canyons of NYC at our Macy's Parade audience next Thanksgiving. If he were sitting here right now, what would you say to him?

Speaker 7:30

Oh, I would say, well that's that's very kind. I mean, I'm humbled to hear that. And um and but I agree with them. I mean, I I do think we're bringing something very special to this uh performance in New York City. Um I'm fairly certain that will be one of the largest bands that has played there in in quite a while. Um I I believe Mizzou was one of the one of the larger bands last year, and um they were just under 400, I think, uh 350, 360 maybe. And so we'll we'll be chiming in at about 418, and so that's that's really exciting. So that big sound will certainly be there when we're there. So um I look forward to that. And for Wesley, yeah, thanks. Thanks for saying that. That's really cool.

Speaker 1 8:06

Uh I also want to tag in on that. Uh traveling with your band as they go to football games and basketball games. Is there any like I don't want to say ritual, but uh is there any customs that you'll have before uh some sort of March?

Speaker 8:23

Yeah, well, you know, one it's it's always fun. So we typically travel to two-a-way games each year, and um one of some of the traditions that we have, there's actually a fake itinerary that the students do. Um, and so they I always it's it's always sent out to me, and um it's it's more of an inside joke. It's something that's only shared internally with the with the kids, but we always have an itinerary of hey, here's what time we're um we're meeting at the band hall or what time we're at the school of music. We hand out per diem, we love the buses. So we we have a very, very detailed itinerary, and um once we get on the road, they usually send me the here's the um the the faux itinerary, and so it's it's a lot of fun. I I I can't share all the details with that, but I will say that it's it gives us a good laugh on on the on the trip. So that's that's one big tradition that we do.

Speaker 1 9:05

So this past year, uh have you felt a change of how y'all's programming has gone from last year to this year, and do you think it's getting even more advanced?

Speaker 9:17

Yes, um, there has definitely been a change, and and this is something, I mean, a lot of it I know uh with the with the Macy's announcement, you know, there's a lot of excitement around that. And so we certainly saw an increase in numbers, more so than we've seen ever before. Uh we did an online music audition process this year, and we had I think over 500 students who applied. And um quite and I mean we we physically don't have enough instruments for everybody if we had had we accepted everybody. So we had to be selective uh with that process, and as a result, we we have you know one of the strongest groups we've ever had here. And um it really didn't dawn on me until after the first game. I had alumni um sending me emails coming up to me personally after games just talking about how you know this is the best the band has sounded such a long time, and so uh we've certainly seen an increase in just the the talent, the dedication of the students, and um, you know, and I really think that's going to, you know, moving forward that kind of will, you know, catapult us to continue doing that as we move forward and seeing that. So it's really been a really great year so far, and I'm really proud of the work they've done.

Speaker 1 10:21

A hundred percent. I think uh that leads me into uh one really important question which I have to ask is one is one of the main things you're really looking forward to here is igniting a spark of music into people at the Macy's Day Parade that may want to come to Texas Tech to learn music.

Speaker 10:37

Sure, sure. I mean, you know, any opportunity we have to get out on a national stage or any stage whatsoever to just show showcase what we do, I think is important. It's great for recruitment. You know, when we when we go to an away game, we typically stop at some local ISDs and try to do just a rehearsal there so we have those students to come in. Um but I certainly think this will be a great opportunity for you know for the world, really for everyone to see this and and students who maybe wouldn't have an opportunity to hear the going band. I mean, this is a perfect opportunity for them to see what we have to offer. So I think it'll be great for recruitment.

Speaker 1 11:07

Not only that, I heard about you all his performance at Amarillo, uh the college. They let you play at the stadium in 2022, I believe.

Speaker 11:15

Yeah, yeah, and that would that's also part of the you know, when we travel, we try to find some local places where we can, you know, have a little more um exposure. And typically there's you know, there's pockets of of alum all over the state of Texas who will come out and and you know spread the word. So any opportunities that we get like that is always great, and we appreciate those folks let allowing us to do that too.

Speaker 1 11:34

Do you have any favorite memories from going out with your band? Wow.

Speaker 11:39

Um do I have any favorite memories? You know, I I nothing really pops into my head right now, but I'm sure if you ask me after this Thanksgiving trip, I'll have plenty of memories to share because this is something that something that I will never forget. Um, you know, the you know, we get so involved in just with the rehearsals and the performances, and then we're constantly thinking about the next thing we have to do that sometimes we don't have time to sit back and really enjoy the fruits of our labor. Um, which is kind of sad when when I when I think about it, but it's so true because we we do a new show for every every home game, and we typically will only repeat a show if we, for example, this week, you know, we go to Baylor this week and um you know we have part of a country western show we're doing, and then we'll do that full show the following week. And we just finished a show, a Latin show the week prior, which went really great, but that was done. Now we have to move on to the next, and after this one we have to move on to the next. So it's it's oftentimes that we I we really don't get a chance to really sit back and really enjoy that. Um so but yeah, come Thanksgiving and afterwards, ask me that question again. Um I'll I'll have plenty of memories to share.

Speaker 1 12:44

Well, is there anything that you find that is your just favorite reason why you do your job? Because I mean you do so much.

Speaker 12:51

Oh yeah, I think it's twofold. For it's it's the students first and foremost. I just really enjoy getting to collaborate with them, and they're really fantastic, and they come from all walks of life. You know, only a third of the band is are are uh music majors. Two-thirds of them um pretty represent almost every single, I mean, pretty much every college at the tech, and and most of the majors, believe it or not. So, you know, I get to see um all sorts of students from different, you know, from different majors and different interests. So I think that's the number one thing that I really enjoy most. And then just really getting in front of them and getting make music. I mean, it's it's a lot of fun. You get to hear that. I mean, the audience, the enjoyment they get from listening to what we do, I mean, I get that same that same enjoyment too, because I get to stand in front of them and do that every day. So it's just a really great experience.

Speaker 1 13:32

Well, I think uh there's one saying like uh when you're making music, if you don't feel like the tangles of your playing, then other people won't feel it. Oh so the fact that you can stand up there and love that you do this and you just feel that every single time and it resonates with you and it resonates with the audience, it just means that you're really good at what you do. No, I appreciate that. No, it's a lot of fun. Yeah, it's it's a labor of love. How big of an impact do you think this will have on the students?

Speaker 14:01

I would like to think a pretty big one, um, especially for those who are doing this for the first time. Um, you know, like I say, we have a lot of students from different walks of life. Some of them have actually performed with this before when they were in high school, you know, where their bands were invited. There's others who have never been to the state of New York, um, who've never flown on a plane. So for a lot of them, this is gonna be a life-changing experience, something that they'll always remember. So I think it's gonna be a huge impact. And just the fact that even if you've done this before, this is you they've they've never done this with this group of students before. They've never done it with this band before. And this is the first time that Texas Tech that the Going Band has performed at this stage, yeah, and done done the Macy. So this is yeah, so this is this is a very unique experience collectively for the students.

Speaker 1 14:44

So you mentioned that you never imagined that you would have been in these these shoes that you're in right now. Yeah. As a kid, if you could go back and tell yourself, hey, I'm I'm going to the Macy's Day Parade and I'm conducting at it. How do you think you'd react to that?

Speaker 14:58

Oh, I would, I would, I wouldn't believe it for a second. Um, I I actually, you know, I I had this conversation with somebody just recently where I said, you know, I never would have thought, even in 2017, which is when I started here, I never would have thought that I'd been the director of the Go On Band. You know, I started as an assistant, a visiting assistant professor of music education. I came here just to teach courses in Music Ed, and it was only for a one-year appointment. And then my second year in 2018, um, they extended that contract for just another year, but they actually needed someone to help assist with the band. And I thought, absolutely I will assist with this. This is fantastic. I would, I never had, you know, I never thought I would have that opportunity. And then 2019, you know, I applied and was accepted as a director of the Gohan Band. I mean, in 2017, had you asked me, you know, you're gonna be the director of the Gohan Band. Not only that, you're gonna be marching in the Macy's Day Parade, you know, in 2023. I would have just laughed and said, nope. I would have bet my my life savings is that wasn't gonna happen. So I I am I am blessed to be in this position for sure.

Speaker 1 15:58

So how do you go about inspiring and motivating your your students during your performances?

Speaker 16:04

That's a great question. Um I'm not really sure. I think you know, for for us, um the one thing that I think pushes the students when they come out of high school, they typically do one show for the entire season in high school. And that's typical across the nation. Um they they work on perfecting a single show. When they get to college, it's a very different experience. Most colleges, um especially like big, you know, the Big 12 and Big Ten colleges, they tend to do a new show for every for every home game. So this is a very different experience for students because when they come in, they're used to having all sorts of time to perfect a show. They come in to college and you get maybe two weeks, you know, sometimes only one week, to work on a show, and then we move on to the next. And so it's a very different experience. So I think that's its own motivation. And when you get to play new music to a very appreciative crowd, I think that's its own motivation as well. Um so it kind of pushes them to, I mean, they have to learn quickly. We we learn to be very efficient, and it's something that they're not used to, but then once they start and they've done it for a few shows, and they're like, oh, this is great. And I think it helps them to look forward to the next thing that's coming. All right, we're we're done with the Latin show, and what's next? Now it's a country show. We do it for a couple of weeks, great. What's next? And so um I think that's its own motivator. It's the just the different the different music we do, the different drill, so it keeps it keeps things different, it keeps them motivated in that sense. It keeps them busy. Yeah, oh yeah, it does. It keeps them all busy, yeah, for sure. Um, do you play any instruments? Uh well I I I'm a trumpet player. I say am was a trumpet player. I I played trumpet in college and all through high school and middle school. That's that's my primary instrument. Um, I don't get as much opportunities to do that much anymore. So I think a couple of summers ago I played in a in a faculty band for the band and orchestra cam. And that was a lot of fun. Um it hurt because it it was uh it had been a while since I'd played, and so I I think I just sort of started to figure things out about the time the concert came around. But but that is my primary, is trumpet. That's excellent. You said primary. Primary. Well, yeah, we we uh I I played oboe in college too as a secondary instrument. Um, and so they as music majors, music education majors, they encourage you to have kind of a secondary instrument that that you're somewhat proficient in, and so I decided to go with oboe. That's awesome. Yeah. What made you want to pick the well believe it or not, in in the uh in my uh methods class, um I was really awful at it. I couldn't play it at all. And my my instructor at the time was really frustrated, but I was the only kid in the class who couldn't do it. So he literally grabbed the instrument out of out of my hand and he and he started playing it, and he couldn't play it either. Turns out it was a really bad read and he felt bad, so he made he handmade a read for me, and all of a sudden I could play, and that was the only issue, and I just was able to do it. It was it was really a strange, strange story. It sounds like a very interesting story. It was, it was. And I actually uh played some solos on it in some of the concert bands, too. So really yeah. That's awesome.

Speaker 1 18:48

Have you ever thought about just like having your students come out and then you just play with them?

Speaker 18:54

Uh right now they they would do much better than I, so I'm just gonna I'm gonna I'm I'll leave them leave them to I'll leave the experts to do that. Fair enough.

Speaker 1 19:02

I'll stand there and conduct and teach. What are some of the challenges that you and your band have run into leading up to the parade?

Speaker 19:08

Uh time. I mean, we you know, we we have a finite amount of time. You know, we we rehearse five days a week. Um, but they're short rehearsals Monday, Wednesday, Friday for 50 minutes, right in the middle of the day, and then Tuesday, Thursdays for an hour and 20 minutes. And um, you know, at the end of the day, that goes really that goes by pretty quick. And so we had to learn to be very efficient. Um so that's one thing. Um and just the logistics planning, there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that people will never know, never see. Um just you know, just get in fact, right right before I came here, I was um trying to put a list together for our buses going to Baylor and getting uh the flight manifest for for the for the trip. So there's just a lot of just a lot of background things and behind the scenes things that go on, and um, you know, but at the end of the day, I you know I try to keep my eye on the prize. I think it's it's that performance, it's gonna be the experience that students have, and so that's what propels me forward to do that. So yeah, so I would say time, and that's I think that's most people's enemies, right? When they're trying to do that when they're trying to get stuff done. So I I would say, yeah, definitely that.

Speaker 1 20:09

So would you say that uh this opportunity is gonna give you new insight to how you may teach your students?

Speaker 20:16

Uh perhaps. You know, we at the end of every every performance, at the end of every year, you know, and I think all good teachers try to do this, we try to be reflective on you know what worked, what didn't work. Um I'll sit down with with my student leadership, and you know, at the end of each year and we'll we'll have discussions about hey, if you if we can change one thing, what would it be? And it's always more than one thing. And so, you know, we try to incorporate those changes. We we try to have our students will try to have a voice with everything that we do. So, you know, we we hope that it makes us a better teacher, and you know, we always have to tweak things every year, uh, even every semester. So I think with this experience, we can come back, and when we decide to do another trip, there's a lot of things that I'll probably change and do differently, just be just from from what I've done up to this point. So every every performance, every experience does teach us something to do better for the next time. How long have you all been working on this set list for? Well, for uh for the parade, the music that we're playing, um, we've been working on it probably about a month now, and off and on, because on on top of that, we're still having to prepare, you know, for our home games and in our way games with the with the marching band and learn new drill for that each each uh each week. Um but about a month, and uh we're actually getting ready to start learning what you'll see on TV. And so uh we'll be getting that that drill real soon and and putting that all together. So I'm looking forward to that. Oh, we are too, yeah.

Speaker 1 21:38

Well is there anything you want to say? Uh anything you have coming up? Um maybe something that's coming up in the future?

Speaker 21:44

Yeah, so at the you know, we always look forward to to what's coming up next, and I mean it's it it never stops, right? And like I said before, it's a cycle, and so um after now that marching band, we're right in the thick of it, but we're starting to kick up for for basketball, and that's always a really exciting time. With our court gestures. That's an all-volunteer group, mostly um non-majors that that perform for that. But we usually have between 150 to 200 who volunteer to play, and then they can sign up for those those games. But that's just a lot of fun because it doesn't take a whole lot of brain space to do that that activity. You know, we just we play on timeouts and we get to cheer on the team. So it it's almost like a reprieve from from all the work that we do in the fall to do that. It's more of just enjoying the the work that you do. Absolutely, yeah. And and just being able to watch the game and enjoy it and be a you know be a fan and then you know uh play it play during when it's time for us to do that. So I always look forward to that. It's a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 22:37

I have two more questions. Yeah. And the first one will be what are your favorite types of sets to perform uh based on genre?

Speaker 22:45

Oh gosh. Um, you know, I I it probably changes. I I don't I don't really have a set thing that I really enjoy. Uh the Latin show that we just did is always a is kind of a fan favorite, and the students really enjoy it. It's probably one of the harder, the hardest music that we play with that type of music. And it does kind of speak to the roots of Texas Tech a little bit with the Matadors and you know, kind of even the arch to Spanish architecture. So I think it fits in well with with our group. But that's that's one of our favorite shows. And actually, this past year we did a show that's some of the staff they weren't they weren't too crazy about when they first saw it on paper, but it's turned out to be a really great show. We did a kind of a space theme show, it was our first show, and so we we played music from like the theme from uh 2001 Space Odyssey, and it went into the 2009 film version of Star Trek, the thing with Chris Mine. And so we we did that. The students just really enjoyed that, and um um and it had some other space themes things from like touch on interstellar. Yeah, well, well, we didn't do the interstellar, but but it was that that I the idea, right? Sci-fi kind of sci-fi, yeah, and and we had you know Rocket Man for Melton John and um and some other things. So I you know I was really surprised by how how well people responded to that, how the audience responded to it. We actually played it for some students at the Lubbock Extravaganza, which is uh the Lubbock ISD bands to do performances and we did an exhibition. But um, that was one of our, I think one of our top shows that we've done in a long time, and and it was surprising because like I said, it was one that was like, I'm not sure about this one on paper, but once we played it and put it out there, it was really great. So I know I said I had two more questions, but I have one more after that one.

Speaker 1 24:20

So that's very intriguing. Um have y'all ever thought about getting with graphic design and possibly doing like an aesthetically visual show with y'all's playing in the background on top of it to queue up with the visual art?

Speaker 24:34

Well, we haven't. Um you know that's something I know a lot of our concert bands tend to do stuff like that, where they're if they're playing a piece and they'll put up either artwork inspired by that music. Um but that that would actually be a really interesting concept to do. You know, it would take a lot of planning, of course. Oh, a hundred percent.

Speaker 1 24:48

But I'm sure people like in the audience would love it.

Speaker 24:50

Yeah, yeah. I think that would be a really neat thing. You know, we've seen things where if if people are doing playing uh pieces that are based on movies, they might have clips of that, you know. A lot of licensing and copyright things that go into that as well. But uh it's a that's a neat idea.

Speaker 1 25:03

Last but not least, is there any message you want to send out to maybe uh someone that wants to be a student or uh someone that's looking to do bandwork or whatever?

Speaker 25:14

Yeah, I I mean 100%. Um visit our website, goin' band.org, and there's a lot of information about the band there. Uh we have our YouTube channel as well with this with the Goin Band, if they do they search for that. They they can see the shows that we've done in the past and all of this here. Um but yeah, I I would encourage those folks, you know, come on out, audition, come out, go, come out to a fan performance. We we you know we do fan performances two hours before each home game, you know, if they're ever in town for something like that. But you know, we encourage a lot everyone to come out and and and audition, and we have videos on even what we do visually, so there's a lot of things on there on the YouTube channel that they uh that they can do. But yeah, come on out, um, continue playing music. What the one thing that you know I always tell, I've never heard a uh someone tell me, I am so glad that I quit playing my instrument and didn't do band in college. It's always the opposite. I always hear students and even adults, you know, later in life say, you know, I wish I would have at least done it for one year because it looks like it's such a fun activity. And and it is, I mean it's a lot of work and it's very different from high school band. Um, but I always encourage students, you know, try it once. You know, I don't think I you know, just the just the social aspect of it is gonna be amazing. The the friends you make, um the connections you make with those people. And who knows? I mean, we've had, and this is another tidbit, uh, we've had uh several marriages made in the Going Band over over the decades where people have met their spouses or future spouses um because of this activity. So it's more it's it's it's m so much more than just music.

Speaker 1 26:45

A hundred percent. I know y'all have like this aura around like those bands, and it's always filled with creativity and happiness and care for one another, which is really cool.

Speaker 26:56

Oh yeah, no, it's great. And and it's an outlet to do things that people love. You know, we we have a media team, you know, who who run Instagram stories, who take photos, who do so much. I mean, we have you know, we we have a place for everybody, whether it's music, whether it's something outside of that, whether it's journalism, you know, if they want to write stories about it, we give them that outlet. So, you know, it's it's a community, and like I said, it's the music for me. That's that's my that's my love, that's my joy. But for others, it's just it's a it's a means to do other things, and we give we provide that opportunity. So it's it's a really fantastic art form. Well, thank you so much, Doctor.

Speaker 1 27:31

I really appreciate it. My pleasure, thank you. The going band's going somewhere.