Whether creating music, dancing or twirling flags, members of the Nicholls band work together to entertain and support the school and athletic teams throughout the year.
There are four units of the band: wind players, percussionists, flags and the dance team. Each year the number of students in band differs. There are 100 students participating in band this year: 64 wind players, 16 percussionists, 11 dance team members and nine members in color guard.
The members usually practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for about an hour and a half. On game days members sometimes practice for six to eight hours or more and have a day full of preparatory and presentational activities.
The band participates in many different events for Nicholls such as pep rallies, band camp during the summer and escorting the football team from Calecas Hall to Guidry Stadium on Saturday games. Every year the band hosts the District 7 Marching Band Festivals, with participating bands from Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Mary, and St. Charles parishes at the Nicholls stadium.
Students receive a service award and a scholarship for being in the marching band. Since band is considered a class, students receive credits and grades “which can help their grade-point averages,” according to Eric Guneiot, band sponsor.
“When you go to college for the first time, you might not know a lot of folks. When you join the band you’ve got 100 friends right away. There’s a social aspect of being part of a group when you get to college,” Guneiot said. “Another one of the fringe benefits is that you travel. You did get paid, you do get a grade, you do get to travel, and you do meet new people.”
Although there are no collegiate band competitions or awards given, students in band still challenge themselves.
“We challenge ourselves whenever we see other bands, like when we have visiting bands here. We evaluate what [the other bands] had going on compared to what we had going on, but there’s no real competition,” Guneiot said. “There’s not an award for best marcher and whatnot. Personally, I try to not individualize. I don’t think any person is above another one. I preach to the kids that we’re all on the same level; we’re all on the boat together.”
Knowledge of fundamentals is a requirement for acceptance into the band. In being part of a higher educational institute, instrumentalists who apply are expected to have at least a good general background in music and in their instrument. Most, if not all of students in band, especially instrumentalists, have participated as part of their high school bands.
“I’ve been in band since fifth grade. I played the flute and then the piccolo since eighth grade,” Magan Brown, freshman from Thibodaux, said. “So far I really like the band. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great experience and you get a chance to meet a lot of new people, which is really cool.”
Members of the band are happy to receive the physical benefits involved in being a member.
“It’s nice to do something you like and get paid for it,” Erin Chauvin, dance team member and general studies sophomore from Houma said.
According to Guneiot, band members often receive many intangible awards: a great experience just in being a member and also in serving as a musical symbol of support for each other and for the school.
“We’ve got kind of a twofold purpose to the band,” Guneiot said. “There’s one purpose which we serve to ourselves: we are here to play music, to learn music, and to provide for the kids majoring in music Education. We serve a bigger function to Nicholls: it’s to be visible. We provide school spirit and moral and vocal support. Aside from the athletic functions, I think we’re good for the community.”