If you have been to a Bakersfield College sporting event recently, you might notice the bigger presence of the BC band. They’re not only performing at football games, but they were also at the crucial volleyball game between number-three ranked BC and number-one ranked L.A. Pierce, and are scheduled to make a few appearances at basketball games for this upcoming season.
When you go to any sort of sporting event, you may not realize how big the band is to the collegiate atmosphere of that sport, so it’s great that we’re focusing on building our collegiate atmosphere by making the band presence at BC sporting events much more important.
It’s great to see that the band and the athletics are supporting each other because if sporting events have the band playing at more sporting events it will give BC more of a collegiate atmosphere, and with them performing at the events they will get more exposure.
When I was at the football team’s last home game, I noticed that having the BC band there really amped up the atmosphere more than it usually is in Memorial Stadium. They’re working together to help build up both athletics and the band. We’re all Renegades, so it’s great to see the teamwork and camaraderie to make BC even better.
According to athletic director Ryan Beckwith, that’s exactly what they want to do. They want to continue to build an NCAA atmosphere, and the BC band is really helping with that, but at the same time he wants to help the band to get the attention they deserve.
“We’re trying to incorporate the band with everything we do on campus,” said Beckwith. “The other week, they were at the volleyball game, which was amazing. They gave such a good atmosphere to it. It really adds to the atmosphere, so having a band and having that collegiate feel is really adding to the atmosphere of what we’re doing in athletics.
“I think it benefits not only the athletic program, but also the music program and the campus as a whole. The more exposure the drum line gets the better because, let’s face it, everyone in the community knows the drum line is phenomenal. It really adds to the collegiate atmosphere of the campus.
It gives us the college feel. Now that we have a band that is constantly around and constantly in your face, it’s so much fun. It makes it more exciting. To have a student group which is a band on campus at our events and not just at football, it really brings that whole atmosphere together.”
All of this exposure that the band is getting really will help to get more local high school band members to come to BC because they can see how big this is getting, and with the pep band presence growing this could hopefully lead to BC getting a marching band. Also, many athletes enjoy playing in a good collegiate atmosphere, and more of them will come to BC because they will see a great collegiate atmosphere here.