After the success last year of Granada’s boys and girls basketball teams, Mr. Nathan Wolfe, a Granada band parent and former musician, decided to start a pep band to play at basketball games, similar to the one that plays at football games. With their first rehearsal already over, the basketball pep band is ready to go.
“I had a lot of good memories when I was in high school [in] the basketball pep band,” recalled Mr. Wolfe when asked about why he decided to start basketball pep. “We had a really big basketball program and there was a huge turnout every week, and the pep band was so integral to the crowd experience.” Trumpet player CJ Capitulo says, “I like to play.” in response to why he decided to join.
As a child, Mr. Wolfe played saxophone, snare, and auxiliary percussion, later moving on to playing bass guitar around the age of 15, and played professionally with it for about 25 years. He’s most excited about “doing some challenging future music… the crowd experience for folks when they roll into the field house and [the pep band] is playing a pre-game feature.” The first feature practiced was Runaway Baby, which Mr. Wolfe claims was tightened up very well and he looks forward to giving a positive experience to the crowd. Mellophone player Kennedy Coli is excited for the pep band because she “thought it would be a really fun opportunity to be able to do something the school hasn’t been able to do before.”
It may be fun, but the pep band isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Daniel Booth, a trombone player, is worried about having to practice before games, claiming “We’re gonna be completely chopped out.” (Chopped out means your mouth is really tired.) Zander Bruce, another trombone player is “most nervous for the first game, but most looking forward to the first game.” Bass clarinetist Raya Casselman is nervous about “not being able to pick up the music fast enough,” as the timeline for learning these many songs is short. “I was more afraid of first practice than I was of anything else,” joked Mr. Wolfe after the first practice on Wednesday afternoon.
Though it may have a few bumps along the way to excellence, the new Granada Basketball Pep Band will thrive under the care and guidance of Nathan Wolfe, the perseverance of the musicians, and the support of the crowd. See them perform at home varsity basketball games, both boys and girls, for a fun time!
