NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL:
ALL ABOUT TRADITION
Marching Band, the exception to the transformation
The Notre Dame Marching Band– An aspect of the Notre Dame community that is consistent without being transformed from dorm to student body between Friday to Saturday. The band begins by performing on the steps of Bond Hall early Friday afternoon and finishes as a non-dorm-divided group by performing the alma mater following the game and marching back out the tunnel to rejoin their fellow classmates. It could almost be said that the band is able to reunite the student body as a whole, as it performs the alma mater that connects the players to the student body once again after the game.
Julia Berchtold of the Class of 2013 and proud member of America's first University band explained what the alma mater and the band experience means in representing and unifying the Notre Dame student body:
"At the core of the Notre Dame experience is an extraordinary tradition. On game days, students transform into super-fans, alum come in from all over the world, and the campus comes alive. As a member of the Band of the Fighting Irish, I see first hand the incredible sense of unity present on game days. The band, itself a mix of students of all ages, dorms, and majors, plays an important role in uniting the campus on the day of the game. We do this through the power of music; through songs like Hike Notre Dame, the Victory Clog, Rakes, Down the Line, and our most beloved Fight Song. And we play them all day long, from when we wake up the campus in the morning with the Fight Song, to the last notes of the Alma Mater following the game. And whether or not Touchdown Jesus has smiled upon the Fighting Irish that day, you can be sure that we’ll celebrate that tradition and unity after every game with every loyal student, band member, and player with the playing of our Alma Mater, Notre Dame Our Mother. It’s a tribute to everything that makes the university special and is close to the heart of every loyal Irish fan. So regardless of the outcome of the game, I promise that the Band of the Fighting Irish will be on that field, honoring our past and uniting us all as loyal sons and daughters of Notre Dame.
"At the core of the Notre Dame experience is an extraordinary tradition. On game days, students transform into super-fans, alum come in from all over the world, and the campus comes alive. As a member of the Band of the Fighting Irish, I see first hand the incredible sense of unity present on game days. The band, itself a mix of students of all ages, dorms, and majors, plays an important role in uniting the campus on the day of the game. We do this through the power of music; through songs like Hike Notre Dame, the Victory Clog, Rakes, Down the Line, and our most beloved Fight Song. And we play them all day long, from when we wake up the campus in the morning with the Fight Song, to the last notes of the Alma Mater following the game. And whether or not Touchdown Jesus has smiled upon the Fighting Irish that day, you can be sure that we’ll celebrate that tradition and unity after every game with every loyal student, band member, and player with the playing of our Alma Mater, Notre Dame Our Mother. It’s a tribute to everything that makes the university special and is close to the heart of every loyal Irish fan. So regardless of the outcome of the game, I promise that the Band of the Fighting Irish will be on that field, honoring our past and uniting us all as loyal sons and daughters of Notre Dame.
Michael Narvaez, Class of 2010, provided me with a reflection on the alma mater as a Notre Dame football player:
"Probably the biggest thing about the alma mater that impressed me was the number of students that stuck around, even after the losses.
I mean there's no way around it, we've been pretty mediocre the past few years, but it was always encouraging to see that the students were always behind us.
But even with that feeling, i couldn't help but feel that we let the school down by not winning the games...the alma mater was the best after wins cause of everybody smiling and the excitement that everybody shared, but after losses, the disappointment was killer."
dit.
"Probably the biggest thing about the alma mater that impressed me was the number of students that stuck around, even after the losses.
I mean there's no way around it, we've been pretty mediocre the past few years, but it was always encouraging to see that the students were always behind us.
But even with that feeling, i couldn't help but feel that we let the school down by not winning the games...the alma mater was the best after wins cause of everybody smiling and the excitement that everybody shared, but after losses, the disappointment was killer."
dit.
Mikey is seen here in action with the Irish (Picture by the Observer)
Before every game, the marching band creates an ND tunnel for the players to run through with the Notre Dame Victory March blaring and nearly 80,000 Irish fans on their feet.
