As the East Tennessee State Buccaneers took to the field for their final home game, the Marching Buccaneers, ETSU’s marching band, also prepared to play their final notes in the Mini-Dome.
The Marching Buccaneers have been an integral part of the Bucs’ support system for decades and have also been an important part of the music department’s curriculum. Students planning to teach in high school or college level band programs often view participation in the marching band as just as important as their classroom experiences.
“It’s a rough day,” said Todd Russell, marching band alum and current instructor of the ETSU color guard. “Being a part of the band has opened up so many other opportunities for me,” he said. Russell also teaches at Greenville and Happy Valley high schools, positions he said were made possible by his experience with the band.
Rachel Bowman, an ETSU senior, feels the band has never been given the credit it deserves for being a part of the Bucs’ tradition.
“I absolutely love the marching band and I hate that it is over,” Bowman said but she won’t miss feeling like the band is overlooked.
About 50 alumni joined the current band members to play in the halftime show as well as throughout the game. Being a part of the band had a life-changing effect for many of those who returned on Saturday, such as Preston Holly.
Holly, who graduated in 1997, played the trumpet for the Marching Buccaneers and met his wife Christy, who played the flute. They have both gone on to be band directors at high schools in Loudon County, and, like many others, are sad to see the program go.
“It was a great way for students in the area to continue playing music after high school,” Holly said.
He also added that some of his senior students who were considering attending ETSU decided not to because the marching band would be gone.
Russell also acknowledged the possibility that the music department could lose current and incoming students because the marching band will be gone.
“I know it’s a consideration for a lot of people, but we have a lot of other music programs for students to become involved in,” Russell said.
The music department web site has a special section for frequently asked questions about the end of football and what it means for students. For example, student scholarships will not be affected because the awards are departmental.
Some degree requirements will also change after the loss of the marching band but the department says those changes will be minimal.
As for whether the music program will go forward after the loss of the marching band, the web site said, “Certainly. Marching band is only a small part of what the department of music does. It is a service we have provided to the university, not the purpose of our existence.

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