Engineers in Uniform - Marching Band

Me hitting the Big Bass Drum. It is tradition that each senior
hits the drum at the last home game of the season

Football games at Purdue are always exciting, some more than others, but I have been to each and every one since my freshman year. I have been in Purdue’s “All-American” Marching Band for 4 fall semesters as an alto saxophone player, where I have met amazing friends and had a great time along the way. In addition, the performances have been very exciting - being in Ross-Ade stadium is thrilling enough but performing on the field is unreal.

Levi's Stadium before the Foster Farms bowl.
Going to the Bowl Game was a fantastic
experience and San Francisco was also amazing.

As a member of the band, I have not only performed at every home football game since I was a freshman (from 2014 – 2017 - 27 in total), but also 4 away games and the Foster Farms Bowl. In addition, I have travelled to Colombia and Ireland with the band to perform in parades and other concerts while learning about the cultures and histories of both countries. I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything.  

However, I must also mention the tremendous amount of work associated with this activity. The week before a game, we practice 2 hours a day preparing the show and improving marching technique. In addition, a typical gameday lasts around 9 hours between rehearsals, concerts, and the game itself. This time commitment was a lot to handle at first, but definitely not impossible.

In addition to band, I am involved in several other student organizations at Purdue,  including a service fraternity (Kappa Kappa Psi), Chemical Engineering honor society (Omega Chi Epsilon), College of Engineering Ambassadors, and Chemical Engineering Ambassadors. Balancing these activities has certainly been a challenge, but I have fostered great time management skills as a result. I have never pulled an all-nighter to finish homework or projects, I have always been able to attend office hours and have a fulfilling social life.

Saxophone seniors at the Indy 500 this year. These people have
been my best friends for the past 4 years!

As a disclaimer, I should say the purpose of this post is not to persuade you to join band. The purpose is to show how easy it is to get involved on campus and to manage your studies all at once. In addition, the skill of time management is crucial for success as a college student. My extracurricular activities (notably marching band) have helped me tremendously in attaining this skill. Ironically, I often achieve better grades in the fall semesters when marching band takes place despite having a larger time commitment.

Time management also includes making time for yourself. Although I stay busy, I always allow myself ample time to relax. With the heavy workload in engineering, it’s easy to feel like all you do is work. While work can be fulfilling, I believe it’s very important to take a break and find something you love!

Boiler up!

Garrett Bruns