SEMO football preview: Golden Eagles Marching Band turns field into performance stage

This story is part of the Southeast Missouri State football preview series. Click here to read about the importance of the gameday experience and traditions to coach Tom Matukewicz.

A week after the Southeast Missouri State football team returned to Cape Girardeau for its fall camp, the 130 students that make up Southeast's Golden Eagles Marching Band returned to campus and began their own form of preseason training.

Janet Richard performs with the Southeast Missouri State's color guard before the season opener at Houck Stadium Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. (Glenn Landberg)

In the week leading up to the start of the fall semester on Aug. 24, the Golden Eagles' started their preparation for gameday performances, which will begin with the Redhawks' first home game on Sept. 12.

"Our rehearsal schedule is from 9 in the morning to 9 at night and of course with lunch and dinner breaks, but we're dividing up into squads and we're dividing up into sections and we're doing just like the football team," band director Dr. Marty Reynolds said.

The marching band now is in its regular rehearsal schedule from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as part of a university class.

The Golden Eagles rehearsed marching fundamentals and worked to memorize their music during the week of practice before classes commenced.

They start out in small groups divided up by instrument before working their way into brass, wind and percussion sections and eventually the full band, including the color guard.

The marching band's first gameday of the year will begin at noon -- six hours before the start of the Redhawks' game against regional rival Southern Illinois.

The Golden Eagles Marching Band play at the game with Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

"We'll get in there six hours ahead of time and we'll go through all the elements that we need to go through for the game that day," Reynolds said. "Truthfully that's the only opportunity that we have to be in the stadium is on gameday, so it's important that we get in there that day and get used to what that sounds like and what that looks like."

After that the band eats its pregame meal together, suits up and sends a group of about 30 members to participate in the Redhawk Walk to the stadium with the football players, coaches and cheerleaders. The entire band meets for any final preparations and then lines up to begin its march to the stadium.

Along the way the Golden Eagles stop for their longstanding tradition of singing the university's alma mater on the steps of Academic Hall.

"One of the things that we take a lot of pride in is that we're, from what I'm told, one of the only organizations that routinely sings the alma mater in four-part harmony," Reynolds said. "We like to perpetuate that tradition and try to get people involved with the university song and that sort of thing. We have a number of people that'll show up in front of academic to hear us sing the alma mater on our way to the stadium and then typically those people will fall in behind us."

GLENN LANDBERG ~ glandberg@semissourian.com A member of the Golden Eagles Marching Band performs during halftime in game against Eastern Illinois Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 at Houck Stadium.

Throughout the game they'll perform in the stands near the student section and then at halftime they return to the field for their performance. This year's halftime shows will feature music from the rock band Queen to a show with traditional Spanish songs.

Reynolds has three sons who all played sports growing up, including Blake, a graduate of Jackson who will begin his collegiate basketball career at Yale this year, so he enjoys his role in Redhawks athletic events.

"When we're in close ballgames that's really exciting," Reynolds said. "If you're in the last five minutes, three minutes of the game and it's still a toss-up -- those are exciting times. It's exciting for fans, too. But that's when our role can really kick in with trying to keep some momentum happening, to try to keep our fans involved with what's going on, and those are my favorite times."

Reynolds, who has been a teacher and band director for 23 years, relishes the opportunity to work with the members of his band, roughly half of whom aren't music majors.

"I mean, we have everything from anthropology to zoology and everything in between," Reynolds said. "The students just want to keep playing their instruments, keep making music and support the school and have a bigger group of people that they're a part of from a social element thing."

"I'm blessed that I have a really committed and talented group of kids to work with, and they're fun to work with and they like being good at what they do," Reynolds added. "I like to say that I have some of the best kids on campus. I get to make music with people. That's my job. What's not fun about that?"