The football team at Clemson isn't the only squad hard at work ahead of its second straight appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinals -- this time against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 31. Clemson's Tiger Band is also getting ready to travel to Glendale, Arizona, and FloMarching is taking a closer look at what it's like to perform on one of college football's biggest stages.
Featuring mini-parades, banquet performances, and all sorts of random nuances, a band's trip to a bowl game can be quite an adventure.
Clemson Tiger Band performs at the 2016 CFP National Championship
When I marched at the University of Texas in 2001, we attended the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California, which proved to be a unique experience in my career. We flew on two chartered planes to San Diego and began our tour of performances almost immediately. There was a short parade near the beach, leading to a standstill "Battle of the Bands" with the University of Washington's band.
The night before the game, both bands performed inside a large banquet hall where the football teams were attending the Holiday Bowl banquet. Then there was the game itself, which included a pre-game performance and a halftime show.
The following day, we loaded up the buses and had two more performances, a short parade, and a standstill show at SeaWorld in San Diego. Later that afternoon, we loaded up on the charter flights and came home to Austin, Texas.
While Clemson's band can expect a similar experience, there are always surprises and new challenges to prepare for ahead of a band's performance at a bowl game. Make sure to stay tuned to FloMarching for exclusive coverage of the Tiger Band's journey to the College Football Playoff.
Featuring mini-parades, banquet performances, and all sorts of random nuances, a band's trip to a bowl game can be quite an adventure.
Clemson Tiger Band performs at the 2016 CFP National Championship
When I marched at the University of Texas in 2001, we attended the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California, which proved to be a unique experience in my career. We flew on two chartered planes to San Diego and began our tour of performances almost immediately. There was a short parade near the beach, leading to a standstill "Battle of the Bands" with the University of Washington's band.
The night before the game, both bands performed inside a large banquet hall where the football teams were attending the Holiday Bowl banquet. Then there was the game itself, which included a pre-game performance and a halftime show.
The following day, we loaded up the buses and had two more performances, a short parade, and a standstill show at SeaWorld in San Diego. Later that afternoon, we loaded up on the charter flights and came home to Austin, Texas.
While Clemson's band can expect a similar experience, there are always surprises and new challenges to prepare for ahead of a band's performance at a bowl game. Make sure to stay tuned to FloMarching for exclusive coverage of the Tiger Band's journey to the College Football Playoff.
