Hannah Simon
Student Sports Media
Through the wind and the cold, there will always be one group of people cheering the football and basketball teams on with great songs at every home game: Butler’s very own pep band, the Butler Sideliners. The Butler Sideliners are directed by John Templin and assistant directed by Rick Moose.
Most students that are in the pep band are on a fine arts scholarship for band.
“To get a scholarship, you go to Fine Arts day to audition for your scholarship with Brent Martinez, the director for the band and instrument music department chair,” sophomore David Hubble, a flute player, said.
With a band scholarship, students must take three music classes: concert band, pep band and applied lessons along with passing 12 credit hours and a 2.0 GPA or higher.
Pep band is divided into two different groups, gold and purple, for basketball season. Each group is split equally into instrumentations. For football, the two groups come together to play at every home game and at bowl games.
“Being in the band can be very stressful,” Ian Weber, a trombone player, said. “Between mandatory classes for band, regular classes, jobs, homework and trying to have a social life, lot of people do not understand how much time we put into band.”
Being in the band can have its ups and downs, such as being stuck out in the cold to play their instruments. If you forget to wear your Sideliner polo, you do not get to play that night.
There are upsides to being in the band.
“Playing in the band is playing at the games and hanging out with friends,” Weber said.
Hubble’s favorite part “is probably traveling because we get to hang out as one big family and we get to know each other a little bit better.”
All of the pep bands songs are upbeat and well known for everyone of all ages to enjoy.
“A few of my favorite songs are “Johnny be Good” by Chuck Berry, “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones and “Fat Bottom Girls” by Queen,” Hubble said. “We have such a variety of songs that are all great.”
The Butler Sideliners also participate in events outside of Butler. In November every year, El Dorado hosts a Celebration of Freedom parade to honor our veterans. The Sideliners played downtown on Main Street, and half of the band joined a float in the parade with the rest of the band following behind. Then, Sideliners joined the El Dorado High School band in the park to play and enjoy free hotdogs.
The Butler Sideliners performed at the home basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1 against the Coffeyville Red Ravens. The concert band will perform Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 for their Instrumental Music Spring Concert.