The Marching 110 went on its way to New York this weekend to perform at the Giants game, and it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and money to get them ready for the show.
“It’s not cheap,” said Josh Boyer, a graduate assistant for the band and member of the 110 from 2003 to 2007. “We have a small student fee to help us, but it costs a lot of money.”
Boyer said when they asked the band how many had been to New York only a third said they had.
“For most of these kids it gives them great traveling experience that they may have never gotten if (they had) not been a member with the 110,” Boyer said. “We love going to different places and showing off what we have here at Ohio University.”
Although some of the 110 members have been to New York they still appreciate the travel experience.
“I’ve been to New York before, but I know that for some of the freshmen in the band this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience with traveling being so expensive,” said Kyle Likens, the 110’s field commander, who is a senior studying organization communications and also in ROTC. “We basically get to travel for free.”
With 240 band members and the help of the staff, it doesn’t take long to get them going on the road.
“We have helpful staff that finds the right spot for everything. They work it kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to get everything packed and ready to go,” Boyer said.
The 110 has been involved with the Giants organization for 12 years.
“One of the most memorable games we performed for the Giants was the first game after 9/11,” Boyer said. “I wasn’t in the band but my wife was and she said you could still see the smoke rising.”
Dedication is not something taken lightly for the Marching 110. The band members practice an hour and a half each day.
For Sunday’s performance, the band played “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities and “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
“I thought we played a great show,” Likens said. “Everything looked and sounded amazing.”
Even though the band has performed on many types of fields, playing in a college stadium compared to an NFL stadium is a different experience.
“When performing at a pro game it seems interpersonal compared to the college games. When you’re performing at your home stadium you know the people you’re performing for,” Likens said. “But sometimes you perform for people out in the stands that may have never seen you or it may be the last time they see you and you want to give them a good show so you always perform your best.”
ag836912@ohiou.edu
