Jamie Kim, staff writer
A football game and a Jewish senior center have now found something in common: both have had the band march in while playing the fight song.
Members of the pep band, a smaller branch of the band, took their music to a different environment, a Jewish senior center in Reseda, California, on Feb. 18.
“We played a short set, including an arrangement of Hava Negila, apt for the circumstances. They loved us, and we even played a couple encores. Then, after marching out, we played a second outdoor set,” head drum major Scott Senior said.
Playing for groups outside of school is a norm for the band, yet this location gave a distinct feeling to the band members.
“This performance was different in a sense that we don’t normally perform for organizations like this. Normally, we’ll do a gig for the city or a store opening, but this was the closest we’ve gotten to community service,” Senior said. “This was a smaller organization, far from local, and we just got to share our music. It felt more rewarding than other gigs in that sense as well.”
The director of the pep band, Bill Bradbury, was also happy with the outcome.
“I was very proud of them. They performed in a way that, I think, really inspired the residents and those who were at the luncheon,” he said.
Overall, the performance was a positive experience for both the members of the pep band as well as the senior citizens.
“It felt really great to play at the senior center because, in a way, it’s like we brought some life to them. It was a bit of brightness to their day,” Senior said. “Judging by their applause and reactions, they really appreciated our performance. It was uplifting to see what our music had given them.”