At South Dakota State University, the Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band unites students from various backgrounds and majors.  

With a current membership of 296 students, the band is committed to musical excellence and collaboration. 

 This year the organization is a younger band with: 

• 131 first-year members; 

• 67 second years; 

• 60 third years; 

• 27 fourth years; 

• and 11 fifth years. 

 The process to join the band is easy. Students are not required to send in an audition and they don’t need any marching band experience. Kevin Kessler, director of athletic bands and assistant professor of music, said these policies are necessary because it is home to many students who come from small towns that might not have a marching band. 

He doesn’t want requirements such as audition tapes or mandatory marching band experience to turn potential members away.  

The marching that the students learn is accessible and easy for students to pick up during band camp and that makes it easier for the rest of the semester, Kessler said. 

He further explained that professors and directors in the fine and performing arts department attend different clinics, competitions and high school visits throughout the year to recruit students. They also talked to students at new student registration events, but “if we would only talk to students at NSO, we would be too late,” he said. 

Each fall semester, the band has less than two weeks to prepare for the first home football performance. So, a week before school starts, the freshmen students move into the dorms, meet their fellow bandmates and start learning the basics.

Freshman Dakota Jensen said she was slightly overwhelmed coming from a high school band of only 50 students to The Pride.  

“It was crazy to think that this band is the size of my hometown,” she said. 

On the Tuesday of that first week back, Pride veterans join the freshman and are introduced to everyone and the whole band is finally together for the first time. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week, the band starts to hammer down on music and steps. 

Once school starts, the band meets every day except for Tuesday from 4 to 5:15 p.m. There is an exception for some students that allows them to miss band one day a week for academic reasons. Kessler said that with this exception, the students who might have classes that only meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays during band, are able to attend these classes. 

Freshman Shelby Brosh, a trumpet player, said she was hesitant at first to join the band because of the time commitment. But she soon found that being involved in the band was the best thing for her. She has figured out how to balance band and schoolwork with ease. The relationships she has made at band has also helped her transition into college life easier. 

The band performs three different shows throughout the semester. Kessler said he tries to space out the shows enough so that members have enough time at the end of the semester to focus on their schoolwork during finals week. They perform these shows at the home football games.