Members of the choir and other musical based organizations were invited to temporarily join the band for the homecoming performance.
These “fillers” would march with the band and make it appear larger.
If students were interested in joining the band, they could use this as a method of joining, according to David Howard.
“Administration wanted more people on the field, and we used this as an advantage to let more people know about band,” said Howard, a freshman music education major.
Dwendol Nelson, a freshman undeclared major, said that he joined the band through the filler system.
“Some people want to join the class and be in the band, but others it is too late so they’re ‘fillers,’” Nelson said.
Nelson said that he is in the process of relearning his instrument, the trombone.
According to there were about 30 to 40 students who acted as “fillers” for the homecoming game.
“I’m glad we have people joining the band, we always need growth,” said Jonathan Folds, a freshman pre-pharmacy major.
In an email of thanks sent out by Derle Long, , director of the School of Visual and Performing Arts, students were thanked for their participation and told that stipends would be paid in the form of talent grants.
Nelson, however, did not receive any form of monetary compensation.
“I’m not sure if it is legal, but I’m also not sure if it’s not illegal,” Folds said.
According to Howard, administration simply wanted a larger band and compromised on this solution.
“This way they get the bigger numbers and we get people exposed to band,” Howard said.
Katherine Taylor, a sophomore occupational therapist assistance major, said that she was not aware that some of the students were “being paid” for their service.
“I knew that some were getting like bonus points or class credit,” Taylor said.
Taylor said that band members were told that the idea came from administration.
“I knew Bruno wanted the band to be bigger for homecoming, and it seems like a good thing to me,” Taylor said.
According to Taylor, though she did not know about the stipends, the “filler” process seems to be a good recruitment tool for the band.
“It’s getting us out there, letting people see what we’re about,” Taylor said.
Megan Force • Oct 27, 2014 at 12:04 pm
Of course the stipends are legal. Full-time band members get paid to be in marching band. Why would we invite people to be in band and not pay them? It’s a job. No, not all of the members knew at first that the extras were getting paid stipends, but with a little common sense, it would be assumed.