Basketball might be why you enter Fant-Ewing Coliseum, but the Technical Fowls are why you stay.

It’s difficult to miss the bold brass and percussion that is the pep band. Members are seated near the visiting team, where their playful heckling can get in the ears of even the most composed players.

And while the band is comedic, don’t discount its musical capabilities. The talent in the pep band is the same talent from the Sound of Today.

But the talent is where the similarity stops. Gone are the uniforms and rules of the marching band. The Technical Fowls play new songs and bring out a side of themselves that isn’t seen during football games or” “concerts. The pep band even uses instruments that are different from The Sound of Today, such as a drum set and a bass guitar. The Technical Fowls perform stand tunes and chants to energize the crowd and support the Warhawks. The tunes reverberate around the coliseum in a way that feeds life into the Hawks while striking fear and anxiety into the hearts of opponents.

But if you thought the pep band only plays traditional chants and cheers, you’d be mistaken. Outlandish chants such as “shrimp fried rice” and “wonton soup” are enough to throw off your game
on the court. The band is a fan-favorite that keeps the Monroe crowd in the stands.

Before every ULM free throw, someone from the band shouts “testify,” and an enormous hush falls over the entire coliseum. However, during an opponent’s free throw, what can only be described as an uproar of racket begins, as the entire band shouts at the top of its lungs to distract and hopefully hex the visiting players. When your job is to heckle and entertain, it’s difficult not to have a good time.

Freshman vocal performance major and clarinet player Artie Smith jumped at the opportunity to join the band and has loved it since.

“I’m definitely a bit on the meaner side in a light-hearted way, so being able to cheer for our team while simultaneously distracting and heckling the other team is so fun,” Smith said.
For some, it’s easy to shout and be extroverted. But for others, the band helps bring a louder side out of the quieter and more reserved members.” “Sophomore atmospheric science major and bass trombone player Mason McMorris uses the band to do just that.

“Honestly pep band makes me feel like I can release a lot of energy that I can’t get out during school,” McMorris said. “It makes me feel like I can be myself because everyone else is also so energetic.” This energy overflows to the stands with students participating in chants during time-outs.

Junior kinesiology major Justin Richter said he thinks the band is a necessary component of the basketball games because of the
positivity and infectious fanaticism it carries.

“They bring an energy that fills the coliseum,” Richter said.

Remove the Technical Fowls, and the entire atmosphere is changed. When the game looks bleak for ULM, the band helps bring the vibe back to a 10.

More importantly, the band motivates athletes during games. While fans certainly feed off the excitement and energy, ULM players benefit from the added enthusiasm in the coliseum as well.
Graduate transfer center Emma Merriweather says she feels the band is just as much a part of the team as she is.

“The presence of the band definitely increases the excitement of game day,” Merriweather said. “They bring an energy and base that we can’t get through a speaker.”
Given the love for the Technical Fowls on the court and in the stands, it seems as though Fant-Ewing would lose its charm without them.