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Marching bands in television and popular culture: the USC Trojan Marching Band appears on “Glee”

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Marching bands in television and popular culture: the USC Trojan Marching Band appears on “Glee”

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Content Iii MARCHING BANDS IN TELEVISION AND POPULAR CULTURE: THE USC TROJAN MARCHING BAND APPEARS ON “GLEE” by Elizabeth Geli A Thesis Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS (SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM) December 2010 Copyright 2010 Elizabeth Geli i TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Abstract Marching Bands in Television and Popular Culture: The USC Trojan Marching Band Appears on “Glee” Bibliography ii iii 1 25 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to all of the interview subjects featured in this article for their time and cooperation. Thank you to my thesis committee chair Tim Page, committee members Tony Fox and Josh Kun, and Sasha Anawalt for their assistance and guidance. Thank you to my classmates—the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism‟s Specialized Journalism Class of 2010 (especially the arts people). Thanks to Christine Katzman, my editor at Halftime Magazine, who has allowed me to be a marching band journalist for the last three years and counting. Special thanks to Brett Padelford, who not only allowed me to interview him for this story, but served as a volunteer editor and allowed me to tag along with the band on the day of filming. Without him this thesis would not have been possible. iii ABSTRACT Marching bands are rarely portrayed on the screen, and even less often in a starring role. As a background component, the use of marching bands in popular culture, and specifically television, has increased over the past ten years. The popular television series “Glee” featured the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band (TMB) in the role of the fictional McKinley High Band in April 2010. The TMB accompanied actors Chris Colfer and Amber Riley in a highly involved marching band and cheerleading routine set to the Madonna and Justin Timberlake song “4 Minutes.” 1 It‟s rare to see college students awake at 5:30am—yet the sun has barely risen on a Monday morning, and 40 members of “The Spirit of Troy” Trojan Marching Band (TMB) are awake and on their way to the University of Southern California campus. As they enter the Stonier Hall basement, home of the TMB, some look still half-asleep, others wide-eyed and almost giddy. The students shove their bags and instruments around the crowded office while staking out waiting spots on the floor or on the couches in the back. A staff member calls out: “Is everyone here? Are all the bones here?…Ok, well can someone call her please?” The students nod their heads in agreement or take out their cell phones to start texting. As the latecomers arrive the band piles on to the bus as they have so many times before. But this time they aren‟t headed to football game, a parade, or a USC rally. Today‟s destination is the set of “Glee,” one of the hottest television shows in America, where the TMB will perform in a musical number featured on the show. Marching bands are rarely portrayed on the screen, and even less often in a starring role. Despite their status as a national pastime, ingrained in schools and enjoyed by large numbers of participants each year, marching bands have yet to be successful in a staring role for the entertainment industry. Every little bit counts, however, and in the past ten years there has been an increase in marching bands‟ participation in the media, at least as a background element. 2 A comedy/musical hybrid, “Glee” follows the dramatic lives of a high school show choir in suburban Ohio and the school‟s eccentric staff. While no official definition exists, and conventions vary regionally, Wikipedia.org defines show choir as “a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story. 1 ” FOX aired the pilot on May 19, 2009 after an episode of “American Idol,” and the show‟s first season began in September. Since then it has received favorable reviews and gained a large cult following, averaging around 12 million viewers per episode and winning a Golden Globe, SAG Award, and a Peabody. In fact, it could easily be said that America has “Glee-fever” right now. Not only has the show succeeded, but it spawned three top-selling records and two EPs, millions of iTunes downloads and a live touring show. The show‟s young stars are everywhere you look on television and in the press, appearing at various big-named functions and even performing at the White House. A zealous fan culture of “Gleeks,” a fan moniker, is constantly chattering online. Three weeks earlier, the same group of TMB members bussed to Paramount Studios, for an all-day rehearsal with Zach Woodlee, co-producer and choreographer of “Glee.” 1 “Show Choir.” Wikipedia 15 June 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_choir>. 3 “It was more of a crap shoot because I had never worked with an actual marching band although I have worked with large groups of people,” Woodlee said. “My assistant and I had decided what the dance routine would be. I knew what pictures I wanted to hit and where in the song I wanted them to be.” As Woodlee got used to the band and what they were capable of, the routine changed. “We showed up not knowing what to expect,” said Selby Sholsberg, a bass drummer in the TMB. “They were just kind of playing with us; they didn‟t really have anything set. Finally they started setting things and then we did it with the dancers and finally it came together.” The TMB is known for their distinct “drive-it” style of marching—more similar to a high-step than the roll-step practiced by most marching bands and drum corps. TMB press materials describe it as “a modified form of the traditional high-step, [requiring] band members to form a „chair,‟ each step with the thigh at a 45 degree angle, the foot pointed down, and the toe six inches from the ground.” When the TMB demonstrated it for Woodlee, he decided to incorporate it into parts of the number. “I really wanted to put that in so that anyone in (the marching band) world would know that‟s the USC band,” he said. Brett Padelford, a former assistant director and current public relations manager for the TMB served as their point person for “Glee” and most of the Hollywood gigs they‟ve done over the past six years. 4 “We were just kind of demonstrating to [Woodlee] how we march…he liked it and thought it was cool and great that any marching band did as elaborate and showy a style as what we have,” Padelford said. “I think it was a lot more theatrical than just rolling, just like walking around in the style of most marching bands.” Rehearsal with Woodlee turned out to be much different than expected for the TMB members—who are used to the shouting and strict discipline of 40-year director Dr. Arthur C. Bartner. “It was really chill, [Woodlee] knew all of our names and our nicknames—and got a kick out of that, he had made up names for some people,” Shlosberg said. “It was really cool, he wanted to be our friend, he was really nice to us, and it was a very relaxed atmosphere.” Woodlee enjoyed the camaraderie with the students and said it took him back to his college days. “They‟re all so wonderful, their personalities were all so individual but it didn‟t seem to hinder the process,” Woodlee said. “With the band it‟s laughing, good times, everybody‟s cool, but when you turn the music on it‟s a machine—it was amazing, I had such a good time.” An experienced dancer and choreographer, Woodlee has worked many award shows, television series, and feature films including “Hairspray,” the Broadway musical 5 film adaptation 2 . Through this number, he discovered that working with dancers and actors is much different than working with a marching band. “For dance you‟re in sections but there‟s always moments when people are resetting,” Woodlee said. “A band is a constant moving shape of design. You don‟t do a reset, there‟s always something evolving and moving throughout the whole number.” The TMB‟s biggest issue was learning to step off on the right foot instead of the left. Marching bands lead with the left, however dancers lead with the right foot—so in order to match the dancers and actors and keep everyone in step, the band had to adapt. Although it may seem trivial, changing such an ingrained fundamental took serious concentration. Padelford admitted he was surprised that the band was able to remember this as well as they did. The band‟s instruments introduced another new element for Woodlee. Some of the blocking had to be adjusted to accommodate the large or heavy horns and drums. For example, a standard sousaphone, which goes around the body and rests on the player‟s left shoulder, weighs 28lbs 3 . “I didn‟t know how heavy those instruments were. I was shocked at their discipline to be able to hold their instruments the same way the whole time,” Woodlee said. “No one complained about aching—they were just like machines. I kept apologizing and they were like „oh, this is nothing.‟” 2 “Zachary Woodlee.” The Internet Movie Database 15 June 2010 <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940342/>. 3 “C.G. Conn Model 20K.” C.G. Conn 15 June 2010 <http://www.cgconn.com/content/detail.php?model=20K>. 6 This particular episode is one of “Glee‟s” biggest productions to date. “The Power of Madonna,” an all-Madonna song episode, had been highly anticipated since the announcement that she had given the creators of “Glee” rights to her full catalog for the show‟s use 4 . In order to understand how the show gets to this point, one must know a little more about the format and plot of “Glee.” Each episode features five to eight musical numbers 5 , pulling from Broadway show tunes and popular hits. In contrast, “The Power of Madonna” features ten production numbers and 11 Madonna songs 6 . The series begins when Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) falls into the advisor position and attempts to lead the glee club to success, despite the constant meddling of the ludicrously Machiavellian cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and while dealing with his own marital and romantic problems. Glee club at McKinley High had become very unpopular under the leadership of the disgraced former director, a pastel sweater-set-wearing man who caressed a student inappropriately and now sells drugs—just one example of “Glee‟s” snarky comedy. When Schuester, a McKinley glee club alum, volunteers to take over, the frugal principal demands they win big in competition or lose all their funding. 4 Tim Stack, “„Glee‟ Exclusive: Madonna is on board! Is Adam Lambert next?.” Entertainment Weekly on the Web 21 Oct. 2009, 15 June 2010 <http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/10/21/glee-exlcusive-madonna-is-in- is-adam-lambert-next/>. 5 Bill Keveney, “After 'Idol' there's 'Glee,' a comedy with cool music.” USA Today on the Web 18 May 2009, 15 June 2010 <http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-05-18-glee_N.htm>. 6 “The Power of Madonna,” Wikipedia, 15 June 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Madonna> 7 “Glee” was created by show runner Ryan Murphy (with co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan), most famous for the dark plastic surgery-themed drama “Nip/Tuck.” Adult themes and quick-witticisms are prevalent in “Glee,” but the show is essentially meant to inspire. Murphy told USA Today: “"I wanted to do something optimistic and uplifting. I have a rule. This show has to make you smile and feel good by the end of the hour. 7 ” The varying personalities of the kids in the club, renamed “New Directions,” complicate things further. The original core of the group includes an alternative girl with a stutter, a boy in a wheelchair, the fresh-out-of-the-closet Kurt, and two divas, Rachel and Mercedes—the first a wannabe “Funny Girl” and the second a “Dreamgirl.” This group is teased and tortured incessantly by the popular kids, most often in the unusual method of getting slushy drinks thrown in their faces. Much like Zac Efron‟s character in “High School Musical” or Chris Klein‟s character in “American Pie,” Cory Monteith plays Finn, a star athlete with hidden talents who reluctantly joins the glee club. Finn endures ridicule and bullying from his own social circle and throughout the school. After a series of unlikely events and for various selfish reasons, his pregnant cheerleader girlfriend, her two air headed friends, his bad- boy best friend, and their two football teammates also join the group. The episode opens with Sylvester revealing how her lifelong love of Madonna has inspired her commitment to excellence, and she blackmails the principal into constantly 7 Keveney 8 blasting Madonna music from the loudspeakers. Instead of complaining, Will decides to adapt to the circumstances and assigns the glee kids to perform Madonna songs as well. “4 Minutes,” a song originally performed by Madonna and Justin Timberlake, is the song that for the first time, features the McKinley High School Marching Band, played by the TMB. When Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) feel that Schuester isn‟t giving them enough solos, they turn to Sue Sylvester, who brings them into the school‟s cheerleading squad with the promise of high school popularity. This school assembly performance is their coming out as a part of the “Cheerios” cheerleading squad for the first time, much to the surprise of Schuester and the rest of the glee club. The rehearsal dynamic changed when Colfer, Riley, and the Cheerios squad joined the rehearsal. The TMB students knew the celebrity arrivals meant it was time to really get serious about working, but they couldn‟t resist gawking and getting a little star struck during the breaks. . “It was really funny just getting to see a different side of [the actors],” said Guido Jimenez, a TMB trumpet player. “Because they‟re not in front of a camera, you kind of got to see their true side.” The 17-year-old Colfer took photos and chatted with the band members, even writing a birthday message for Shlosberg‟s mother. In contrast to his flamboyant character Kurt, the TMB members commented on his timidity. Riley quickly obliged requests for photos but was more interested in texting and tweeting. This aspect of 9 Riley‟s personality is reflected in later episodes where she is seen as the glee club‟s social queen, conducting gossip-y conference calls in the school hallways. “It‟s so surreal talking to them,” Shlosberg said. “Just the fact that they were so nice and that we could actually go and talk to them was so great. I thought we would maybe be distanced from them since we‟re not famous.” TMB members frequently have taken photos with the stars during various trips and performances. Most of the time it‟s a quick and harmless perk for the students that the stars don‟t mind indulging, and Padelford lets it happen. “I don‟t know if that‟s the most professional, but whatever,” Padelford said. “Especially the guys that liked „Glee,‟ they were probably excited to see the actors. But they were fine—professional enough.” The world of showbiz is nothing new for the TMB. Because of their extensive TV and film resume going back to 1971, a magazine writer dubbed them “Hollywood‟s Band” in 1984, a nickname they have touted ever since 8 . Within the last few years they performed on America‟s top two television shows, “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars,” as well as “The Tonight Show with Conan O‟Brien,” “The Jay Leno Show,” “‟til Death,” and had a pivotal role in an episode of “How I Met Your Mother.” In 2009 they performed with Hugh Jackman and Beyoncé on the Academy Awards broadcast and shared the stage with Radiohead for a ground-breaking performance at the Grammy‟s 9 . 8 Keith H. Walker and Robert W. Jensen,. The Man on the Ladder: A Celebration of Dr. Arthur C. Bartner‟s Four Decades with the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band (Los Angeles: Figueroa Press, 2010) 189. 9 “The Spirit of Troy USC Trojan Marching Band Press Pack,” The Spirit of Troy, ed. Brett Padelford, 11- 12, 38, Spring 2010, 15 June 2010 <http://www.usc.edu/dept/band/about/presspack.html>. 10 While the “Glee” cast currently has two Gold certified albums 10 , the TMB already has two platinum albums for their collaboration with Fleetwood Mac on the 1979 hit “Tusk,” and 1997 reunion album “The Dance. 11 ” The revolutionary chart was one of the first times a major artist collaborated with a marching band—a technique that has since been incorporated countless times in various mediums. After a long day of rehearsing, the TMB is finally dismissed. Woodlee warned that the producers would be very unhappy if the routine was leaked, but allowed Padelford to record it on a small handheld camera and upload it to YouTube under a private setting. Only the participants were given access so they could practice and refresh their memories over the three-week break. “I‟m sure they just watched it once or twice, they weren‟t like studying it and writing down their moves,” Padelford said. “But everyone went and looked at it at least once to try and remember, and when we got to the day of the shoot, I don‟t think anyone had a lapse or forgot anything.” In light of the show‟s success, this guest appearance is a big deal for the TMB. Every TV gig is valuable to the program, but the staff and band members both know how important “Glee” is. On January 25, the bus ride to Helen Bernstein High School in Hollywood, a stand-in for the fictional William McKinley High gymnasium, is quiet. 10 RIAA Gold and Platinum, Searchable Database, 15 June 15, 2010 <http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS> 11 Padelford 17 11 Whether it‟s the early hour, the students trying to mentally review their routines, or a combination of both, the trip is solemn in contrast to the normally rowdy bus rides. Upon arrival, the TMB is immediately ushered into the gym for the final run- throughs with Woodlee. Cameramen, producers and directors observe and review the shots they plan to get. After reviewing the routine a few times, Colfer, Riley and the Cheerios are added. “When we got there we actually ran right into the rehearsal and did it, no changes at all,” Padelford said. “I guess we had gone over it so many times that it was just like by rote—people remembered exactly how to do the gig.” Once the routine was tuned up and perfected, the band members went outside to a trailer in the parking lot for wardrobe. The department had previously measured the band and had uniforms ready to go. Although the red and black uniforms seemed generic, TMB snare drummer David Aguilar immediately recognized them as borrowed from his alma mater, Redlands East Valley High School—and a wardrobe staffer confirmed his suspicion. The TMB‟s usual uniforms are similar in shape to a traditional band uniform, but feature the Trojan head band logo on the front, capes, and gold Trojan helmets topped with cardinal plumes. Besides the distinctive helmets, the TMB uniform‟s most talked- about feature is the inclusion of black sunglasses—worn at all times of the day or night, indoors or out—and bringing that extra bit of Southern California style. Band members brought their own black shoes and t-shirts to wear underneath. Since the TMB‟s usual uniform uses white spats over their shoes, no one had 12 remembered to think about white or other-colored socks that would show between the pants and shoes—but the wardrobe department instantly came up with black socks. The day‟s task of handling the TMB went to second assistant director Joe May— who led them from the gym to wardrobe to the trailer, and made sure they were always where they needed to be at the correct times. “They had a general good mood and were great to work with—every time you told them to do something they would do it very quickly,” May said. “They were organized, it was piece of cake to work with them, it made the day go so much smoother having them perform the way that they did.” After the TMB dropped off their belongings, changed in their trailer and ate a quick breakfast, May led them back to the gym for more run-throughs—now in costume. On the way over they saw hundred of extras checking in and being ushered into the gym stands to comprise the crowd. Several students wondered aloud why extras or generic dancers and musicians weren‟t used instead of hiring the TMB. There are many reasons “Glee” chose to hire the TMB instead of random actors. Various union policies and negotiations governed by the American Federation of Musicians come in to play when anyone on-camera holds an instrument. Even though the TMB was not used for the actual audio recording, the fact that they could have played if needed was essential for “Glee.” 13 “This work is not called „extra‟work, it‟s called „sideline musicians,‟” said Christine Day, musicians casting director for 20 th Century Fox. “Most of the time the musicians are asked to appear on camera and mime back to pre-recorded music and sometimes they are asked to play live on set. All the musicians I cast must be experienced players because we never know if they will be asked to play for a scene.” Day previously cast the TMB for television on “How I Met Your Mother” and used a few players for “Bones.” Since this project, at least two TMB members have appeared as individual musicians on “Glee” as a direct result of Day contacting Padelford when needed. “It‟s pretty exciting to tell the producers and our crew that a part of the USC Band is going to be a part of it,” Day said. “Just because they have such a great reputation.” In most cases, casting will usually turn to a college band over a high school because additional Department of Labor laws come into play when working with minors, and can delay production. While a fake marching band could have been assembled by hiring different musicians, using an established group has additional advantages. “We could have gotten a lot of musicians but it‟s easier to get a group that knows each other,” Woodlee said. “I like coaching groups because they‟re already so in tune with each other. They can do the homework separately and then come back and perform it.” Day agreed. 14 “To have something that‟s already self-contained is really the best way to go. It can be pieced together but it just makes more sense to go to a source that‟s already self- contained.” After Day contacted Padelford, extras casting director Kristan Berona worked out the details and made sure the TMB got paid. “We arranged a donation to the USC marching program in lieu of paying people directly,” Berona said. “When we‟re getting teams or cheerleaders or bands we always make a donation to the school through the production company.” Padelford negotiates a price for the rehearsal and filming, and the money is put into the band program—although the participating students do get individual stipends for their time. “We give [the production company] a number and if it doesn‟t work for them, they tell us,” Padelford said. “This time it worked for them, actually they said we were cheap, which is always a bad thing to hear.” Once the band is locked in, Padelford and the TMB section leaders book the individual students based on instrumentation, seniority, availability and in this case, appearance. “Because [the show takes place] in Ohio it had to be predominantly Caucasians and we had an ethnic break of 20 percent,” Berona said. “More than looks, it was based on what instrument they play. For once on this show looks didn‟t come into play as much as they normally do. We usually do everything based on looks.” 15 Rumors began circulating through the TMB that a big TV appearance was in the works. When Shlosberg, at her family‟s home in Minnesota for winter break, heard through the grapevine that it might be “Glee,” she immediately appealed to her section leader and fellow bass drummers to be put on the gig. “My parents and I are huge fans and I wasn‟t going to be back in time for the rehearsal,” Shlosberg said. “But my parents changed my flight when they heard that I had the chance to be on „Glee‟” Back on set, the TMB, Cheerios, and actors get in to position to start filming. The bleachers behind them are now filled with extras holding pom-poms and signs and being directed to clap along with the song, dance and cheer. The director shouts “action,” the playback comes on, and filming begins. First they do the routine several times for wide-shots—then medium shots, steadicam, overhead, and close-ups. Sometimes the whole number is needed, other times just certain portions. If someone messes up, the director yells “cut,” and everyone is reset, beginning the routine again. “This one was definitely the most demanding out of all of the other television gigs that I‟ve done,” said Jimenez, who has performed with the TMB on “American Idol,” “The Tonight Show With Conan O‟Brien,” and “Dancing With the Stars.” “Knowing that the camera is actually on me—I need to perform perfectly or we might have to redo this again, which happened a few times.” 16 Many of the TMB‟s television appearances have been live—you only get one take. So while “Glee” gave additional chances, it meant more hard work. “There were so many takes, so if someone screwed up, this isn‟t live TV,” Padelford said. “If it was noticeable enough, you know it could be edited out or they could do a retake. It was very difficult but it was also very forgiving.” The additional responsibility gave the TMB students a greater sense of involvement and ownership of the routine than in past television shows. “For TV gigs we usually just stand still but this time we were moving around and had to hit our spots on time, and you didn‟t want to hit the star,” Shlosberg said. “But it was fun, because you really felt like you were special because you are in the dance routine, it was a lot more involved.” Jimenez also had a challenging sequence in the front and center of the group with just one other trumpet player. “If we weren‟t on the same beat we would smash into the actors because they were right behind us and they have to move right around us,” Jimenez said. “The directors kept telling us we were too early or too late and just figuring out the timing was the most difficult thing. That was the part I was the most nervous about.” Fortunately, cast members Chris Colfer and Amber Riley escaped unharmed. Another departure for the TMB was acting to the playback recording of the song. Usually the music, drill, and dancing are linked together for muscle memory. For example, TMB members are so used to playing the band‟s trademark song “Tusk” with its dance routine 17 that it if you told them to play it standing completely still, it would be more difficult or at least require more of a conscience effort. “Most of the time you play the song and it becomes muscle memory with the drill,” Jimenez said. “I think it was a lot more difficult to fake play than actually play, which kind of sounds weird, but for me I kind of felt like I needed some fake music to play.” Shlosberg‟s drum was stuffed with pillows so that she could hit the drum and create the illusion of playing without making a loud sound. She mostly mimicked her part in “4 Minutes” from when the TMB played it in a halftime show during football season. “It wasn‟t that hard except they never told us what parts we were playing and stuff, so you didn‟t really know when you should look like you‟re playing,” Shlosberg said. “I was just playing my old part, so I hope I didn‟t screw that up.” After several hours of filming the entire gym needed to be switched around. All the cameras and lights needed to be moved to the other side in order to film the routine from behind. Second assistant director Joe May led the band back to trailer to drop off their instruments and then back outside for their lunch break. The TMB stood in the same catered lunch line as the actors and actresses, including Jane Lynch, Naya Rivera, and Dianna Agron. After eating and relaxing in the trailer, the band headed back to the now-reversed set. A whole new group of extras populated the bleachers in front of the performers, and among the crowd sat the members of “New Directions” as well as Mr. Schuester and his love interest, guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury, played by Jayma Mays. 18 The crew filmed the entire routine from the back several times, but the afternoon session was more about filming the cast in the audience, such as Lynch counting off the number with a megaphone, and reactions from Matthew Morrison, Mays, Agron, Lea Michele, and guest star Jonathan Groff. At times, certain groups of band members were allowed to sit in the back bleachers and relax while other remained standing to create an eye line for the actors. One scene between Morrison and Lynch, arguing about the performance and then joined by Colfer and Riley, took a particularly long time to film as band members waited in the back. “We pretty much fell asleep on the stands waiting for our next part to only find out that it‟s not that much left that we actually had to do,” Jimenez said. Soon enough, production wrapped the scene and everyone in the gym was dismissed. The band headed back to their trailer to change and gather their belongings, and then back to wardrobe. As they returned the uniforms they watched Monteith, Morrison, and Mark Salling playing basketball outside the trailers. A few band members took photos with Agron and Patrick Gallagher. “I get so star struck, I love looking at like the stars and being like „Lookit! They‟re really like us!‟” Shlosberg said. “They were really friendly with us when they could have been stressed and mean.” Once everyone finished up, the band left the school and headed out to the street and the bus, where choreographer Zach Woodlee met up with them to take a group photo and say goodbye, even exchanging phone numbers with some of the students. 19 “We became friends with Zach and we‟re going to invite him to come party with us,” Jimenez said. “He‟s totally down.” A marching band-centric show might seem like a natural progression after the popularity and success of arts-based shows like “American Idol,” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” or of high school activity-based shows like “Glee,” “ Friday Night Lights,” and the upcoming “Hellcats.” “Being in [marching band] you see there‟s a lot of drama that goes on—there‟s a lot of stuff you could totally write a good show on,” Jimenez said. “Especially with the right writers and cast you could probably put on a pretty good comedy—just because of all the behind-the-scenes stuff that people don‟t get to see.” But despite interesting potential stories, a marching band show could have problems with finding a wider audience. “I could see someone pitching a show for marching band,” said TMB public relations manager Brett Padelford. “I‟m not sure if it would be very successful.” “„Glee‟ shows more hope that something like [a marching band TV show] could do well—but I feel like people don‟t appreciate marching band as much as football,” Shlosberg says. “Of course the band people would love it, but getting the rest of America to watch, I dunno.” When marching bands are actually portrayed on screen as more than just a background element, the depictions are negative. For example, the teen comedy 20 “American Pie” features a female band member who tries to talk up her sexual credentials by claiming that “this one time, at band camp… 13 ” she put her flute inside an unconventional area of her body. The now-famous line is one of, if not the most prevalent popular culture portrayal of marching band students. The 1999 film spawned two sequels and four direct-to-video spin-offs, many of which mock marching bands. The most egregious, “American Pie Presents: Band Camp” (2005) revolves around band camp participants engaging in constant debauchery, including underage drinking, pornographic productions, and numerous inappropriate sexual acts. However even the “American Pie” negative example is just about the most fictional screen time the marching band activity can hope for. A more typical example comes from the 2004 film “Mean Girls,” where a high school lunchroom is mapped out and the main character is told to avoid the table full of “sexually active band geeks. 14 ” Marching band is not mentioned again in the movie. The one shining exception to the rule is the 2002 film “Drumline,” starring Nick Cannon, which follows a troubled drummer and his journey in the distinct Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching band world. The film is regarded favorably in the marching band community for being a positive, performance-heavy movie and featuring many actual groups. 13 “American Pie (1999) - Memorable Quotes.” The Internet Movie Database 15 June 2010 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163651/quotes?qt0350937>. 14 “Mean Girls (2004) - Memorable Quotes.” The Internet Movie Database 15 June 2010 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377092/quotes?qt0395782>. 21 “In the media they always portray the band as all geeks, nerds and losers.” Jimenez said. “It‟s always a negative image. There‟s never been like a „oh, it‟s so cool to be in band‟ image that gets out there. But I think a lot of people love the bands.” According to casting professionals Kristan Berona and Christine Day, requests for casting marching bands have increased. “I‟m getting more requests due to the nature of TV right now. High school shows are popular, „Glee‟ is wildly popular and they‟ve opened up a whole new genre of television,” Berona said. “Usually you only get bands for a football movie, but now we‟re getting different types of requests. The requests are more frequent than they were ten years ago.” Having a band in a scene signals to audiences the importance of an occasion. “If a scene calls for a football game at a college or a high school you really need to have that band out there on the field,” Day said. “It‟s more of a background but ties in to how the scene is playing out. It definitely gives the scene more energy and makes it a little more exciting to the storyline.” Padelford has seen an increase in requests as well. “I think [the TMB is] being used more, I‟m not sure if marching bands are being used more. First of all, there are more shows on the air now, there‟s more TV,” he said. “I think the marching band‟s just kind of like a novelty to heighten the atmosphere of these shows. So I think maybe that‟s the reason we‟re getting more, and also because we‟re more accessible because we‟re in LA and people know that we‟ll do a good job, hopefully.” 22 Although a large-scale fictional portrayal of a marching band hasn‟t happened in some time, small appearance by various bands are still popping up. The cable series “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” features a heroine who is a member of her high school marching band. Music videos frequently feature marching bands, such as Gwen Stefani‟s “Hollaback Girl,” OK Go‟s “This Too Shall Pass,” and Taylor Swift‟s “You Belong With Me.” In order to become more prominent in popular culture, the marching band activity needs to find some way to rise above its current gimmick or stunt status. “In TV, what we‟ve done is really is kind of a novelty act,” Padelford said. “It‟s like „we need a marching band to punch this segment up, or push this segment over the top because of how ridiculous it is that there‟s a marching band here. It‟s always kind of like the finale or the accent. We‟re not like the show.” The “Power of Madonna” episode received overwhelmingly positive reviews, ranging from “one of the best hours of TV you‟re likely to see all year 15 ” to “the most- enjoyable hour of television of all time. 16 ” Many other critics declared it the best episode of “Glee” to date 17 . 15 Ken Tucker, “„Glee‟ review: Tonight‟s „Power of Madonna‟ episode is one of the best hours of TV you'll see all year.” Entertainment Weekly on the Web 20 April 2010, 15 June 2010 <http://watching- tv.ew.com/2010/04/20/glee-power-of-madonna/>. 16 Bobby Hankinson, “Glee: Just like a dream.” Houston Chronicle on the Web 21 April 2010, 15 June 2010 <http://blogs.chron.com/tubular/archives/2010/04/glee_just_like.html>. 17 Tim Stack, “„Glee‟ recap: The Most Madge-ical Hour Ever!.” Entertainment Weekly on the Web 21 April 2010, 16 June 2010 <http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20362529,00.html> and Ali Semigran, “„Glee‟ 23 Madonna herself called it “brilliant on every level 18 ,” praising the writing, the cast, the musical performances, and noting that her and her daughter Lourdes love the show. The TMB‟s performance on “Glee” received rave reviews from everyone involved. “They‟re the best band in the nation and everybody knows it,” Berona said. “Everybody was really happy—they followed direction well, everything went very smoothly. We had a lot going on that day; that was one of the biggest scenes we‟ve shot on the show.” May agreed. “They really made my job easy as can be and I got a lot of credit later on from my bosses that were pleased with how they worked. I told them it was all the band.” Woodlee also loved working with the TMB. “They did everything I could have asked for, I never found myself wanting them to be more talented,” he said. “They are professionals no matter how outside this is of what they usually do, when they come to play they do it right and that was a huge weight off of me.” And if the McKinley High band ever makes another appearance on “Glee,” would they hire the TMB again? “I think I‟d beg—I really would,” Woodlee said. “You‟ve already got something good so why change it up? I think if they ever did come back the only way we could do it Recap: Episode 15, „The Power Of Madonna.‟” MTV 21 April 2010, 16 June 2010 <http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2010/04/21/glee-recap-power-of-madonna/>. 18 “EXCLUSIVE: Madonna Rates Glee‟s All-Madonna Episode: “Brilliant.”” US Magazine on the Web 16 April 2010, 16 June 2010 <http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/madonna-rates-glees-all- madonna-episode-brilliant-2010164>. 24 was to get the USC Band back. Personally, I‟d say if we can‟t get them we‟d wait until we could.” 25 BIBLIOGRAPHY “American Pie (1999) - Memorable Quotes.” The Internet Movie Database 15 June 2010 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163651/quotes?qt0350937>. “C.G. Conn Model 20K.” C.G. Conn 15 June 2010 <http://www.cgconn.com/content/detail.php?model=20K>. “EXCLUSIVE: Madonna Rates Glee‟s All-Madonna Episode: “Brilliant.”” US Magazine on the Web 16 April 2010, 16 June 2010 <http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/madonna-rates-glees-all- madonna-episode-brilliant-2010164>. Hankinson, Bobby. “Glee: Just like a dream.” Houston Chronicle on the Web 21 April 2010, 15 June 2010 <http://blogs.chron.com/tubular/archives/2010/04/glee_just_like.html>. Keveney, Bill. “After 'Idol' there's 'Glee,' a comedy with cool music.” USA Today on the Web 18 May 2009, 15 June 2010 <http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-05-18-glee_N.htm>. “Mean Girls (2004)- Memorable Quotes.” The Internet Movie Database 15 June 2010 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377092/quotes?qt0395782>. “The Power of Madonna.” Wikipedia 15 June 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Madonna>. “Searchable Database.” RIAA Gold and Platinum 15 June 15, 2010 <http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS>. Semigran, Ali. “„Glee‟ Recap: Episode 15, „The Power Of Madonna.‟” MTV 21 April 2010, 16 June 2010 <http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2010/04/21/glee-recap- power-of-madonna/>. “Show Choir.” Wikipedia15 June 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_choir>. “The Spirit of Troy USC Trojan Marching Band Press Pack.” The Spirit of Troy ed. Brett Padelford. Spring 2010, 15 June 2010 <http://www.usc.edu/dept/band/about/presspack.html>. Stack, Tim. “„Glee‟ Exclusive: Madonna is on board! Is Adam Lambert next?,” Entertainment Weekly on the Web 21 Oct. 2009, 15 June 2010 <http://music- mix.ew.com/2009/10/21/glee-exlcusive-madonna-is-in-is-adam-lambert-next/>. 26 Stack, Tim. “„Glee‟ recap: The Most Madge-ical Hour Ever!.” Entertainment Weekly on the Web 21 April 2010, 16 June 2010 <http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20362529,00.html>. Tucker, Ken. “„Glee‟ review: Tonight‟s „Power of Madonna‟ episode is one of the best hours of TV you'll see all year.” Entertainment Weekly on the Web 20 April 2010, 15 June 2010 <http://watching-tv.ew.com/2010/04/20/glee-power-of-madonna/>. Walker, Keith H. and Robert W. Jensen. The Man on the Ladder: A Celebration of Dr. Arthur C. Bartner‟s Four Decades with the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band. Los Angeles: Figueroa Press, 2010. “Zachary Woodlee.” The Internet Movie Database 15 June 2010 <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940342/>.

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Creator Geli, Elizabeth (author)

Core Title Marching bands in television and popular culture: the USC Trojan Marching Band appears on “Glee”

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism (The Arts)

Publication Date 12/03/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Glee,Marching Band,OAI-PMH Harvest,popular culture,television,USC Trojan Marching Band

Place Name California (states), Los Angeles (city or populated place)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Page, Ellis Tim (committee chair), Fox, Tony (committee member), Kun, Joshua (committee member)

Creator Email elizabethgeli@gmail.com,geli@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3575

Unique identifier UC1124300

Identifier etd-Geli-3896 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-414449 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3575 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Geli-3896.pdf

Dmrecord 414449

Document Type Thesis

Rights Geli, Elizabeth

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu