According to a recent statement from Christopher Hoch, director of The Ohio State University Marching Band, “The Best Damn Band in the Land” will soon be comprised solely of saxophones. Hoch confirmed that the process of phasing out non-saxophone instruments will begin with the 2019 tryouts this August. When asked why he waited so long to reveal his plan to the public, Hoch passionately declared, “Ideas like this only come around once in a lifetime! If other schools caught wind of it, they’d all want to be the first!”
Hoch explained that although the decision may come as a surprise to many, he and his colleagues believe it to be long overdue. As a relatively new director at Ohio State, Hoch sees the present as the perfect time to carry out his vision, which has received overwhelming support from current band members.
Jessi Francis, an oncoming third-year student, comments, “I’m really looking forward to the transition to only saxophones! This way, members won’t have to argue over whose section is best. And you know what they say, “192 saxophones are better than one regular band!”
The Ohio State Marching Band is historically all-brass, with saxophones never before having a place in the group. A contingent of fans have already responded with worries that a drastic shift in instrumentation may negatively affect the band’s sound, repertoire, and quality of performance, especially since the rhythm-keeping percussion section will also be replaced by saxophones.
While acknowledging some anticipated musical limitations, Hoch’s announcement clarifies the benefits of the reorganization, which include how the band will look much more uniform, be a little more jazzy, and that’s it. Regarding the band’s tone, fans can expect something “sort of like a capella, but instead of voices, it’s saxophones, and they’re all altos.”
The only major difficulty Hoch foresees is the controversy and raging competition that may result from attempting to dot the “i” with a saxophone, rather than with the traditional fourth- or fifth-year sousaphone. Hoch has not formally disclosed how he plans to deal with this issue, but The Sundial did overhear some students talking about sticking around for a sixth year.
Excited for the future of The Ohio State Marching Band, Hoch assures those concerned that, come this fall, spectators will witness halftime shows that will “knock their sax off.”
To view a detailed timeline of procedures for the next several seasons, visit tbdbitl.osu.edu. To send words of encouragement or to thank the director, contact hoch.4@osu.edu.
Written by Sarah Palazzo, Co-President