Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place in Washington, DC this weekend and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our series with Elon band captain Nate Miller as he talked about playing the trumpet and facing the Tar Heels.
What made you choose Elon? I did not know about Elon until late in my high school career but it was a really good coincidence for me. My mom worked at my school and was in charge of getting high school students into college. She told me to look at Elon and once I did so and then scheduled a tour I just knew that I wanted to be here.
What is the atmosphere like on campus now that the conference tournament is starting tomorrow? Unfortunately I do not feel the students are as excited as they should be, probably because not enough of the student body shows up to see how good the team is and how fun the games are. However, I assure you that the band is VERY excited to go to DC!
What instrument do you play, and how did you 1st get into playing it? I play the trumpet. Growing up I had a friend who listened to a lot of jazz musicians like Miles Davis/Dizzy Gillespie. When I learned that they both played the trumpet I knew that I wanted to do so as well.
What is the best part of being in the band? There are so many great things! There is an overwhelming sense of friendship: after everyone comes together to bond you end up with 30 best friends in the basketball band and 60 best friends in the marching band.
You are 1 of the band captains this year: what sort of responsibilities does that entail? I am captain of the brass section, which means that I oversee all of the brass instruments to ensure they stay on task. I am super-excited because I love being in this band so much and it gives me a chance to give back to my school.
What kind of music does the band play at basketball games, and will we see your group do anything extra-special for the CAA Tournament this weekend? Our typical lineup consists of many musical genres: some Jonas Brothers, some Blues Brothers, etc. That variety helps to get fans of any age at the arena into the game. We may have some surprises in store this weekend…but you will just have to show up and find out!
What do you think the role of a college band is today, and how much time/energy is involved? I see the role as joined with that of the cheer/dance/spirit organizations as another 6th man. We try to pump up the fans as well as the team itself. We try to maintain an air of positivity and make sure that everyone is having fun. I try to give the most energy I can at every game I attend. The morning after every game I wake up with a sore throat, and I think that is how it should be: I get hyped for the dunks and mad at the bad calls.
How does the band decide who gets to go to DC, and what does it mean to you to see your group doing their thing in front of a national TV audience? The selection process is based on how many games you attend: the more you go to, the higher chance you have to attend the postseason tourney. I am incredibly excited for the band to be on TV. We have not been nationally-recognized very much but in the past few years we have really started to put ourselves on the map.
What has been your favorite moment so far this season: playing at Michigan/North Carolina, Senior Night, other? I am a big UNC fan as well so I got to go to the game at Chapel Hill. 1 of our players stole the ball from 1-and-done guy Cole Anthony and then found a teammate for a transition dunk on the other end: it really energized us for the rest of the season. We pushed the Tar Heels that night (the Phoenix were ahead at halftime) and it lit a spark in the team by showing that they can do great things if they put their minds to it.
Any predictions for Saturday’s game vs. James Madison (whom your school has already beaten twice this season by single-digits)? I think the regular season speaks for itself! Our team is young/hungry and will enter the tourney with the right mindset. They will go in with an attacking mentality and I think it is time for a new era in Elon basketball.