The Ohio State Marching Band plays “Hang on Sloopy” in the second half of the Rose Bowl Game featuring Ohio State and Washington on Jan. 1, 2019. Ohio State won 28-23. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Former Managing Editor for Multimedia
The Best Damn Band in the Land has gone from the field to the family room with its latest endeavor.
In “TBDBITL 141,” viewers are taken through the 2018-19 football season through the eyes of the Ohio State marching band. The documentary, which cost $9,000 and was funded by the university, spans from the grueling summer sessions all the way to the band’s performance at the Rose Bowl. TBDBITL fans get a behind-the-scenes look at all the preparation and hard work the band puts in for their incredible pregame and halftime performances.
“I want to show off the hard work of our students,” Christopher Hoch, the marching band’s director, said. “Not everybody gets to see it. I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that just think a halftime show appears on the field and it’s just there, but have no idea what goes into it, have no idea that it’s a year-long process to put that halftime show together.”
The documentary, directed and produced by director of National Broadcast Media at Ohio State Joe Camoriano, was originally slated to premiere at Gateway in March, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the original plan.
The film primarily follows Hoch along with former drum major Konner Barr, former sousaphone player Thomas Unger and fourth-year trombone player Sydney Reik.
For Barr, the documentary highlighted his first year as drum major, which was a life-long goal since he first picked up a baton when he was 5 years old.
“When my name got announced as drum major in 2018, I didn’t fully comprehend it for a little bit,” Barr said. “When I heard it I obviously was excited, I had achieved the dream, but it didn’t really hit me, almost, until football season.”
Reik said that she was happy to provide the documentary with a female perspective in a male-dominated band.
“The band, for a long time, and is still currently super male dominated and for a while women weren’t even allowed in the band,” Reik said. “I was happy to provide insight as to what it’s like for a woman going through the band.”
The documentary also provides an inside look into the band selection process, which cut the 2018 group from more than 300 students to 228 members. Hoch, who did not make the cut his first year trying out for the band as a student, gave insight into the feelings surrounding the selection process.
“Year in and year out, that day when we select the band is both the most exciting day and one of the most heartbreaking days for me as the director of the organization, because I know there’s going to be lots of folks who put in a lot of time and effort to make the band and who aren’t going to make it,” Hoch said.
Hoch said that those involved in the selection process look at every score and comment in order to make the decisions.
Viewers also got to see selection night through the eyes of a prospective member. Reik said that selection night was one of the most emotional nights of her life.
“The anxieties in that room is intense. Everybody is quiet,” Reik said. “Then they finally called my name and I just breathed. It was probably one of the most intense experiences I’ve ever been through.”
The release poster for “TBDBITL 141” which follows the journey of the 141st edition of Ohio State’s marching band through the 2018 football season. | Courtesy of The Ohio State University Marching Band
Along with the selection night, the documentary gives insight into the more intimate moments of the band’s journey, and it is shown in an authentic way, Hoch said.
“For the most part, we were able to just do what we do on an everyday basis, and they were there to capture that,” Hoch said. “So what you’re actually going to see in the movie is authentic. It’s real life. It’s how things really were.”
The documentary also highlighted some firsts for the band, including its first performance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade took place just two days prior to Ohio State’s matchup with Michigan, which created a hectic week for the band.
“I remember I was stressed,” Barr said. “At the same time, it was such a cool experience just because I had never been to New York City and so being able to take in the atmosphere of New York City while also thinking about what’s to come that weekend was interesting.”
Hoch said the 2018 band’s resilience and work ethic is what set it apart from years past.
“With the number of things we asked them to do, with the parade, with having to get home from the parade and turn right around and do the game against that team up north,” Hoch said. “All wonderful experiences but it really speaks to the dedication and work ethic of the students who were in that group.”
“TBDBITL 141” is available to rent for $4.99 or purchase for $12.99 on Vimeo on-demand. All proceeds will be used to support the marching band’s scholarship funds.
