Hannum and company obtain licensing rights to perform the songs, they start working on custom-made arrangements that fit the band. “We arrange the wind parts, and then that arrangement gets sent off to the drumline people,”Hannum says.“And then that whole thing gets sent off to the color guard instructor, who writes the choreography for the color guard. When all of those charts are done, I write drill.” It used to be that marching band directors worked out drill routines outlining every step of a routine by using graph paper — hundreds and thousands of sheets of graph paper, each with dots showing the location of every member of the band. Today, those dots are created digitally — but the goal is the same: to ensure that every member knows where to stand to be one piece of a bigger picture. Just a few members out of place means that picture can get fuzzy in a hurry. When Hannum finishes creating a drill, he shares it with each of the band members, who download the program on their smartphones, identify the dot that represents them, and get a sense of how the drill is supposed to work and how and when they have to move. Each halftime program involves a different set of visual challenges for the band members. For the Parton program tonight, the band spells out the word “ALWAYS” during “I Will Always Love You.” Then they reform into the shape of a guitar.Along the way, they put down their instruments to perform a little two-step. Finally, they spell out the name “Dolly!” (See it all in action at bit.ly/ dolly-halftime.) During rehearsals, it has proven to be a tricky bit of business to get the two “L”s in the name straight. But tonight, it’s better — the second “L” might be a little off to a practiced eye, but the thousands of spectators can easily make out what they’re spelling. The show takes almost exactly 10 minutes. It represents hours of work — and some shows, like this tribute, are performed only once. THE LAST SERENADE The Beavers build on a 7-0 halftime lead and pull away for a 21-7 win. The players head to the locker room. It’s 9:22 p.m. — more than eight hours after the band’s initial call — but the musicians still have work to do as fans stream out the stadium. At the end of every home game, band aficionados — friends, family, music fans — head over to the south end zone to watch the band perform tunes like “Radar Love” and the inevitable “Beer Barrel Polka.” Somebody watching calls out for “Free Bird.” The band does not play “Free Bird.” Instead, the final selection is always the alma mater, “Carry Me Back to OSU.” More than 20 minutes later — it’s 9:44 p.m. — the show ends. Instruments go back into cases. Equipment is packed up. The members of The Sound and Spirit of OSU head out into the night. “It was what I was hoping for,” Hannum says about the season’s first full band performance.“I’m always expecting things to go well. If I’m ever pessimistic about things, I tend to rehearse down to it.” But he’s already looking ahead. “Monday’s going to be a pregame day,” he says. “Take the field.” 9:10 p.m. The band performs its last serenades after OSU’s win. 8:20 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:10 p.m.
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