Marching Mountaineers to show pre-recorded material during football games.
The Marching Mountaineers perform the National Anthem at the first home football game of the 2017 season.
August 20, 2020
The Marching Mountaineers will not perform live in the stadium during App State football games this fall, the band announced Thursday through a social media post.
According to the post, leadership made the decision to “protect the health and safety of band members, student-athletes, staff and potential spectators.”
Carrie Cook, the feature twirler for the band, said that although she is disappointed by the change, she thinks it is for the best.
“It stinks that we won’t be able to go out there and fully represent the Marching Mountaineers, but I understand why they did that,” Cook said. “We have a lot of people in the band, and to keep everybody safe like the members, the spectators and the administration, it’s the best decision that they could have made in my opinion.”
Leadership told band members that the Marching Mountaineers will show pre-recorded material during football games.
“We will have a presence there. It will just be virtual and not live,” Cook said.
Leadership will also alter other elements of the band’s role to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The Marching Mountaineers will announce these changes before the start of the football season.
The Hayes School of Music, App State Athletics and return-to-campus officials are all working with the Sun Belt Conference to “identify new and creative ways to safely incorporate the Marching Mountaineers into athletics events this fall.”
This is a developing story.
