Faces in the Crowd is a regular feature that provides a detailed and intimate look at the coaches, student-athletes and staff people that comprise Lincoln Memorial University athletics. The subject of today's feature is the LMU Pep Band, better known as the Splitter Sound Machine. Director Jeff Cook details how he established the pep band and built it to what it is today – a fixture at LMU sporting events.
All the great college basketball arenas have distinct personalities and present a special experience on game day. Rupp Arena, Thompson-Boling Arena and Cameron Arena, home of the Duke Crazies, all create a special fan experience and headaches for visiting teams.
Here at Lincoln Memorial University we have the Tex Turner Arena with our JumboTron scoreboard, the Abe's Army student section and the Splitter Sound Machine at the north end of the arena. The Splitter Sound Machine is the 30 member pep ensemble that is directed by Assistant Professor of Music Jeff Cook.
Cook, who has been at LMU for 10 years, created the group a year after arriving at LMU. Prior to his arrival music at basketball games was provided by a five-member rock ensemble.
"The music major was established two years before I arrived here," commented Cook. "The program director at the time did the best he could with the low numbers and the 'pep band' was a five piece rock ensemble. At that time the Athletic Department was nowhere near where it is now and the group represented what was happening at the time. Before LMU re-established the music major they would have a group that would start and stop and had no real construction to it.
"My second year the program director left and a request was made from administration that maybe we should have a real band," Cook continued. "That first year we had about eight students and I was able to add a few people that were able to do it. With each year, with the addition of a scholarship that we offer the students and other incentives that I've added, we've been able to grow it to where we have 30-35 people, which is about a quarter of the size I want, but you have to start somewhere. I took ownership of the group because I know what a group like that can be for a campus, particularly at a small campus like this where student involvement is at a premium."
Taking ownership of the group didn't come easy to Cook. He has a bachelor's and master's degree in music performance with a specialty in French Horn, from the University of Miami and is currently working toward his PhD at the University of Kentucky. Prior to arriving at LMU Cook was a very in demand performer in the Atlanta area performing with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Pops Orchestra, Macon Symphony and Columbus Symphony. He also toured with the American Ballet Theatre, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players and other national touring companies.
"I was a music education major for about two weeks and decided that I didn't want to be a band director," chuckled Cook. "It's kind of ironic because here I am running a band."
Cook sees the group as a way for students who may have had some previous music experience to plug themselves into more participation on campus.
"We have students who have some experience with high school marching band and we have other students who may only have some rock band experience and we find a way to fold them in," he pointed out. "The goal of the group is to move it away from the concept of a 'band' and make it more of an ensemble. On the athletic web site I made a concerted effort to use pep ensemble and brand the Splitter Sound Machine. We'll never be the Pride of the Southland, but how unique we can be is really my goal."
As a part of assembling the ensemble, Cook has reached across all areas of campus for members.
"We have music majors in the group, but because our music program is small in numbers, most of the members are general education students from across campus," he mentioned. "Most of our members are non-music majors. We have vet tech majors, business majors, education majors, biology majors and med school students. I think for most of them they just want to continue playing. They do get some scholarship aid, but I think they do it more for the joy of continuing to play and not just for the scholarship. I also have a few community members that keep coming back."
The goal of the pep ensemble is to create an atmosphere that contributes to the game experience for the fans. When the group is performing at basketball or volleyball games you can't help but notice the fun aspect of what they are doing. The body language and energy that they bring is infectious.
"It used to be that I had to bring that out of them by dancing and acting out," Cook said. "In our group I've had to deal with a lot of introverts, kids that were maybe the third chair trumpet or in the back of the section. There is nowhere to hide here. There is an expectation here to come up to a level, entertain, that's what we are here for. Even though my degree is in music performance I am an entertainer. To me it should be fun. I like to think of us as purveyors of fun.
"It's not just the music choices we make," he continued. "It's those moments when we might sing along with a tune or scream or dance. We're not the traditional marching band, it's something a little more tangible or relatable. If we tried to be one of those traditional bands we would fail."
Much of what the ensemble does falls into the general philosophy of how the athletics department works in creating the overall fan experience.
"I want to try and recreate the experience at George Mason, VCU, one of those schools," Cook said. "One of the first conversations I had with
Matt Green when he became Athletic Director was to talk to him about music, his connection and does he support what I was trying to do. One of the first things I learned was he went to VCU, we have similar tastes in college basketball teams and have similar experiences.
"That first conversation centered around can we create a Division I experience on a Division II campus. What can we do to pump up the crowd and create more excitement?"
For Green there was an immediate connection.
"Jeff is one of the most enthusiastic and passionate people I have ever met. He absolutely loves the Splitter Sound Machine and LMU athletics," commented Green. "He has been a tremendous partner. From day one he has done anything we have asked of him, he brings forth new ideas and helps in any way he can.
"The Splitter Sound Machine has taken on the personality of Jeff," Green continued. "They are some of our most loyal fans and have enhanced the product, not only for our fans but for the student athletes as well. The difference they make not only in Tex Turner, but in Mary Mars is visible. When they are absent during breaks you can tell, they are missed."
Green made reference to Cook's vision for the ensemble and the game experience.
"When Jeff made reference to VCU in one of our first meetings I knew exactly what I was getting and what he was all about," remembered Green. "I went to VCU and grew up in Richmond so I immediately understood what his vision was."
A key component of Cook's and Green's vision is creating traditions.
"I've had people come up to me and ask if we will be back for the next game," mentioned Cook. "I guess through our antics at the games and the tunes that we play we've created a tradition. When I first got here I was told we didn't have a fight song. The previous director wrote a short fight song that had no character, then I found the victory song. I thought it was great, it has history, it has character and it was written by Fred Waring a famous orchestra leader who also wrote Oklahoma's and Georgia Tech's fight song. I thought this is so cool, we are one of those schools with a Waring fight song.
"I've worked with Abe's Army and on welcome weekend we bring the band out to teach the new students the lyrics to the fight song," he continued. "That's the University's heritage and its tradition. We grew so quickly that I'm not always sure tradition is at the forefront. The traditions are the people, the traditions are the culture and that's something that I think is very important."
The time commitment for both Cook and the band members does yield some perks. The band followed the Railsplitter basketball team to Frisco, Texas when it played in the national championship game at the close of the 2015-16 season, they travel to the SAC Basketball Tournament in Greenville, S.C. every year and followed the Men's Volleyball team to Nashville for its season opening tournament in January.
"I hope they don't take this the wrong way, but this is the first group of students I have ever met that don't want to miss class," Cook laughed. "I think it comes down to the fact that we have students here who are so dedicated that they want to move on to that professional part of their life. But, once we get on the road they see that it's fun, there is that camaraderie, we are a family. I tell this group that all of you are my children and I care about them deeply. I couldn't be doing this if you guys weren't involved. They see the value in taking these trips, the excitement and once we get there they may worry a little bit about the class they are missing, but I don't see that as being any different than for the athletes themselves.
"As far as the travel itself, I wouldn't do any of that if Matt and Cam Whicker and the coaches didn't see value in it," he continued. "They come up to me and tell me how glad they are that we could come and I think it's good for my group, athletics and the University. I see this ensemble as a visible representation of the University, not just the music program or me or the faculty. We are the student body. My one goal when we go out is that we represent the University the best we can. It means a lot to me when the SAC commissioner comes up to us and says 'we are very glad you are here' (SAC basketball tournament) or when an NCAA official said he was glad we went to Texas."
For any performer there is always the question 'Does what I'm doing matter? Would people miss us if we weren't here?'
"After Nashville I received an email from one of the men's volleyball players thanking us for coming. In my 10 years I've never had a student-athlete write me an email," commented Cook. "I would like to think that we are at the point where the fans, athletes, athletics and students do miss us when we are not there. That we do bring something to the experience."
