Editor's Note: Three years ago the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences (LAS) chronicled Ted Brimeyer's first days as a freshman
member of the Cyclone Football "Varsity" Marching Band on the
Iowa State University's web site.
As he enters his senior year, LAS revisits Brimeyer, who is now one of three
drum majors in the marching band.
"It seems like just yesterday we were talking about what it was like
to be a new member of the marching band," Ted Brimeyer says.
Time has flown by since Brimeyer was featured in a series of articles on
the Iowa State and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences web sites about
his first few days as a member of the Cyclone Football "Varsity"
Marching Band.
And this year is flying by as well.
"It's hard to pick out one specific thing I'm going to miss most,"
he said. "During band camp I started to realize this was the last time
I was going to do all of these things."
Thursday evening at the Cyclone football home opener was the next in a long
list of things Brimeyer will do as a member of the marching band. While
there are still many more performances scheduled, the times when he and
his fellow drum majors are essentially all alone on the Jack Trice playing
field is becoming fewer and fewer.
The game day atmosphere is one of the things he'll miss.
"It's amazing when we (the marching band) comes onto the field to start
pre-game,"
Brimeyer says. "The crowd is getting excited and I get chills every
time we play "Fanfare" and the crowd starts to clap along.
"I even get chills when we play "Fanfare" during practice.
Maybe that's why I haven't considered dropping marching band."
That and the dedication each of the 320+ members of the ensemble exhibit
each and every rehearsal and performance.
"It's a common passion we have," he said. "Each of us dedicates
90 minutes every day and virtually every Saturday to the band, not to mention
coming to campus for band camp the week before classes start."
In the end that's what Ted Brimeyer will miss most about the Cyclone Football
"Varsity" Marching Band when he leaves his shoes onto the playing
field along with the other band's seniors at the final home halftime performance
of the year.
"I'll miss the enthusiasm all these people have for what they're doing,"
he said. "Each and everyone of us want to be here."
