Washington State University was founded in 1890 only a year after the University of Idaho, and here it is 126 years later with a rivalry ringing out louder than ever.
On Saturday, these rival teams of the Palouse will meet once again on WSU territory to play a friendly game of football. But some will come only to hear and see the marching bands do their thing.
Illlustration by JP Hansen | Argonaut – Battle of the Bands
The WSU marching band performs a new piece for every single game. They have been practicing the piece and routine for this game for about a week now, said WSU Band Director Troy Bennefield, who has been the director for three years.
During the halftime show Saturday, the bands will be performing their own individual pieces, and then will also come together as one to perform.
“This is unique because instead of just working for our own performance, we are working to get something together with another institution,” Bennefield said. “Musically, it’s not much different, other than just making sure we are as prepared as possible.”
This is the first time in Bennefield’s career the university has collaborated with its college neighbor, UI.
Music is a bonding force, but this rivalry may be in more depth than just athletics.
These two teams will not meet up again until 2020 because of the way the game matches have worked out, so this game has tremendous importance to the bands, the players and the students from both schools.
And while the game is up in the air, it is certain that both marching bands will bring all its in trying to win the crowd for their team.
Spencer Martin, the Vandal Marching Band director, and Bennefield have been communicating about this duo performance for quite some time.
Bennefield and Martin said they met during the summer to decide what the music for this game would be. Bennefield said they decided on grunge for the theme with an emphasis on the band Nirvana, the main song being “Smells like Teen Spirit.”
The WSU marching band consists of 180 students this year, 85 of whom are freshmen and only 15 percent being students from the school of music.
“The neat thing about college band is the thing that makes our organization great is the same thing that makes your organization great, any good marching band is going to have a family atmosphere,” Bennefield said. “This is a place where students can put away the stress of the day and come together and work towards something where we’re entertaining audiences, we’re supporting our football team and we’re representing the university when we travel.”
Every band carries the image of their school on their shoulders everywhere they go and that is no different at WSU.
“We want to make sure we are the best ambassador for WSU wherever we go,” Bennefield said.
The bands will have only an hour to practice together the day before the game. The question is whether or not one band will shine brighter than the other in what might be considered a battle of the Palouse marching bands.
Nicole Etchemendy
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