By CHUY DOMINGUEZ, Student Reporter
The NWOSU Band is raising funds to purchase a new trailer to store the band’s instruments.
The number of band students each year ranges from 20 to 35. This year, however, more than 65 students are in the band, doubling the ensemble’s roster and decreasing the amount of space available for storing instruments and uniforms.
This is Seth Cudd’s second year as the NWOSU band director. He and his student assistant, Katie Blair, worked with approximately 32 students last year.
As the band grew, it needed more space for the storage of instruments and uniforms in its trailer when traveling.
The band’s trailer is used to carry larger instruments, such as tubas. This year, the band has multiple instruments that use up more space than the trailer it has now can accommodate. For the band to have a comfortable and easier set-up, the students are fundraising for a 20-foot trailer.
“We’re only raising $13,000 for the trailer,” Cudd said. “This will pay for a 20-foot trailer with shelving and garment racks for storage. The trailer will also have our logo on it, so it will be quite impressive. We will only run the fundraiser for a limited amount of time, so it won’t last long.”
The band already has a plan for raising the $13,000. Cudd said the band students are doing their best to reach this goal.
“I would say the most challenging part is putting together a video for the official launch of the fundraiser,” Cudd said. “We will be doing our last bit of filming on Tuesday of this week. I’ll need to edit the video and put all the clips together after we finish filming.”
Blair, who is a junior, has started her third year playing in the band. If funds are met, having an extra trailer for the band would be beneficial, she said.
“An extra trailer would be amazing.” she said. “We’re also outgrowing our jazz band space. Our jazz band has doubled over the last few years.”
Blair added that a new trailer would allow the band to keep its instruments and uniforms in order during athletic events.
This is Cudd’s first time fundraising for the band, and he said the band has been working hard to raise funds for the trailer.