What you may’ve noticed in Oregon’s first two home games, was that what looked to be the Oregon Marching Band wasn’t garnering its normal attire. That’s because for the first two weeks of the season, before band camp is officially underway, the Oregon Pickup Marching Band is used. Consisting of current members, alumni and high school students with interest in joining, the pickup marching band performed in both the South Dakota and Michigan State games, as well as ESPN College GameDay. For the administrative coordinator, Anna Waite, it’s something that has provided her constant joy as both a student and in the shoes she is in now. She took the time to speak with the Emerald about what the pickup band truly is and the role they have been able to play for the past several years.
So what is the pickup marching band in a sense?
We do pickup bands for the games that happen at home before band camp starts for the marching band. We start band camp two weeks before classes start so the first time you will see the full band is at the Wyoming game. But even then that’s at the beginning of band camp. The first time you’ll see the band rehearsed and have a full halftime show and a full pre-game, that won’t be until the first Arizona game.
Of whom does the band consist?
It’s made up of whatever current members we have in town. Anyone from the Oregon Alumni Band and we invite high schoolers who are interested in joining one day to try it out. We have a two hour rehearsal before the game, so they quickly learn the national anthem, the fight songs and the Schools Out for Summer for third downs.
Do you ever struggle with getting people to participate?
It’s always really popular. We range between 150-200 for those games.
Is the majority current members, or what does the ratio look like?
It depends on the game. The (South Dakota game) was almost half high school students. We really talked a lot about it during the summer camps that we host for high schoolers. So we had a lot of people that attended those camps come. The September 6 game, because ESPN GameDay is coming, we (required) the band to attend a rehearsal Friday afternoon. The majority of the band is current members.
 What does the preparation like?
For most games, they are more relaxed. The rehearsal itself is quick paced, but we’re not nit-picky as we might be with the full band.
What’s your overall opinion of it? 
I’m the administrative coordinator and this is my second season in my position, but I was in the band when I was a student for four years, and it’s a blast. Like both on the administrative side and as a member. It’s really cool to have high schoolers come in and get to experience something as cool as what you get to do all the time. It’s a lot of fun.