This article is classified "Real"
You are sitting in the stands watching an American football game in the Ivy
League, or at Stanford, or at Rice, or at UVa (these schools being the
American equivalent of a Sorbonne or Oxford.) Halftime begins and instead
of going for food, you stay to see the Band perform on the field. Much to
your surprise, the band that takes the field is not marching, is not in a
formation and is not wearing polyester uniforms. As a matter of fact, when
this band takes the field you have never seen anything so like anarchy.
They run around like maniacs, screaming, shouting and generally causing a
ruckus. Being educated, you think that this is what Hobbes had in mind when
he visualized the "state of Nature". What you are witnessing is a Scramble
(or Scatter) Band.
Scramble bands do not march. They scatter or scramble onto the field and
into formation. This involves running around, hamming it up and generally
acting very crazy, childish and/or hyperactive. The general format of a
scramble show involves scattering, simple formations, music, and most
significantly, jokes. Scatter band shows have jokes as an inherent and
fundamental part of their format. These jokes are often controversial and
somewhat offensive (especially to the opposing team). A formation and song
immediately precedes or follows a joke, and usually will relate to the joke.
Another unique aspect of Scramble bands is their instrumentation. Scramble
band "musicians" can often be found playing such items as mailboxes, kazoos,
bagpipes, cellos and violins, oboes and perhaps scaffolding, all on the
field. Indeed, ANYTHING can be a scramble band "instrument". Scramble
bands do use traditional instrumentation for their music, trumpets, drums,
saxes etc. The songs' instrumentation is simply expanded to accommodate the
other "instruments".
Uniforms of scatter bands are not your typical polyester, strange color
combination, pseudo-military costumes of marching bands. Rather they
are generally a comfortable set of pants and shirt combination which is
formalized, and a jacket (Ivies) or vest (UVa) ofttimes covered in buttons
capped off by each individual's idea for a hat.
Scramble Bands were originated in the Ivy League in the early 60s. Harvard
had the first Scramble Band. The style spread throughout the Ivy League in
the ensuing decades. (Only Cornell still marches.) In the 60s that most
infamous of Scatter bands, Stanford, was formed. The University of
Virginia's Pep Band started scrambling in 1974. Rice and the University of
California at Davis also started scrambling.
There are two or three things which differentiate scramble bands from other
field bands on a quintessential level. The first is size. Scramble bands,
with a few notable exceptions, are only made up of 100 people, tops. (Many
have much less.) One of the largest Scramble bands, at UVa, has 140 active
members during the height of football season. With such a small size,
scramble bands are very close knit organizations. Usually a self-contained
social system in and of themselves. The second thing is which schools have
Scramble bands. All the Ivies (except for Cornell), Stanford, UVa, UCal at
Davis, and Rice. These are among the traditional top schools in America.
With the possible exceptions of Stanford, Rice and UVa, athletics is not
as much an emphasis as academics at these institutions, and this is reflected
in the nature of their bands. Marching bands practice upwards of 10 hours
each week. A very dedicated scramble band will practice perhaps 6 or 7.
The third factor is Scramble bands' ability to have a good time anytime,
anywhere, but especially with each other. There is a palpable brotherhood
or family among the scramble bands. They really fundamentally enjoy
spending time with each other. In 1994, a new tradition called Cyberfest
was founded among the Scatter bands on the East coast. Each summer, various
members of the East coast scramble bands get together and party for three
or four days. Often, one band's halftime show will have some other band's
scrambling membership in it. Road trips to and from each other's schools is
a well established phenomenon. And scramble bands can have a good time
anywhere. By definition, where there's a scatter band, there's a party. Be
it on a road trip to a football game, or snowed in a dorm with three or four
band members in it, these band members will find a way to have a good time,
together.
Scramble bands are often mired in controversy and are usually only a couple
of steps away from being disbanded (excuse the pun) by their school's
administration. Usually student-run, some scatter bands, such as Stanford,
have been forced to accept an administration appointed director. The
Virginia Pep Band chose to leave the football stadium rather than give up
scrambling and they fought for their right to scramble from outside,
eventually regaining the field, and maintaining their scrambling style.
Perhaps the hitchhiker remembers the news story about the Stanford band
playing outside of the OJ trial in 1995. This is about typical scramble
band behavior.
Advice For Hitchhikers:
If you find yourself with a scramble band, or in the near vicinity of one,
your best course of action is to enjoy yourself to the best of your ability.
Jokes, insults and a sense of humor are greatly appreciated among scramble
bands. If you play your cards right and impress them you may be able to
1. scatter on the field with them (your towel will serve nicely as
an "instrument")
2. mooch alcohol off them.
3. mooch a bed off them.
If you become truly accepted in the scramble band community (by either
joining a band or seriously impressing a band for an extended period) you
will be able to find housing and hospitality all round the United States
at schools with scramble bands as one band will be able to recommend you
to others and give you names of people to contact.
Under no circumstances mention marching around a scramble band.
Under no circumstances allow yourself to pass out in the vicinity of
Virginia Pep Band member George Weilacher.