A $1 million donation to the Golden Band from Tigerland is a quick ticket to Saturday night fame in Tiger Stadium.
The “Band Together” fundraising campaign is attempting to raise enough money to build a new $15 million band hall. The campaign is part of Forever LSU, a University effort to raise $750 million by 2010.
If the campaign’s goal of $5 million is met by Aug. 30, 2008, the Louisiana state Legislature will match the $5 million, bringing the total funding for the new band hall to $10 million. Sarah Baird, dean of the School of Music, said the campaign has raised nearly $760,000 in gifts or pledges from a variety of private donors.
“It’s a tremendously exciting project,” Baird said.
As part of the fundraiser, the Tiger Band is offering donors of $1 million or more the opportunity to lead the band on the field during a Tigers home football game.
“Fundraising is always serious, but we thought it might be kind of fun to put a frivolous spin on that and offer [the opportunity] to someone who might donate a million dollars,” Baird said.
Tiger Band drum major Rob Dowie said the opportunity to act as drum major would be an amazing opportunity.
“You can’t really put it into words,” Dowie said. “It’s definitely worth it. Obviously, I don’t have a million dollars, but if someone has a million dollars, it’s going to a great cause, and it’d definitely be the thrill of a lifetime.”
Additionally, a donation totaling the goal of $5 million would give the donor the opportunity to name a wing of the new band hall, though Baird said state law and University policy require further approval to name a building after a living person.
Kristine Calongne, director of Public Affairs, said the current band hall, built in 1959 after a fire consumed the previous band hall, is old and outdated.
“At that time Tiger Band had about 144 members,” she said. “Tiger Band [has] more than doubled since [then]. It gives you a good feel for the need they have.”
Baird said the Tiger Band must resort to practicing outside at all times, sometimes in unfavorable conditions.
“They can’t even practice inside,” she said. “They have no classroom on this campus. They must practice outside even when it’s hot and steamy in the rain.”
Dowie said the new facilities are “definitely necessary.”
“We can basically fit, at max, half the band in our band hall,” Dowie said.
Dowie said the lack of proper facilities also hinders the band program’s recruiting efforts.
“We’re [trying to get] high school students from the best bands in the country to come here,” he said. “We can’t really do that because students come and want to tour the band hall, and if they’re coming from some of the great music states like Texas, their buildings are bigger than ours. It handicaps us a lot.”
The Band Department includes the marching Tiger Band, Bengal Brass pep band, wind ensemble, symphonic winds and symphonic band. Each entity would be able to use the new facilities.
“If you want to be a first-class band program in the country, which we are, and if we want to maintain that, we need to keep the facilities at the same level or better than the other [programs],” Dowie said.
Baird said the new building will be located on the corner of Aster Street and Highland Road, adjacent to the band practice field. A design for the building is in place, but the final design will be determined after architectural bids for the project are made. The overall cost of the project, estimated at $15 million on the campaign’s Web site, may also change after bids.
“That $10 million will be phase one, which will build the new facility,” Calongne said. “Afterwards, LSU would like to go back and raise another $5 million in private money to add some additional equipment, beef things up and add the finishing touches. It’s that initial $10 million that we need.”
For more information visit www.friendsofthelsutigerband.org.
—-Contact Parker Wishik at [email protected]