The Charge Down the Steps

There is a tradition at the University of Cincinnati that the band does at every home football game. Everyone who has ever been to a UC football game knows what this tradition is. This tradition has been a thing since the band was very young. The tradition is known as “The Charge Down the Steps!” This is where the UC Bearcat Marching Band runs down the steps of Nippert Stadium after they play Army Fanfare.

When I was a freshman, four years ago, at the University of Cincinnati I joined the UC Bearcat Marching Bands as a trumpeter. One of my first memories that I have of freshman year band is the first charge down the steps at the first football game. Now you have to realize that my freshman year we didn’t get the opportunity to practice running down the steps of Nippert. So, the first time I ran down these steps was at the first football game. I was so afraid that I would fall down the steps. Every year during the ESPN game, there’s at least one person who falls at the bottom of the steps. And every year, ESPN makes a huge deal about it. The main reason why I was afraid I was going to fall is because the steps of Nippert Stadium vary in size. There is also a half step right before you get to the turf. If you’re not anticipating the next step you take, there is a high possibility that you will fall flat on your face. It was an exhilarating experience that can never be recreated. This was my thought as the day of the game went on.

We arrived at Nippert Stadium and lined up on the railing above the student section. We lined up by sections to keep the sound fuller. I remember looking around and seeing a sea of white. It was a white out game so everyone was wearing white and all the students had these noise makers, called bam bam tubes, that were also white. I remember concentrating intently on the drum major, who was at the bottom of the steps, while I waited for the count off. A video of the marching band turned on and was played on the big screen across the stadium from where I was standing. The video was so cool and impressive because this is the first time I’ve seen a school be this hyped about a marching band. The crowd is making so much noise with all the bam bam tubes and they’re all so excited for the game. Then the band gets the count off and we start Army Fanfare.

I try my best to listen to the drum major’s whistle but I can’t hear it at all because the student section is so loud. Instead, I concentrate very hard on his arm movements. Then I start playing. The trumpet section fills up the stadium with a high pitch military sounding harmony. We play it loud and proud so that everyone can hear it clearly. The student section turns around and starts cheering intently for us. We play the introduction to the tune and by this time the whole crowd is all fired up. The second part of the tune starts playing and the band kids starting adding in their vocals, which are just loud “Rahs”. Then we finish the song with our big finale, the first trumpets go up an octave and make an incredible chord. After we are cut off the chord echoes throughout the stadium. Then the whole band starts screaming and the charge down the steps begins.

I started running down the steps staring at and anticipating the next step I had to take. The students are all around me cheering and smacking the bam bam tubes in my face. There was so much going on and so much adrenaline. I couldn’t help but smile as I ran down the steps. Each step I took was both terrifying and exhilarating.
The feeling I had once I hit the ground stayed with me throughout the rest of the game. It was very hard to focus on the music and marching when there was so much adrenaline going through me. It felt like I was a little electrified. I will forever remember this moment as one of the top 5 memories from my whole marching band experience. The best part about this story is that I get a glimpse of that feeling every time that I run down the steps because the UC band does it at every home football game. I never get tired of the feeling, but it can never be as exhilarating as that first time.