Members of the Western Mustang Band have a new reason to toot their own horns. The University of Western Ontario club will be performing for the Toronto Raptors’ half-time show on Friday, March 5.
The 45-member band will take centre court at the Air Canada Centre to performing ‘Anyway you want it’ by Journey, ‘Come Sail Away’ by Styx and ‘More than a Feeling’ by Boston. The band will also perform a short drum solo composed by percussion director Lee Buckley, who also choreographed the entire show.
“High profile events are a true testament to the amount of time and effort our members contribute,” says band president Steve Allingham. “While we take pride in representing ourselves and our school, events like this are really sought out for our members who dedicate and sacrifice so much.”
The game is also an Alumni Western event and many former Mustangs are expected to be in the crowd cheering on the Raptors as they take on the New York Knicks.
“The fact that we were selected for this event is indicative of our presence in both the Western community and the community at large,” says Allingham. “We spend most of our time promoting athletes, charitable organizations, and other great causes, so to be given the chance to promote ourselves is special.
“Any time we are able to perform in front of a large audience, especially large numbers of alumni, we are very proud of ourselves and the band’s long history. We recognize the importance of alumni since they are responsible for the band’s success over the last 70 years. We would love to become more actively involved with our alumni.”
This isn’t the first time the Western Mustang Band has been put in the spotlight. Last year, the Western Mustang Band, the Dance Pack and the Mustang Cheerleaders tore up the red carpet at the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto.
“Events like these allow us to showcase our talent and hard work to people who wouldn’t normally see us perform.
“Most people don’t realize that there are only a handful of marching bands active within Canadian universities. However, more students across the country are starting up their own marching band programs. We think this is great, but we need to continue securing these types of events to ensure the longevity and success of the band.”
Over the past few years, the Western Mustang Band has performed at such events as Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader; and The Virgin Mobile Music Festival.
