Q&A: 6th Man Band Student Director Kurt Mai
CMU's pep band, the 6th Man Band, plays for the men's and women's basketball teams and made the trip to Cleveland for the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Assistant Sports Editor Andrew Surma talked with senior student director Kurt Mai about the group.
What did the 6th Man band look like when you first became a member?
My freshman year when I joined the 6th Man Band I played trombone in the ensemble. My predecessor had made a lot of changes to the band as far as organization and record keeping, which were critical to our success today.
A lot of the music were classic rock tunes, with the occasional top 40 song from the previous Marching Band season. We were known best as The CMU Basketball Band, although groups within the band would try out other names including The Solid Gold Band and The Flying C-Monkeys, although none of them ever caught on.
CMU fans, getting fired up with the @6thManBand and cheerleaders. pic.twitter.com/vdPoF2e5wK
— CM Life Sports (@CMLifeSports) March 12, 2016
How were you able to make it grow so quickly?
The biggest changes I have made that allowed the 6th Man Band to grow to our current state would be music selection and in-game excitement.
We have moved away from our classic rock tunes — although keeping some fan favorites — and have selected songs that the students and players would recognize. This diverse music selection draws in both music majors who are looking for a break from classical music study and non-music majors who get to perform their favorite songs from the radio while keeping music a part of their college life.
We have also become a more integral part of the game day atmosphere in McGuirk with our choreographed cheers, dances and comments on the game. Being able to engage the band in the sport and not just the music has really increased the excitement the band brings to the game.
What does a practice look like and who leads the group during practice?
We rehearse once a week to learn new music and to address any upcoming performance details. I as the student director run the flow of rehearsal, but I allow a lot of time for individual or section comments on the music.
Many of the band members are far better musicians than I will ever be, and I make sure that they are able to provide as much insight on the music as I do.
How does the 6th Man Band pick the songs it's going to play?
I have an open invitation to every member of the band to send me new song ideas. Our arranger and I filter through song suggestions to determine what we could make work and what we cannot.
The past two years, we have had the opportunity to do a meet-and-greet with both the men's and women's teams to get song suggestions from them too. In fact, the songs Bang Bang and Trophies were both suggested by the teams and have become go-to songs for the band.
What is the mission statement of the 6th Man Band?
As a group of musicians, we are dedicated to being the 6th man at every CMU Men’s and Women’s Basketball Game. Our goal is to maintain a high intensity atmosphere in McGurik Arena in order to give CMU the strongest home court advantage in the MAC.
We strive to get Mount Pleasant rocking by performing a variety of tunes from today’s top 100, the oldies of years past and the guilty pleasures you can’t help but get up and groove to.
You've been at McGuirk for almost every game, what's the greatest game you remember you've been a part of?
Two years ago the women were playing Dayton and were tied with five seconds left in the game. Dayton in-bounded the ball, which was stolen by CMU, passed to Crystal Bradford who shot an off-balance 3-pointer to put the Chippewas up with 0.2 seconds on the clock to win the game. The entire stadium, including the band, went crazy.
Another favorite game was when the men won the MAC last year and we were able to play while the men's team cut down the nets.
Equally as memorable, although not in a positive way, was last years MAC Tournament men's finals against Buffalo in Cleveland. The game was so close the entire time and Buffalo ended up ahead by three as time expires. To lose such a close game for the MAC Tournament Championship and have to immediately be shuttled on to the bus to go home was heartbreaking, but memorable.
On the bus back home that night, the band, cheer, and dance team all sang the Alma Mater in honor of an incredible season.
Is there an exact moment you remember in a big game where the 6th Man Band affected the game?
The first moment that comes to mind was a women's game against NIU.
During the first half of the game, the band counts along with the shot clock for both CMU and the visiting team. During the second half, the opposing team has learned to take our cue on the shot clock countdown, so we change it up. We started counting from 10 with seven seconds left on the clock.
The opposing team got a shot clock violation while their point guard stood there like a deer in headlights because she thought she had more time. Some of the CMU coaches looked over to us with applause and a laughing smile.
Every game, though, we impact the game in one big way. No matter what we play, or what is played over the speakers, there is one song that can change the outcome of the game more than any other: The CMU Fight Song. When we play the fight song, nearly everyone in attendance stands up, claps and sings along, pushing the games momentum through the timeout and allowing our team to pick up right where they left off.
Can you speak to the feeling you get when McGuirk is jamming, you're out in front of the band directing and everyone in the gym is grooving?
There is no greater feeling than to look around as the band plays and see people dancing, clapping along, and having a good time.
Specifically, when we play Fire Up Chips where there is a call and response, getting the student section to shout "FIRE UP CHIPS!" with us provides a feeling of unity with the student section and the band, allowing for a better support atmosphere for the team.
My other favorite crowd reaction is when we play Killing in the Name, or more commonly known to our followers as RAGE! This song is arguably what we are best known for, and people look forward to us performing this song every game. When we do, we hold nothing back and let all of our emotions out as we play the loudest, angriest, and best we ever have.
At the end, a roar of applause is heard from the crowd, and that appreciation for what we do carries us through the rest of the game.
What else about the 6th Man Band should people know?
The name 6th Man Band came from one of our Twitter followers saying that we had as much influence on the game as adding a sixth man on the court would. We thought that represented our goals perfectly and the name stuck.
If you are interested in learning more about the 6th Man Band, you can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @6thManBand. We are an audition based group that is open to any CMU student, so if you would like to perform with us, stay tuned to our social media for audition dates in the Fall of 2016.
We are honored to work with CMU Athletics, the coaches, players and staff for both men's and women's Basketball, and CMU's School of Music to be the best we can be.
