MSU-Bozeman band seeks money for new uniforms

BOZEMAN -- The man with the drums has a dream.

Dean Ponseti, a world-class percussionist who became director of athletic bands at Montana State University-Bozeman in 1996, has a vision where the "Spirit of the West" marching band struts proudly in new uniforms. He sees 150 band members striding across the field at Reno H. Sales Stadium, playing up-to-date songs on shiny new instruments. Their uniforms are warm, fitting even the tallest band member. Their repertoire dazzles the crowd who has never heard such modern music reverberating through a Bobcat football game. And the instruments are free, free at last from 30 years of spit and dents.

The marching band needs help, says Pontei, who notes that the band hasn't had an operating budget for at least six years. In order to meet its needs, the band is trying to raise $110,000 by March 1, 1998. The money will be used to buy 200 uniforms, approximately 10 snare drums, five sets of quint drums, five bass drums and eight pairs of cymbals. Ponseti wants to triple the size of the marching band, and says 150 band members would require 200 uniforms. Any money raised past the purchasing of uniforms would be used to buy sousaphones, percussion and other musical instruments.

"It's a 12-month-long campaign designed to have the uniforms by the 1998 season," Ponseti said. "This coming year, we will have our old uniforms."

A percussionist who has competed nationally and internationally, Ponseti said the 14-year-old cowboy hats, which are part of the uniform, are ragged, deteriorating and misshapen. "The jacket, which is very thin, is actually a blouse," Ponseti said. The polyester pants are thin, porous and too short for the lankier performers. And band members who try to protect themselves from the football season cold end up looking like Pillsbury Doughboys.

"All the uniforms are stained in some way or another," Ponseti added.

The new uniforms, in contrast, will be 75 percent wool and 25 percent polyester. They'll have a reversible blue or gold cape and a blue or gold sash. Members will wear military-style helmets instead of cowboy hats. The pants will be bibbed with suspenders, so they can be adjusted to fit all sizes.

Marching band uniforms are Ponseti's first priority; pep band uniforms will remain the same as now. But the university-owned musical instruments are no better than the marching band uniforms, Ponseti said. The percussion instruments are in "bad, bad, bad, bad shape." The wind instruments have missing pads and years of saliva buildup. They're crunched and dented.

"When a person plays an instrument that has never been chemically flushed out in the frost and cold, more saliva cakes into the metal of the instruments and makes it sound out of tune," Ponseti added.

Anyone who would like to help the band should contact Ponseti, Director of Athletic Bands/Percussion at MSU-Bozeman, Department of Music, Bozeman, MT 59717-0342 or call (406)994-5757. Checks should be made out to the MSU Foundation.

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