The Montana State University “Spirit of the West” Marching Band is dedicated to creating great experiences for our members. Our mission, to enrich the lives or our students through musical performance, choreography, and camaraderie, remains steadfast even in times of uncertainty such as we have experienced though the COVID-19 pandemic.

We will continue our legacy of marching into the fall 2021 semester. We believe that the band provides more than simply a place to play an instrument or spin a flag. The SotW is a place for our members to meet new friends and have new experiences. We will continue to provide these important opportunities to our members to the best of our ability this coming season.

Thanks to the availability to access vacines, we are planning to proceed with no special mitigation materials/masks and without the need for social distancing. In effect, we anticipate being fully back to normal of fall of 2021.

The atmosphere surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has presented our band with numerous challenges. It remains paramount that our students remain safe and well so we can focus on our many academic pursuits while studying at Montana State. 

While we are not currently anticipating these protocals, we ask that our members are prepared to comply with the following condcitions should it become necessary. 

  • Safe distancing during rehearsals, meetings, and performances.
  • Remain outdoors as much as possible
  • Limitations to camp-related activities that make distancing impractical or impossible
  • Use of face-masks for times when six-foot minimum distancing is difficult to maintain
  • Sanitizing stations/teams to keep equipment clean
  • Updates to practices to reflect our newest understanding of how the virus spreads
  • Flexible rehearsal/performance goals
  • At all times meet the requirements set by MSU related to COVID-19