When the Fairleigh Dickinson University women’s basketball team arrived in Iowa City for round one of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on March 21 they didn’t bring a pep band with them.
Instead, a group of 25 students from Iowa City West High School and Northwest Junior High stepped in to fill the role on short notice.
Fairleigh Dickinson University is the largest private university in New Jersey and was founded in 1942. Around 12,000 students attend the university.
Iowa City West High band Director Ryan Middleton said the opportunity came together quickly. After the tournament bracket was announced on March 15, high schools in the area were contacted by the university to see if any bands could step in and perform for the New Jersey university.
“We reached out and just started getting some details and ended up saying yes and going for it,” Middleton said.
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With only hours to rehearse, the students learned the school’s fight song the same day they performed it. While some of the music, including halftime and intermission music traditionally played during breaks in the game, was familiar to students from their own pep band experience, learning the university’s fight song and other chants was a challenge.
“It can be a little intimidating to learn a new song and have to perform it day of,” Lea Abou Alaiwa, Iowa City West High junior and trumpet player in the pep band, said. “But everyone did a pretty good job of being comfortable with the changes.”
Derick Doresca, a senior at Iowa City West High who plays drum set in the pep band, said the fast-paced preparation made the experience more enjoyable.
“Learning everything on such short notice was more fun than a regular pep band,” Doresca said. “We normally would just get there already knowing everything, but this was more exciting.”
The performance itself also required flexibility. After arriving at the arena, the band realized the version of the fight song they had learned did not quite match the spirit squad’s routine, quickly forcing them to adjust.
The setting added another layer of intensity for students. Performing at a sold-out Carver Hawkeye Arena meant playing in front of 15,000 people, a stark contrast to a typical high school game.
“It was a night and day difference,” Doresca said. “There were thousands and thousands of people. It was a little nerve-wracking, but a really good experience.”
The Iowa Women’s Basketball Team beat Fairleigh Dickinson University 58-84, with both teams staying within 10 points of each other for most of the game. The winner of the game would advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Abou Alaiwa said this created an intense environment in the arena.
“I don’t think I’ve played in front of that many people before,” Abou Alaiwa said. “It was scary, but very unique and fun.”
Because of NCAA regulations, the band had to adjust its typical setup as well. Instead of performing on a full drumline, Doresca performed on drums, something that was new to him.
“To be able to be in that situation, something new, and just change gears on the spot, it was really great to see,” Middleton said.
Doresca said the last-minute fill-in allowed high school students the opportunity to take part in the energy of March Madness in the NCAA tournament.
“March Madness is on a completely different level than a high school game,” Doresca said. “Everyone was so much more excited to be there. It made the whole experience different.”