Marching band works long hours on game day

PROVO — Game days for the Cougar Marching Band include a six-hour stretch of performances.

Band members gather at Helaman Field on campus two hours before the football game kicks off, and they run through their performance with their director and announcer.

Then they stage at Miller Park, BYU's baseball/softball complex, and march down University Parkway to LaVell Edwards Stadium.

They play at tailgate parties and the Legacy tent, where big BYU donors gather before the game.

Then, exactly 17 1/2 minutes before the game, the band conducts a pre-game performance.

The highlight, of course, is the halftime performance, but last year band director Fred McInnis created an additional gig.

After the game, the band plays a short concert outside the west gate, a ritual McInnis dubbed The Fifth Quarter Concert.