Oooooohhhh, Ahhhhhhhhh

They have thousands of admirers. They consider Kyle Field a second home. They have a habit of performing on Saturdays during fall semesters. They are nationally famous. They are the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.

Many students have seen the Aggie Band form at the north end of Kyle Field, but the band members are more than musically talented marchers.

Time management takes on a whole new meaning for these students.

"The most challenging part about being in the band is finding enough time to sleep," said Josh

Fritz, a senior biology major and member of the bugle rank.

Still, there are enough rewards to make the fatigue worthwhile.

"The most rewarding thing about being a member of the Aggie Band is hearing opposing team members and fans compliment us and know that because we did a good job, that in addition to making the University look good, we are also able to make current and former students proud to be from Texas A&M," said Cameron Supak, junior history major and baritone player.

Camaraderie also plays a large role in keeping band members motivated.

"The best part, by far, is the friends I have made along the way," Supak said. "Guys and gals who, as we say in the Corps, ‘marry you and bury you.' They will be there at your wedding and, if they are still alive, will be there at your funeral. The tight-knit relationship is something so special that, as far as I am concerned, you can't find at any other university."

 The Aggie Band travels with the football team to away games to perform at halftime.

"I always enjoy traveling and seeing other campuses and getting to be those Aggies who support their team regardless of where they are at," said David Benac, junior business honors and finance major, trumpet player and yell leader. "Also, because of the band I have had the chance to be the bugler for some of the Corps functions, whether that is playing at formation or playing Taps for various instances. This has been an extremely humbling experience and one I will always remember."

Many of the band members said marching in front of 80,000 or more fans is thrilling, but there is more to performing than the audience.

"I found it to be the group of people I worked hard with every day to make a halftime show come together," Fritz said.

Chad Kloesel, a senior construction major and the artillery band drum major, said there are challenges he faces as an Aggie Band member, but the friendships he made help him face those challenges every day.

"The life lessons and moral values I have learned from living a life in the Aggie Band will no doubt bring me to accomplish anything I set my mind to in the future," he said.

Potential Aggie Band members must be in the Corps, play an instrument and have marching experience. An audition including scales and sight-reading must also be completed at New Student Conference. The band's directors then make the decision.

Supak said he believes the Aggies are the best fans in the nation.

"When y'all follow along with Col. Brewer in saying ‘the nationally famous fightin' [Texas Aggie Band], it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck," he said. "The fans make it worth every bit of hardship and sacrifice."

There is a great amount of appreciation for the students who stand during the halftime show, Kloesel said.

"All the support we get from the Twelfth Man, from the ‘ohhh's' and ‘ahhh's' when the bugle rank does their flourish to sounding off with a loud ‘huh!' when the basses do their counter-march, makes marching on Kyle Field that much more exhilarating," he said.