Mark Racalla's life on the MSU Marching Band drumline

by Marilyn King & Erin Buerger

That's Mark in the black t-shirt

Monday morning the alarm clock goes off, but you cannot roll back over.  You need to go to your Lyman Briggs Honors College classes before you have drumline practice from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, followed by full band rehearsal from 4:30 to 6:00 pm.  On some days though, practice lasts until 9 pm.  Repeat the extra drumline practices on Wednesday and Friday and the full band practice every day at that time.  Don’t forget to do your homework!

Welcome to the life of Mark Racalla, a tenor drum player of the Spartan Marching Band.  Racalla’s interest in band, specifically drums, began when he was in the sixth grade.  Racalla had been a member of his high school drumline for the Kenowa Hills Marching Band in Grand Rapids for four years.  He knew he wanted to be a part of the Spartan Marching Band drumline after seeing the band in high school.  “I was immediately hooked to their drumline and made it my goal to someday be a part of it,” Racalla said.  “I had wanted to drum in college, but then I knew where.”

The MSU Marching Band has 310 members, with a drumline consisting of 30 members.  A band member for two years, Racalla is one of the five tenor drums, nine snares, seven bass drums and nine cymbals

So how do they decide who performs at the football games?

There are no auditions for the drumline before games, but if drum instructor Jon Webber decides that a member is unprepared, he can keep him or her from marching.

Being a part of the drumline has its perks.  The band usually travels to the University of Michigan football game, as well as one other away game.  Last year, however, the band went to Purdue and Notre Dame in the same season.  This year they will be traveling to Pittsburgh, as well as U of M. 

Though being a part of the Spartan drumline is time consuming, Racalla said that it is worth every minute.  “We get to be down on the field entertaining thousands of people at Spartan Stadium as well as all over Michigan and the country.” 

“It’s a great feeling when the whole drumline can come together for an event after pushing our minds (and bodies) to our full potential all week and play a great show,” Racalla said.  He said being part of the band also means meeting new people and developing a real closeness. 

“It’s just amazing to be around so many talented people and it’s simply one of the most fun and worthwhile things I will do,” he said.  “Overall, I couldn’t ask for a better time in my life.”