Tunnel 23

I’m working on writing a story for the Blue Thunder Book… here’s what I have so far… Im sure I will re-edit it over time and add more, but here’s what I’ve got so far.
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I can still remember it now- the roar of the drums echoing through the underside of the stadium, the line beginning to move, and suddenly exiting the tunnel and running onto the blue. It could have been running out to 30,000 plus Bronco fans or a half-full stadium of high school band kids that wanted to be me. Every time I came out of the tunnel- it was a rush.

Being a member of the Blue Thunder for three years gave me the opportunity to experience the rush of running out the tunnel and as well as many other things I may have not been able to otherwise. Due to the family nature of this book- I can’t repeat many of the classic stories I experienced- but there are a few that I can.

I joined the Blue Thunder in 2005- the last year that the bands home & office was located under the stadium before the band hall was constructed. That first year, experiencing what every band member had experienced before me, is an experience I won’t forget. You can’t really tell band members that have come along since what it was like- meeting in the “Blue Room” or the five foot door way that led too and from the uniform room. Things weren’t necessarelly harder back then, it was just different.

I dare say that the 2006 Mellophone line was one the best ever assembled. The 10 of us just clicked and we knew we were good. We won section of the year that year, but that’s not what I use to judge our place in Mellophone lore. It was during sectional rehearsal one day practicing the Mainline feature, “Gee, Officer Krupke”. All 10 of us stood in a straight line, Reached underneath our own horn and then over the top of the next persons horn and played the opening mellophone phrase. We did it at practice the next day- and every time after that. Being able to pull that cemented in my mind that the 2006 Mellophone line wasn’t just good, we were something special.