An Informational Letter from Daniel Reck '03, Director Emeritus

from Daniel Reck '03, Director Emeritus
(sometimes known as Tyler the Tiger)

Back in 1993, there was no pep band at DePauw.

That was the year Dr. Craig Paré was hired as the new director of bands, and he was instructed to bring the University Band (DePauw's concert band) to football games. However, he saw the potential for a better arrangement, and began cultivating a group of students who would be able to lead themselves in performance.

So, in 1995 the Tiger Pep Band was begun. Two student directors led a group of over forty of their fellow students. Although Dr. Paré advised the group, he did not direct it nor tell them what to do. He believed in the Tiger Pep Band as an environment for student growth and learning.

Over the years, the Tiger Pep Band has gone through cycles. It has had as many as 70 members and as few as twelve. Throughout, however, it has been a successful organization. They followed the Tiger basketball teams through the NCAA playoffs in 2002 ... the first the Tiger Basketball went to the Final Four. (They performed so well that the NCAA invited them back as the official band for the 2003 National Championship game and called them the #1 band in Division III athletics.) They've also become the recurring official band for the SCAC basketball tournament in Memphis. (And even earned some positive media attention for the university when highlighted in an Arkansas newspaper!)

All told, as a student-led group, the Tiger Pep Band has performed at over fifteen NCAA national tournament matches in five sports: women's basketball, men's basketball, women's and men's track and field, women's tennis, and women's soccer. This is in addition to performing at almost all home football and basketball games -- sometimes even during academic breaks when the rest of the students have gone home. That's over 40 performances annually.

It is all the work of students.

How is this funded?

Until the 2006-2007 year, Tiger Pep Band was funded (with student money) by allocations requested from DePauw Student Government. Tiger Pep Band was officially recognized as a student organization in 1995, and continues to be recognized as a student organization. However, with the budget request for Fall 2006, Student Government denied funding for the Tiger Pep Band. (Read The DePauw's coverage and the Tiger Pep Band's reply.)

This is not the first time DePauw Student Government has blocked funds for Tiger Pep Band. The band has been accused of being exclusive to musicians (it is not -- the band has Tiger Maniacs and Tiger Guard members, none of whom play a note). The band has been told to get its funding from the School of Music or Athletic Department, since they are the only departments who benefit from the band (again untrue, as the band plays for a variety of non-athletic events including Relay For Life -- and has never to my knowledge performed for the School of Music).

Regardless of the reason, however, Tiger Pep Band has found itself without student funding. The band was only able to continue its mission of lively entertainment this year through the good will of Dr. Neal Abraham (Executive Vice President), Mr. James Lincoln (Vice President for Student Services), and Coach Page Cotton (Athletic Director), who recognized the value and benefit of the Tiger Pep Band, not only as an organization with cultivates student growth, but as a group whose performances benefit the entire University.

The band publicly shows DePauw's colors, not just literally, but by demonstrating that DePauw students are capable and great leaders. It has brought alumni like Denny Priser '63 and his wife, Marilyn Mead Priser '63, back to the university as active participants. It is a fantastic recruitment tool... I looked at Tiger Pep Band's web page in 1999 and I was sold on going to DePauw instead of my previous number one pick -- a nearby, nameless college.

How can I help?

Using the contact information above, write to Dr. Abraham, Mr. Lincoln, and Coach Cotton -- and copy all your messages to Tiger Pep Band's faculty adviser, Dr. Valarie Ziegler. It doesn't have to be long, just enough for you to demonstrate why you believe Tiger Pep Band is valuable as an educational forum for DePauw's students and why this is valuable to the university.

The only way that Tiger Pep Band will receive consistent funding (but remain as an independent student-run organization free of administrative oversight) is for the university to realize the educational value of funding the band.

Please join me in supporting our Tiger Pep Band. The lessons and skills I learned as a member pay dividends daily ... with your small contribution of effort, future DePauw students can also receive this benefit.

Sincerely, in Tiger Spirit,

Daniel M. Reck
A proud member of the Class of 2003... thanks to the Tiger Pep Band