School bands are hilariously hit and miss. While a rare few attain professionalism way beyond their years, the vaster bulk sound more cacophonous than that scene from The Simpsons intro. Thankfully for Music Man readers, we’ve stumbled on one of the best young band performances online: a dramatic brass band cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” performed by the Buckeye Boys State Band.
As the 4.8M-times-viewed viral video begins, one might expect the young horde of trombone, trumpet, and tuba players to start off on a sour note. But after the first two bassy and unsuspecting revolutions of the hit’s lead riff play out, three rows of trombonists layer their harmonies seamlessly atop the tubas, pitch-perfect and topped by an unmissable focus.
The effect is dramatic; not only the vision of so many trombonists playing such an imposing riff in mind-boggling synchronicity, but the colorful sight of a whole stand of audience members jumping in time on the narrow, raised gym benches.
By the time the trumpets kick in to sing the vocal line, the rendition lies close to a high school masterpiece. Bold and bright, these teens certainly know how to play, even drowning out the beats of an entire line of snare drummers behind them.
Tons of tiny, cackle-worthy moments make this clip all the better for Music Man viewers, from the one trumpeter who plays his instrument like it’s a clarinet, to the kid viciously tapping his foot to the beat, backed by a white-shirt guy doing some short yet strange walk-and-clap shuffle as more students file into the gym.
To be fair to the boys, this isn’t a regular “school” band, and their ultra-disciplined performance proves it. Established in 1936, the Ohio-based ‘American Legion Buckeye Boys State’ youth program is the largest of its kind in America. Running for only one week annually, this camp-like program takes around 1200 young sign-ups from across 500+ US high schools, transferring them to Miami University for their first step into the real world.
According to their official mission statement, their goal is to “provide an educational and leadership program that exposes young men to the rights and privileges, the duties and responsibilities, and the love for God and Country necessary to being self-governing citizens. Through a practical, objective, nonpartisan approach, participants in the American Legion Buckeye Boys State program are exposed to fundamental democratic principles in local, county and state elections and governmental functions which prepare them for leadership roles as patriotic American citizens.”
The 150 teens chosen for each annual band perform at various assemblies and events over the eight-day program. Despite never having played together before, the boys are given less than 30 minutes to rehearse their tracks before hitting the stage, in an experience the organizers call “uniquely rigorous and transformative.”
If you’d like to hear more from the talented Buckeye Boys State Band, you can subscribe to their YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates and more exciting performances. For more information, visit their website.