Karena Washington started out at NSU as a marine bio major, but the rhythm was too hard for her to resist, so she switched her major to music.
Now, she plays the saxophone with NSU’s pep band, performing at volleyball and basketball games and at other events. The pep band’s repertoire includes “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green, “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO and other pop songs.
Washington was instrumental — pun intended — in restarting the pep band during the fall semester. To find out just how peppy NSU is, I sat down with Washington to ask her some questions.
What’s your background in music?
“I grew up in a family where my parents were like, ‘You’re going to play music and sing.’ I took piano lessons when I was in second grade. In middle school, I joined the chorus, acapella and band where I played saxophone, which is what I play in the pep band now. Now I do band and the acapella group here on campus.”
Why did you decide to switch your major from marine biology to music?
“I liked marine biology, but it’s a tougher field. You have to be really devoted to it because, if you don’t get funded for your research projects, you can’t really do anything. Music was always in the back of my mind, and I thought about music education. I really want to be a band director, so I decided that music was a better fit for me because it was more of a secure job, and I really like it. Also, the school that I really want to go to after NSU has a great music program, and I want to be involved with the band there.”
Why do you want to be a band director?
“A lot of my best mentors were band directors, and I really want to be like them. I’ve given lessons in other small-group settings, and people have always told me I would be a great teacher or great music director. It really stuck with me.”
Why is it important for NSU to have a pep band?
“It gets more people to come to games. It gets people spirited and into the games. We’re there to have fun and to help other people have fun. President Hanbury has come up to us and told us that he has wanted a pep band for a while. Also, the arts programs are really small here, and we’re trying to get it to grow. Having the pep band shows that we have a band here because a lot of people don’t know that. I’m hoping that, one day, the pep band will get really large and that more music people will come to NSU.”
Why is the pep band important to you?
“Music has always been my number-one passion, so to get it started here on campus was a big deal for me because I get to watch other people enjoy music just as much as I do.”
What songs get the crowd going?
“’Power’ by Kanye West, ‘The Hey Song’ and ‘Kencraft 400.’ ‘Power’ is my favorite song to play.”
Have you guys ever messed up during a performance?
“Yes. A lot of times, people are timid and don’t want to start the song because they don’t know if they’re coming in at the right time. So the drummer will start, but not everyone will realize that we’re actually starting, so we’re like, ‘Where are we?’ One game, we didn’t have our band director there so we didn’t know what we were doing and played at times we weren’t supposed to. But, now, that’s all worked out.”
What do you like most about being in the pep band?
“I came from a place where I played mostly classical music, so to be able to play music that’s on the radio lets me groove with what I’m playing more. Also, I get to help others develop their music skills. I get to learn what works when teaching someone and what doesn’t.”
Why do you love music?
“With speaking, it’s hard to express yourself sometimes. But, with music, you can shape how you want to play something to explain how you feel or what you want to say. It’s also a time to escape, in a sense. If you’re stressed out, you can play out your stress and have a little break. It’s just you and your instrument.”
You can catch NSU’s pep band at games and at their concert on March 20. The location of the concert is yet to be determined.
Follow the pep band on their musical journey on Twitter @NsuPepBand.
Credits: Printed with permission from K. Washington
