Honors College student joins crew for Purdue's Big Bass Drum
Student Spotlight: Matthew Cunningham
August 31, 2016
By Emma Alexander,
Honors Communications Intern
No matter the score of a Purdue football game, the half time show is always something to look forward to. Students and spectators look on in awe as the All American Marching Band takes the field, in their eye-catching uniforms and improbably perfect lines. But, amongst all the other musicians and instruments, my eyes can’t help but be drawn to the big bass drum. “World’s Largest Drum,” it proclaims in elegant, bold letters. But, is it really the world’s largest bass drum? I know you’ve wondered this yourself at least once in your time as a Boilermaker. Well, who better to ask than one of our own, an Honors student and the newest addition to the official crew for the big bass drum – Matthew Cunningham.
Matthew is a sophomore in Electrical Engineering from Indianapolis, IN, and just one year ago, he was in our shoes. An enthusiastic spectator at football games, Matt was immediately intrigued by the World’s Largest Drum. Although he was fascinated by the band and the drum itself, he assumed that as an outsider and someone with no musical background, becoming a crew member for the drum was next to impossible. However, Matt was determined. He began asking around, and eventually found himself in the office of Dr. Nave, the Director of Percussion Activities and Assistant Director of the All American Marching Band. Matthew’s preconceived notions on drum crew prerequisites were quickly blown to pieces.
As it turns out, the band simply looks for applicants with the right attitude, who can be good representatives of Purdue to audition to be crew members. Even returning members must compete to earn back their spots each year. The audition consists of a number of assessments, which take place over the course of band camp. The assessments include a fitness, history, public relations, and a drum handling test. To prepare, Matt began studying as early as last spring; and over the summer, he made a conscious effort to train for the fitness test as well. I am happy to share that all of his hard work and commitment has paid off.
As a member of the crew, Matt will not only rotate through the different positions necessary to drive, control, navigate, and steer the drum during shows, but he will also accompany the drum to other special events and serve as a PR expert and representative of the drum. You can find him in the end zone at games taking pictures with fans or in front of Mackey Arena on game day from 9-11 am. He, along with his fellow crew members, will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
But, of course, I couldn’t end our interview without asking the all-important question that got us here, “Is it really the World’s Largest Drum?”
“Yes,” Matt answered unflinchingly. He clarified, “Our big bass drum is the world’s largest free-standing bass drum.” This means that the drum has no internal supports, just as a regular bass drum. What’s more, the drum is nearly 95 years old and is comprised almost entirely of original pieces. At the time it was made, it was nearly double the size of any drum of its kind. Impressive, right? If you’re as curious as I am and want to learn more, you can find Matthew on game days by those elegant, bold letters – “World’s Largest Drum.”