Liberty Marching Band includes soloist vocal performances as a way for students to show off their various musical talents

The Liberty University Marching Band has added more than just instruments to its performance this year. 

Last year, the Spirit of the Mountain added a singing solo during its performance for the first time. This year, it continued with the addition and included two band members singing during part of its home football game show. 

Rivvyn Cafe and Erica Windsor both get to showcase their musical talents by singing and playing their instruments in front of all the football fans. The two were chosen for this role after completing a series of online auditions over the summer. 

Playing the saxophone for 10 years now, Cafe has been in marching band since middle school. And while she has been singing since she can remember, she began developing her voice in high school.  

“I grew up in a very musically-inclined family. All of my sisters learned instruments and sang as well. I think … when I was playing music with my family or jamming (those are some of my) most heartwarming memories to date,” Cafe said. 

Playing the alto saxophone and singing creates a different game day routine for Cafe. While others begin with warming up their instrument, Cafe begins prepping to sing the entirety of game day. She picks up her instrument and practices after doing various vocal warmups.  

With the added pressure of the performance, Cafe still gets stage fright. Even though she spends hours practicing and has performed in this capacity before, it is intimidating to perform in front of 10,000 people. 

“One of the things that has helped me a lot is to remind myself that I have an audience of one. I believe I have been either in this position or in this school for a reason and I should not take the blessings I have been given or the gifts I have been given for granted,” Cafe said. 

The addition of singing has allowed The Spirit of the Mountain marching band to stand out from other colleges, but the idea came about in a unique way. A band member from last year decided to audition for one of the musical solos but wanted to sing the part instead of play their instrument. People loved the idea and decided with practice and the right approach, they could incorporate it into the performance. 

Cafe shared that this has been an amazing opportunity for members of the band to share other talents they have besides playing their instrument. Many of the band members have a wide range of musical or theatrical backgrounds, giving them experience in multiple areas of performance. 

While nothing is set in stone for next season’s performance, Cafe stated that she would neither be surprised nor disappointed if they decided to continue this multi-faceted performance style in the future. 

Norman is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion