What years did you "serve" as MB?
Mack Diltz: Fall 63; spring 68 and 71-72.
David Shaffer: I believe the first year I played bass drum was 1972, and continued through 1975, sometimes sharing duties with Art Buhl.
Kent Kolman: 1984, 1985, 1986.
Kris Wells: One year, 1986 (my second year in Mustang Band)
Kevin Kuenstler: Fall 1990 through Spring 1991.
Mark Dempsey: Fall of 1991 through spring of 1994.
Matt Moore: I had the opportunity to serve as Master Beater in Fall 1994, my freshman year. I yielded the gavel to James Pecht in 1995, and resumed the responsibility in 1996 and 1997, followed by a plus-one year in Fall 2000. I was Master Beater in the first year the Mustang Band adopted a drumline, in the fall of 1994. That year, in the midst of a host of pretty big changes, there were three semi-tonal drums with me, Mike Cano and Amy Craig; it was the precursor to today's 5-piece bass drum line.
James Pecht: 1995-1996.
Travis Hill: I was Master Beater 2002-2003 on my way to Drum Major for the 2003-2004 season.
Matt Bridgeman: 2007-2011
How did you feel about the MB title?
Diltz: I love it!
Shaffer: It was an honor because of the tradition passed down from previous MBs.
Kolman: Loved it. I liked being THE GUY. Bob and the drum majors looked to me for assurance.
Kuenstler:I never had a problem with it. It has just the right amount of humor without being TOO inappropriate.
Dempsey: Out of ignorance or naiveté, the double meaning was not immediately apparent to me. Being a drummer, I focused on the literal meaning of "beat." The bass drum provided the "pulse," as Bob always called it, so of course the person on the bass drum was the master of everything. I felt like an idiot when I finally got the joke months later.
Moore: It was always an honor to carry it.
Pecht: I went through a bit of a transformation in my college years, as I'm sure most kids do. I was pretty tightly wound coming in as a freshman, so I didn't like the title at first. As time went on and I realized it was really a term of respect, I shook it off and began to embrace the title.
Hill: I didn't mind the title; I thought it was fun.
Bridgeman: I'll admit I get a little embarrassed by the name when I first mention it to people because of the connotation, but ultimately it is a traditional name born out of fun and ties us back to previous generations of Mustang Bandsmen, much like Shanty, Varsity, and our beanies. I would be sad to see the name go.
Do you know where the name came from?
Diltz: Not sure how the name began. I was a Master Beater before that designation existed! I think that Art Buhl was the first to have that title.
Shaffer: Kind of obvious it's it?
Kolman: No. Ask the guys from the 60s. It's genius though.
Wells: I don't think I've heard that story.
Kuenstler: No idea who came up with the name. That's what they called it the whole time I was at SMU.
Moore: I always presumed the name derived from the role -- to set and own the "beat" for the band.
Hill: I know the long-term purpose the MB role served, but never truly knew where the term originated (though I can only imagine!).
Bridgeman: I assume it came from some sort of Master of the Beat. Prior to Jon Lee there was only one bass drum and he was responsible for keeping time.
Art Buhl: I may well have coined the term "master beater," however, it was [drum major] Randy West who used it most frequently. Late 60s and early 70s were the days of a single bass drummer. One had to play very loud and steady. It was a real physical chore (I did it one year) but an honor to keep 96 guys into the "pocket" of the beat. Randy would often scream reminders to wandering squads to "listen for the master beater." Back in the day, the King of Master Beaters was considered to be Mack Diltz. He had an engineer's metronome buried in his skull, and some long strong arms. I think he held honors there for three or more years.
What was the hardest part of the job?
Diltz: Keeping the tempo steady, especially on the football field when the band was spread out in the marching drills.
Shaffer: Keeping up with West and Clemmensen.
Kolman: Hardest part was not being able to play the correct snare drum accents during a song!
Wells: Hardest part of the job: carrying the drum all the time! Also, as the MB, you're keeping the beat, so it's your fault if the band plays too fast or too slow!
Kuenstler:Lugging that beast of an instrument around was by far the hardest part of the job. Running off the field after pre-game attached to a boulder, marching in seemingly endless parades, and tracking up countless stadium steps throughout the SWC are a few reasons why I'm glad I never have to carry a bass drum again.
Dempsey: The act of swinging mallets quickly and forcefully sideways in front of you is not a natural human motion. It could get very uncomfortable, especially when you're tired and the band is dragging and you had to keep up that tempo. The first time I ever played the bass drum strapped up was to buzz up the football team the first week of school in 1991. We're at the buses outside Ownby playing and my arms are jello. I wanted to die. We must have played every song we knew as fast as we could. It's different playing the drum on your chest as opposed to it propped on a chair in the band hall. But elder statesman snare drummer Scott LaBruska had no pity. He's just yelling at me to keep up the tempo and play faster and faster. I won't ever forget that misery.
Pecht: The hardest part of the job was paying attention at all times so I could [play] at a moment's notice. You had to be glued to the action on the field and the drum major so you didn't miss the "buzz 'em up."
Hill: The hardest part of the job was holding onto the tempo and not letting those things get away while performing. It's very easy to get hyped up about a show or performance and run away with tempo.
Bridgeman: The hardest part was the steep learning curve. I remember as a freshman being harassed for how slow I was playing it, so I would then turn the tide on the trumpets and play "Funeral March Peruna" at an incredibly slow pace. Don didn't like that. I did practice a ton that year and playing fast and loud became second nature.
What was your favorite song to play?
Diltz: "Midnight Cowboy"
Shaffer: "Peruna," of course.
Kolman: "Malaguena" - great chorus. "Barbara Ann" - great shout section
Wells: "Peruna" (of course)!
Kuenstler:Has to be "Peruna." It's a classic. I still get fired up when I hear the band start to play it.
Dempsey: The first eight counts of "Peruna" during the trumpet buzz. That never got old.
Moore: "Peruna"! It was always an honor to play during the trumpet buzz. Second favorite was "Malaguena," which kicked off with (of course) a tonal bass drum solo.
Pecht: I guess "Ratchet" isn't really a song, is it? More of a cadence? If not, then any of the numbers we did by Chicago, especially "25 or 6 to 4."
Hill: My favorite song to play was definitely "Ease on Down the Road." The bass drum line funk groove that Jon Lee wrote was so good. I just hit on 1 and the "e" of beat 4 and it was easily the best ever.
Bridgeman: "Crazy Train." Just the thumping baseline through the song was great. "Live and Let Die" is another good one. Also, I'm a total sucker for Jon Lee's drum break on "Make Me Smile."
What's your favorite memory serving as MB?
Diltz: A. Beating the bass drum next to Big Bertha in the Cotton Bowl ramp and being louder! B. The major adrenaline rush of playing the "Hey Hey" cadence in front of thousands of people in the football stadiums.
Buhl: We were at A&M in 1969, finished our halftime show, set the Diamond M (back then my bass drum was at the middle point of the formation) and buzzed them off. The Cadet Corps had unfortunately lined the sidelines shoulder to shoulder, and had every intention of not allowing us off the field. As we approached, i turned around and screamed to the drum corps "We're going through, don't stop". A cheer went up, but died quickly as we approached this wall of large Aggies. When we reached them, I turned the bass slightly downward and to the side to make the appearance of turning away, but at the last second came up hard and knocked one of them to the ground and a second back 3 yards. My brothers filled the hole behind me and I think the entire band ended up pouring through that hole......Nothing Stops the Mustang Band.
Shaffer: Meeting Bob Hope on campus, road trips where we "borrowed" things from the other team, like the Tech bell or the Rice owl, and, of course, practice, practice, practice.
Kolman: Not one. Too many. Being responsible for the correct tempo for the entire band. I liked that challenge. FYI: I still have the actual bass drum from the early 60s that I have restored with current hardware so it will last another 100 years. Easy to carry.
Wells: Favorite memory: really no single favorite, enjoyed every time playing Peruna on the field and in the stands. But will definitely remember when we blasted Peruna in 2nd half of close game against atm and got penalized, I think that was a first.
Kuenstler: Our home opener in football my senior was a victory against Vanderbilt from the SEC. At that moment, anything seemed possible and spirits were very high. The death penalty was still a fresh wound and we were hoping that the football team had turned the corner. Unfortunately, that was our only victory for the 1990 season. But for a moment, we were on top of the world.
Dempsey: Few things are cooler than being the center point of the Diamond M on the field. Except maybe walking around with the big giant red band logo as part of your uniform.
Moore: My favorite memory as Master Beater was the opportunity to march in the Inaugural Parade in January 2001. It was the coldest I have ever been while wearing a bass drum and the longest parade route I have ever marched. The drumline played every step of the parade, beginning to end, but it didn't stop us from turning it up when we rounded the corner and passed by the reviewing stand in front of the President and Mrs. Bush. It was an honor to represent the Mustang Band, SMU and Texas.
Pecht: My favorite memory is Sept. 30, 1995. It was my birthday, and we played ut at the Cotton Bowl. Just the excitement of a big rival and the importance of my job (and of my freshman brothers trotting out Big Naomi to blank stares). Come to think of it, that may have been the last time the Mustang Band paraded Big Naomi in front of ut. We joined the WAC the next year.
Hill: Favorite memories of being MB definitely revolve around pushing the tempo of "Peruna" as quickly as possible, eliciting annoyed looks from Kehler and the brass section.
Bridgeman: Favorite memory has got to be "Peruna." Those first 12 beats and the fact that you set the mood, tone and tempo of the band's spirit. In particular the fourth quarter of the '09 Hawaii Bowl. Not only was it out first bowl game after the death penalty but we were beating the hell out of Nevada, much to everyone's surprise. So we buzzed almost the entire fourth quarter at the fastest tempo I could go aka "Hyper Peruna."
Shaffer: I found a picture online (see below) from 1972 that shows me on the bass drum with West out front, John Knox on cymbals, Bill Fancher and Boyd Patterson on bones. A rally at the flagpole I believe.
