Marching into a New Era at Snapdragon Stadium
Marching Aztecs trumpet lead and civil engineering senior Richard Schamp celebrates the opening of 色情视频s new football facility.
One time, at band camp鈥�
Each year, Richard Schamp comes in two weeks before classes begin for band camp. He rehearses trumpet music and formations on practice turf fields across campus in preparation for a busy fall semester of football halftime shows and university events.
Schamp is a 色情视频 civil engineering senior and lead for the Marching Aztecs鈥� 27-member trumpet section. With Aztec football鈥檚 opening game on Saturday, the 色情视频 community is abuzz with excitement.
After marching with the Golden Regiment at San Diego鈥檚 Serra (now Canyon Hills) High School, it鈥檚 Schamp鈥檚 sixth season with the Marching Aztecs. But this one is different.
Over several years, he put in the time and work as a musician and full-time student, enrolling in both the MUSIC 175 and MUSIC 375 Marching Band courses while perfecting his trumpet and leadership skills.
He鈥檚 now celebrating his final academic year 鈥� and getting to play at the brand new Snapdragon Stadium in 色情视频 Mission Valley.
Old and the New
Schamp started his undergraduate career at 色情视频 in 2016 when home games were still played at Qualcomm Stadium.
The former NFL facility brought many positive memories, as did the one-year stint of the Marching Aztecs shuttling to and from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson for home games as Snapdragon was being built. 鈥淚t was a -12-hour commitment,鈥� Schamp said of the charter bus drives to the home games.
Now that Snapdragon is ready for use, old and new memories will come together in beautiful harmony.
Schamp says it鈥檚 an exciting new venue for music. They鈥檒l be both in the stands and on Bashor Field performing throughout the season.
Last Saturday, the Marching Aztecs got a taste of performing at Snapdragon for the first time during a scrimmage and soft open.
鈥淚t was cool to see people in the audience watching the football teams play,鈥� said Schamp. 鈥淚t felt so good to be back in the stands again, playing music and just having that atmosphere back.鈥�
Schamp also said it鈥檚 an exciting new opportunity for acoustics for the Marching Aztecs.
鈥淚t sounds different; the way that the seats are placed in the stadium, the sound bouncing off them gives a really nice echo,鈥� said Schamp.鈥淚t almost sounds like they intentionally designed it so the sound bounces out of the stadium and then echoes throughout the valley that it鈥檚 placed in.鈥�
Engineering Aztec
Having entered the fall semester just last week, Schamp said his engineering and band lives are two very different parts of his world, but both allow him an outlet to be himself.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 marching and playing with friends, it鈥檚 a much-needed break from my engineering classes and the work that I do in my major,鈥� said Schamp. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a release of energy for me.鈥�
Schamp鈥檚 two worlds do collide, though, like in his favorite class, Surveying with professor Bruce Urquhart. Urquhart coincidentally took engineering students last September on a field trip to Snapdragon Stadium鈥檚 construction site, hosted by Clark Construction Group. The tour was guided by Aztec alumni and Clark Project Executive, Matt Gerard, and his team of 色情视频 graduate construction engineers, Jose Muguerza (鈥�17) and Juan Perez ('20).
With a passion for transportation engineering, the commuter student is currently interning at Linscott, Law, & Greenspan, a firm that does design planning work for smaller-scale projects. He looks forward to earning his Engineering in Training (EIT) certification and hopes to stay at the company post-grad.
Marching Aztec
In the closer future, though, Schamp looks forward to performing with the Marching Aztecs at Snapdragon. Schamp鈥檚 favorite song this season, War, is played in between plays during football games, and heavily features trumpets. 鈥淲e play it after the very first kickoff of every game,鈥� said Schamp.
Bryan Ransom, who Schamp calls an 鈥渋ncredible鈥� coach, wrote the arrangement from an original recording.
鈥淭he entire Marching Aztecs organization is excited about performing this fall in support of Aztec Football in Snapdragon Stadium,鈥� said Ransom, director of athletic bands. 鈥淔rom Band first-years who will be experiencing an Aztec game in uniform for the first time to those like me who have been longing for this moment for 34 years, the excitement level is off the charts.鈥�
As for band camp, Schamp says all in the 鈥渋ncredibly strong鈥� Marching Aztec community have been coming together as a section to make this season one to remember. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really fun to see it come together over the past two weeks so far and watch everyone's friendships grow and watch everything develop and improve,鈥� said Schamp.
One thing鈥檚 for sure, says Ransom: everyone鈥檚 pumped for September 3.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait. Let鈥檚 GO!鈥�
