Keys to the band: UW and Michigan marching to win over fans at national championship game

When the Huskies and Wolverines take the field at Houston’s NRG Stadium on Monday night, each school will bring its own style, game plan, and tempo to the field.

But which marching band will put on the most electric, championship-worthy performance? And how will it punctuate the football game that’s also rumored to be taking place at that time?

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Band directors Brad McDavid (Washington) and John Pasquale (Michigan) have different approaches. And while there may not be a "Battle of the Bands" going on, both told KUOW that they're aiming for a pregame dazzler, followed by a halftime spectacular.

In three decades at UW, McDavid has been to more than 200 halftime shows and 20 bowl games, but Monday is the first time he's bringing the Husky Marching Band to a national football championship. It will also be the last: McDavid plans to retire at the end of this year.

"I love taking the band to any city that's never seen them before and just showing them off," McDavid said. "They're like rabid dogs ... I tell them, 'Leave everything on the field, because this will be the first, and who knows, maybe the last time that the city of Houston, certainly a lot of Michigan fans, will ever see you. So give it your all and let's put the best show on the field that we can.'"

Michigan owns 12 national football titles, but, like McDavid, this will be also be Pasquale's first time performing at the national championship game.

"We have to be as good as we can possibly be, and however anyone else does it, well, that's up to them," Pasquale said.

"I have very high expectations of our students and staff so that they will perform at the highest level, both in terms of musical execution, and visual execution," Pasquale said. "They are always supportive of the team, have a ton of energy, fire up the crowd ... but for me, it all comes down to, 'How does the band sound? How does the band look?' It's my job to inspire the staff, the faculty, and the students to achieve at the highest possible level. That's a win for me."

Precision plays on the field

McDavid notes that UW sticks to its roots with a high-step march on the field, while Michigan performs more of a glide style. Michigan also is more traditional during the pregame, and more contemporary at halftime. But don't count UW out: McDavid was previously tapped by Metallica to use the band's songs for high school and university marching band competitions. Expect this master of puppets to ride the lightning into halftime.

"We want to make a special special day for Husky Nation," McDavid said. "So our pregame show will be a dedicated to the traditions of, not only the band, but of Husky football, playing a lot of the more traditional tunes: 'Bow Down to Washington,' 'Victory for Washington,' 'Tequila,' things like that."

"We're actually going to do our part of that (Metallica) theme at halftime," he said. "We did it earlier in the season, we did it last week but with a smaller band. We kind of had to to recreate the whole concept in just three rehearsals, and we'll be doing that at halftime this week."

Pasquale notes: "They are doing Metallica, and we're doing some classical and a television theme ... it's just not the same. So from our perspective, it isn't a competitive sport. It's an art form."

Like UW, Michigan is planning for a more traditional pregame show. Halftime is slated for a celebration of the team, its victories this season, and the school’s enduring fans.

"Our show that we will be doing, it's a combination of shows that that the (Michigan Marching Band) has done in the fall," Pasquale said. "We're going to open with Swan Lake ... and then we're going to end with a with a compilation of two pieces from from 'Ted Lasso.'"

Whichever football team ultimately walks off the field as national champions on Monday night, the school's band directors agree that their focus all comes down to how you play the music, whether it's your first time at a championship, or the last championship before you fade to black.

McDavid said that after his retirement, he's looking forward to trying out something he has never had the chance to do over his three-decade career: tailgating.

"I am so happy for him," Pasquale said of McDavid. "He is so good ... It's a great way to end an unbelievable career, going to this game."