Name: Sam Creamer
Age: 19
Year: Freshman
Major: Exploratory, leaning towards Social Work
Hometown: Altamonte Springs, Florida
Meet Sam, a first-year trumpeter in the world-renowned Florida State Marching Chiefs. On top of being a studious freshman, Sam puts in countless hours perfecting his trumpet playing to best represent FSU and to hype the crowd up.
Her Campus (HC): How long have you been playing the trumpet? What made you want to play?
Sam Creamer (SC): I have been playing the trumpet for eight years. I started in middle school, and I originally began playing because one of my older brother’s friends played the trumpet. I grew up seeing him play, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever– like just the way he would hold it and the way it sounds- and I just knew I wanted to do that. So I had my mind set. There is a day in middle school where you get to try out all the instruments, and I didn’t try any instruments other than the trumpet. I just fell in love with it.
HC: Did you play in high school too?
SC: Yes. I did jazz band, syntonic band, and marching band. When you think about it that’s why I am here; I only wanted to go to FSU to be in the marching band.
HC: What made you want to join band at FSU?
SC: FSU’s band does a really good job at marketing. I would come here during the band camps as a sophomore in high school where I was just bombarded by everything FSU, and so that’s what sort of hooked me. I had some friends from high school that went and seeing them travel, wearing the uniforms, and all the big things that they do made me really excited to join.
HC: What was one of the hardest things about trying out for band? Do you have any advice for anyone trying out in the future?
SC: They call the process pre-season, which is very similar to band camp. It is really fun and very well organized. It is a whole week of auditions. You have a music audition when you get there which is half of your score. So they give you some music months in advance and you practice it. When you get there you are living on campus so it’s every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. But they do a really good job in scheduling it out. You do marching, there’s playing, you get taught the drill at night, so it is only hot in the first little bit. But what is special about FSU is that they have such a rigorous audition process that other colleges don’t. Most college bands just let in everyone. And while that isn’t a bad thing, FSU’s auditions really do weed out the people who care and the people who are there for a reason. That’s why our band is so good. For anyone who is looking to join, just do it. Even if you have a little bit of doubt, just do it. Odds are you’ll fall in love. It is such an awesome tradition, and the first day I felt like I had a family. Everyone is so embracing.
HC: What are some of the hardest parts balancing the life as a freshman in college and the large amount of time you put into band?
SC: The biggest thing is organization. I have to make sure I know when the rehearsal is and what I have to bring. For me personally, I have to write it all down and put it all in front of me; I can like compartmentalize it and see what I have to do. You definitely get used to scheduling classes around band. The Marching Chiefs rehearsals are every day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., so taking classes in the afternoon is not advised. It is all about rhythm too, like getting into the schedule and into the flow.
HC: Do you find it hard to be involved in other clubs at FSU with band being such a big-time commitment?
SC: What I have learned and actually going through right now is that you find so many other organizations through band because you are with such good friends and they are all in cool things. So you can find out clubs to join through them. I am currently rushing a fraternity I found through band, Kappa Kappa Psi, which is just a music fraternity.
Courtesy of: Sam Creamer
HC: What are some of the main differences between playing for basketball games and football games?
SC: So the basketball band is called Seminole Sound and it is a lot smaller. If you are not in Marching Chiefs you have to audition, but if you are in Marching Chiefs you are automatically in. That one [Seminole Sound] is totally different. I enjoy watching basketball more than football, and you get to interact with the players more. Marching though has some aspects can you can’t beat because you are in this stadium in front of so many thousands of people. But with Seminole Sound, it’s little more personal because you have a lot more downtown so you can interact with more people. Also, the songs we play are a little more fun if you ask me.
HC: What are the biggest perks of being in the band?
SC: During the first week there was one day after rehearsals where they had Jimbo Fisher, whom I looked up to at the time, come talk to us and gave us a pep talk because we are a big part of the football team. Traveling was the biggest perk for me though. I had never been out of the state outside of band trips, but this year we went to Georgia during the first week. Later we went to Clemson, which had the most beautiful scenery. I had never seen leaves change colors before so that was really cool.
HC: Where do you see your future with FSU band?
SC: A huge part of the FSU band is the tradition which is rooted in everything that we do. It is awesome to see that aspect of it. I want to do it all four years, and I also want to climb the leadership ladder and be drum major one day. I was drum major in high school so I definitely aspire to do that. Being alumni of the Marching Chiefs is just so special. Like we had an alumni day where everyone who had been a Marching Chief came back and they made their own band. So seeing 80-year-old people with tubas doing the exact same thing they did like 60 years ago, was just so cool to see and to be a part of. I don’t want to pursue music as a career, but I do want to keep it in my life and having that type of community in the future is something I want.