As former high school band members ourselves, we always get a kick out of seeing pep band geeks on TV during the NCAA Tournament, which is always followed by us laughing at them when they realize they are on TV and lose their minds.
But what happens when a school doesn't have a music program, as is the case at Loyola Maryland? Well, in that case, you just ask your fellow Catholic school if you've got any musicians to spare.
Duquesne provided 29 student musicians for the game, the maximum number allowed by NCAA regulations for the tournament. Hess led the group of students, dressed in shirts adorned with pins supplied by Loyola, in a number of songs, from Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" to even the 60's rock anthem "Born to be Wild."
This sort of pinch-hitting isn't completely unheard of. A few years ago, Mercyhurst hired a Massachusetts high school band to play at their games in the NCAA Hockey Tournament in Worcester. But it's still a thrill for all involved and was a very decent thing for Duquesne to do.