The Herd of Thunder Marching Band, HOT Band for short, is a student organization dedicated to uplifting the school spirit at the University of South Florida. The band consists of 300 plus students with different majors, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The HOT Band plays at every USF home football game.
HOT has a unique sound. Michael Perez, a trombone section leader, explains the intensity and power of the band.
“It is literally like nothing else. The volume that we play at, you just feel the music in your bones,” Perez describes.
The band has continued to expand, with a record number of 100 new members joining this Fall. Emily Towner, the HOT Social Media Coordinator, believes her work is a big part of this non-stop growth.
“I get to promote us to new people and try to get our name out there so that one day we can be like one of the bigger bands.” said Towner.
Editor’s Note: David Del Purgatorio is a member of the HOT Band.