My name is Benjamin Gozzi, and I have a broken jaw.
Well, had. Six months ago, I fainted off my apartment stairs and crash-landed onto a gravelly parking lot, shattering my mandible in three places and breaking four teeth. My mouth was clamped shut for eight weeks in the spring of my sophomore year. Not a great way to spend a semester.
Funnily enough, I can clearly remember thinking to myself, “Man, you might never play the saxophone again,” after I fell. I’ve had the great pleasure of being a member of the MV Saxophone section for the past two seasons, even serving as one of four sax Rank Captains in the 2024-25 season. I love this band to the point that I was thinking about it on my way to the hospital, which makes me smile now that so much time has passed.
When I sent Dr. Polly and Chad the first email letting them know of my injury, I knew that my chances of being ready for the auditions earlier this year were slim. I’d argue that the saxophone is one of the most jaw-dependent instruments in the MVs, especially when you consider the embouchure one needs to play well. Hence, I knew I needed a backup plan. I study Multimedia Journalism and Digital Marketing Strategy at Virginia Tech, and when I realized that former Marketing and Communications Officer (and great friend!) Emy Delaporte was graduating, I knew that was my in. I had to be in the band...even if I couldn’t play.
Now the sitting MCO, I feel uniquely qualified to be writing about what Band 52 will mean to me this season. I enter with a perspective that I pray no one learns themselves. Yet, knowing that I have the chance to blog about it makes me thankful for the hardships I’ve been able to endure.
Also, I think the series name is witty.
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My own Band Camp experience is, of course, unlike anyone else’s.
I entered Leadership Retreat in mid-August utterly consumed by ambiguity. Even though I was tagged as MCO, the role didn’t come with a handbook. Would I be secluded to writing and managing the blog? I knew that was in the job description. But what would I do with the time I now had, the same time that would normally be spent learning drill and music during the week?
I had my questions answered in some of my initial meetings with Dr. Polly and Chad. I was to be “multimedia staff” - not a Senior Staff Assistant, not a manager, not a marcher – but the founding and sole member of “multimedia staff” that would help game days go smoothly come September. I interpreted it as making MCO more “do-it-yourself" than it has been in years prior.
Working with Online Content Officers Taylor Harrison and Katie Sabo has given the MCO role more direction than I could have imagined. Both members of the MV Clarinet section are absolute wizards when it comes to social media, whether it be in content creation or photographing the band, and working with them has been a joy. They made the first days of Leadership Retreat an absolute breeze. It was a trio of dedicated, social media-minded MVs collaborating consistently and efficiently.
The first day of Band 52’s band camp, after rookies had been registered and returners had joined the band once more, made me realize how much I took them for granted. With Harrison and Sabo now splitting time between Instagram and the marching field, I realized I could pick up some of the outward-facing media responsibilities. In response to this realization, I grabbed Harrison’s camera (thank you, Taylor), plugged in my SD card, grabbed my phone and mini microphone, and got to work.
Band 52 sets elements of their “Pregame” show in Lane Stadium. Photo credit: Benjamin Gozzi, MCO
Band Camp at the MVs follows a loose “marching-music-combo" session format. I say combo because the evening session, as marchers are washed in illuminated white light, allows the band to run music while marching in the shows Dr. Polly and Chad are looking to perfect. In this year’s band camp, we’ve been perfecting both our Superhero show, which has been shelved since 2018, and parts of the classic Pregame performance.
Capturing the work Band 52 has been doing for the past week and a half has made the low-lying jealousy towards those on the field much more manageable. Walking around the MVC and seeing the smiling faces through a camera lens has given me a new purpose in this ensemble, one fully focused on elevating the voices of others while also giving me a chance to stay somewhat involved. I’ve had a first-hand look at service events from Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, seen the band merge into intricate designs from my tower vantage point, and have worked with some of the most talented photographers who are found on the Senior Staff Assistant team. If you want to make your jaw drop, ask how much money Andrew Single has spent on his camera equipment.
Oddly enough, I also think I’ve arguably met more folks in this band than I did as a Rank Captain a season ago. I credit this to my “MV Help Desk,” which metamorphosed from the “Multimedia Help Desk” after I realized that no one really needs multimedia help. I positioned myself on the bathroom-side wall and brought essentials that I thought people may need: Chargers, pencils, pens, and the like. Never did I imagine that this would end up being a place where people could stop by and chat, tell me about their sectionals, how they slept the night before, or how they’re doing outside of band. While I don’t know all 330 members of the band yet, the desk has helped me connect with some of the most passionate, kind folks I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
Even though I’d kill to be on that field right now, I’m more excited than I have been in a long time. This role is so perfectly tailored to what I’m interested in doing post-Virginia Tech, and to be able to have this experience now only adds to the excitement that has been my college career thus far. I can’t wait to see how Band 52 contributes not only to the university, but also how they contribute to each other.