Michigan Tech Has Flaming Trumpets In Their Pep Band
There's something hot about one of the coldest universities in Michigan, and it's in the band. Michigan Tech's Husky Pep Band has one of the hottest commodities for any pyromaniac who happens to play a brass instrument.
Introducing, The Famous Flaming Trumpets of the Husky Pep Band.
I grew up playing trumpet in school. Played in concert, marching, and pep bands all through college, and never ONCE had the idea to attach a flame thrower to my horn. And trust me, there were PLENTY of bad ideas in college that involved fire.
But what the Michigan Tech Pep Band had done to their trumpet section was no drunken college idea, it's actually tradition.
@visitkeweenaw Who's ready to see @michigantech 's famous flaming trumpets and Misfits Pep Band during this week's 101st Winter Carnival? No matter how cold or snowy it is, they are always ready to help make our wintry celebrations an extra fun time! . . . . . #houghtonmi #michigantech #mtuwc #wintercarnival2023 #mtuhuskies #keweenaw #keweenawpeninsula #upperpeninsulamichigan #upperpeninsula #puremichigan #universityband #wintercelebration #winterevents #winterparade ♬ original sound - Visit Keweenaw
Michigan Tech has a great engineering program, and often, engineers play with building contraptions that aren't necessarily necessary, but they're still cool as hell.. or in this case, "HOT" as hell.
It's not clear when, or how the tradition got started (which is crazy... you'd think you'd remember a thing like the first time you saw a flame-thrower trumpet). But Associate Professor Mike Christianson tells it like this...
"I can tell you there was at least one flaming trumpet when I started here in 2012. We have recently activated our fourth."
Students at the university have their theories on how it got started, including senior Ryan Briggs, who has developed his own flame-throwing trumpet.
"I could see a crafty engineer at one point saying, 'I've got an idea,' Different folks have modified them in different ways. One has a pilot light."
Yeah, each of the flaming trumpets are built differently, and have different features.
Briggs, for example, has a propane tank tucked into the back pocket of his striped "Tech" bib overalls. That tank is connected to a shutoff safety valve with tubing that runs up to the trumpet's trigger valve. When he hits the trigger, the propane shoots out a small hole, drilled into the bell, and propels a 6-8 foot flame out the end.
So if you're up at a Husky game any time in the winter, and you suddenly feel a wave of warmth on your back.. MOVE... the trumpets are coming!