A Hollywood production

When Hollywood needs a particular sound for a movie, they often stay in California or visit New York or even London. Music scoring mixers often head to elaborate sound stages, too.

They rarely come to the Great Plains, let alone Southeast Kansas. But Wednesday, here they were, with high-tech recording devices and a large group of eager past and present Pride of the Plains Marching Band members.

“It never happens,” said Chris Fogel, music scoring mixer for an upcoming Will Ferrell movie. “The band in the movie is a high school band. It is on screen for 27 seconds. We wanted the band to sound real.”

Fogel has received awards for his work on movies, including “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Message in a Bottle,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” Marley and Me,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” and “Arthur.

Fogel got connected to Pittsburg State through PSU Director of Athletics Bands Doug Whitten. The two grew up together in California, then moved to Reno and attended high school and college together. When the time came for a different type of sound than normal, Fogel turned to his friend Whitten.

“They proposed using this kind of band because they didn’t want to use studio musicians,” Whitten said. “Studio musicians tend to have a clean, square sound to them. They wanted authentic marching band sound. We’re authentic.”

Whitten put out a call on Facebook for help and soon had about 150 wishing to participate. Not all that many showed up on Wednesday, but the crowd was large enough to put on a strong sound for the recording.

The group rehearsed a pair of songs for the movie, including the PSU fight song, and recorded many of them on a different type of sound stage — Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium.

“We didn’t think a sound stage was the right fit for this,” Fogel said. “You snap your fingers, and there’s not even a one second reflection. Some sound stages in L.A. have a delay of two to three seconds or longer. A marching band on a football field, there’s no reflection. It’s all projected sound.”

Sound was recorded and sent to the awaiting ears of the movie’s director, composer, arranger and various assistants.

One person on the other end of the Internet connection was Jerry Hey. Whitten said that any time a trumpet solo is heard in a film, it’s probably Jerry Hey playing it. Whitten called him “a trumpet god.

After the Memorial Auditorium recording, the band later moved to the PSU Oval to record more of an “outdoors sound.” All told, the day was filled with takes, retakes, rehearsals, and waiting.

Musicians like Louis Morgan, a PSU alumnus who is now the Baxter Springs band director, were glad to take part.

“This is very cool. It’s a lot of fun. I’m glad to have the opportunity to take part in this. I’m glad to come back to PSU and play in this,” Morgan said.

Both Whitten and Morgan said this wasn’t just a significant event for the participants — it was significant for the university, as well.

“It’s big with capital letters. I don’t know that anyone could have imagined doing this, not on a Hollywood-scale $30 million budget,” Whitten said. “We’re learning so much, they get to be treated like professional musicians, because that’s what they’re doing. Here’s the music, play it perfect, let’s go, and have the flexibility to change on the spot.”

Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.