TAMPA, Fla. — Under bright lights, the Pride of the Bay gets ready to perform on USF's Frank Morsani football field.

With a single snare drum giving the count, the USF Herd of Thunder drum major brings the band to life with the four-count wave of his hands. 

Battons and flags twirl in the air at the front of the field, which is where all the flash and show happens. But it's actually the in the very back, where one section stands holding the band's sound together.

“The sousaphones are the instruments with the big bells, they are the foundation of the band," said Dr. Marc Sosnowchik, marching band director. "The foundation of our sound. And all of them are past their shelf life.”

Their deep sound holds the band together, while duct tape and zip ties hold the aging instruments together. 

“Everything that is not the round body of the tuba is held on with zip ties," said one sousaphone band member. 

"Even if I take the bell cover off," said Abi Strong, Sousaphone Section Leader. "Look at how bent that is. It is supposed to be completely smooth.” She points to a crumpled metal of her instrument. 

It's not secret, the HOT band's sousaphones are in rough shape. 

“We are very fortunately in our 22 year of HOT band," said Strong. "And that is how old the tubas are. So the tubas are just as old as me." 

“If you take a look at any of our sousaphones up close, you will see, just the general wear and tear that comes from seven hours of rehearsal a week, 15 weeks a year, and five or six games, over the course of ten to 20 years. That is a lot of wear and tear on our instruments," said Dr. Sosnowchik. 

A few members of the sousaphone section spoke candidly about their instruments. 

“It can play, but my personal Sousaphone has holes in it," said Strong. "It’s got a bent bell. It’s got things that are sticking.” 

"Pretty trash," said Cahlan English, a HOT Band 4th Year. 

“It’s not great," said Jenessa McGuire, HOT Band 3rd Year. 

“It’s… good,” said Singleton Robert with great hesitation, HOT Band 5th Year. 

"I manage,” said Joe Rosen, HOT Band 1st Year, "The silver on the horn has started to come off, and it’s being held together by zip ties."

In total the section has 36 sousaphones. Of those, 34 need to be replaced or fixed. But it's been made clear, they can't turn to USF for the funding. 

"So we are trying to buy 34 new sousaphones, and those cost between 8 and 9 thousand dollars each, that is a pretty big undertaking," said Dr. Sosnowchik. 

Roughly, that works out to $300,000, during a pandemic, at a University that just cut their Education Program. The money can't come from USF, because they don't have it. 

"I love the marching band, and once we were permitted to have a football team, of course you can’t have a football team without a marching band," said Former USF President Betty Castor. 

Castor was the President in 1998 and secured the original funding to start the HOT band. 

“The initial cost was quiet large, to buy all of the instruments, all of these tubas, all of these big instruments for the marching band was extremely expensive, so of course we had to campaign in the beginning, and the alumni association was very helpful with coming up with some of the money, as was athletics," said Castor. 

But that donation was a one time thing. Even when a second donation came a decade later, it was just not enough for new instruments. 

“The University has been told they have to take an 8 percent cut, because of the reduction in state funding. So it’s not likely that they University will have surplus funds, or it’s almost a capital expense, for instruments,” said Castor. “We are not going to find $300,000 in the University budget.”

This is why the HOT band has decided to turn to their alumni and the Tampa Bay area. They started a Give to the HOT Band page. 

“What I would love to do is set up some kind of endowment fund, so that we can accrue money over a course of years, so that we are not in this position again," said Dr. Sosnowchik. 

"The section is always talking about how, 'Guys just imagine if we got surprised with new tubas or some donor just gave us like $300,000 and we got new ones?'” fantasized Strong. 

“I would like new sousaphones, I would like for people to graciously donate to the band, because we need them," said McGuire. 

With the dents, holes and overall ratty appearance of the the instruments, it would be fair for these students to be angry too. 

“I mean it’s sometimes like, ‘Ugh, why does it have to be so difficult?’ Then other days like, ‘Ya know what? Even though it’s difficult, I still love to play,’” said Robert. 

In fact, every member of the sousaphone section loves to play in the HOT band. 

“It’s important that I get to play because, I mean look at all this beautiful music you get," smiles Robert. “Like ahhhh, there is so much beautiful music like it’s tough to describe it.”

If the USF HOT band is able to purchase new instruments, they will keep the current ones for practice and use the new ones for game days.