Text:

Every Saturday each instrument section within the USC band gets together to practice before all the instrument sections come together. Back in the day, the tubas would practice on the roof of building facing the field where everyone could see them. To prank the rest of the band they put a plastic sousaphone on a manikin and pushed it off the roof. Everyone who watched the incident freaked out. After the prank, the tubas were prohibited from practicing on the roof and had to practice on the ground.

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Context:

Apart from the USC band, A.B. explains she heard this story as a freshman getting initiated into the band. She thinks it could be a made-up story told to the band freshman to make them stop complaining about what their band initiation tasks were. at the same time, she also thinks it is true, based on the old band’s history of being intense and troublesome.

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Analysis:

This is a right of passage legend to get the freshmen initiating to easily comply with the tasks given to them. The legend is more convincing due to the USC band’s past of recklessness. This right-of-passage legend strengthens the tradition of band initiation.