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APSU band director asked to direct, judge at 2023 Peach Bowl

By: Zoe Huffman December 15, 2023

John Schettler, director of the Governors Own Marching Band, at last year's Peach Bowl.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s band director, John Schnettler, has been asked to return to the Peach Bowl for a second year to judge, direct and choreograph the band performance for one of the most-watched games in college football.

Held in the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 30, 2023, the Peach Bowl is a pivotal game leading up to the college football national championship.

The band consists of approximately 700 high school students from across the country who have applied and competed for the opportunity to perform for the Peach Bowl. Once the students are selected, they are grouped into one much larger band, called a massed band.

Schnettler previously directed the massed band in 2022 and will return to work alongside two other band directors. They are responsible for ensuring the massed band is showtime ready, helping them learn the choreography and music that they will perform together during the Peach Bowl.

To prepare for the performance, Schnettler and his colleagues are providing detailed feedback to the bands throughout the rehearsal period, in addition to hosting clinics and suggesting tips on how to improve their performance.

“We will watch their performance and offer constructive feedback,” he said. “We also offer tips and conduct a clinic session, allowing for dedicated time to discuss areas of success, areas for improvement and effective management strategies. Ultimately, our goal is to support the band in enhancing their skills and overall performance.”

Preparing for the Peach Bowl is a months-long process that involves careful and tedious planning. Although Schnettler does not select the students for the massed band, he is tasked with arranging the music and choreography.

“There's months of planning,” he said. “An organization called Box Five puts all the necessary logistics together, including selecting the bands and hiring the directors. That process starts in the spring or summer. Notifying the bands that are accepted and then arranging for travel takes many, many months.”

Schnettler and the two other directors began their roles in the summer as well, starting by selecting the music and designing the choreography for the bands to learn before arriving at the Peach Bowl.

“We selected the music and the choreography over the summer, which was communicated to the bands to rehearse individually,” he said. “They practice it on a small scale before everyone gets together, so they're not presented with the material on day one. They show up ready to go, and the directors put it all together in massed form.”

The massed band consists of hand-picked high school bands from around the country who are awarded the opportunity to perform on national television during what is often the most-watched college football game of the season.

“They typically perform for 3,000 to 5,000 people at a high school football game and now they will perform for over 70,000,” Schnettler said. “It's such a positive energy, and that's my favorite part about it. It's just a huge, huge event. They're really excited about it. There's a lot of positive energy around the whole thing.”

The massed band will perform for not only a massive physical audience but millions of viewers watching at home. This opportunity presents a chance for talented young performers to showcase their talents and their hard work to a very wide audience.

According to the Peach Bowl’s website, the showdown between Ohio State and Georgia on New Year's Eve delivered an audience of over 22 million total viewers, making it the most-watched Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl ever and the most-watched college football game of the 2022 season. Physical attendance at the game was about 79,330.

“It was a huge honor [to be invited back],” Schnettler said. “I felt like I was an effective director for them because I was able to provide good work and feedback. There are hundreds of choices in directors, so for them to ask me back again was a really big honor.”

Schnettler said that his unique experience with bands of this size likely contributed to his selection, since he works frequently with massed bands.

“There are all kinds of logistical and musical issues that come up with a band of that size, but I'm comfortable working in that setting,” he said. “That's something I do regularly.”

The Peach Bowl is not only an opportunity for high school band members to showcase their talents and hard work to a national audience, but a chance for the band directors to represent their colleges and universities.

While directing, Schnettler will be representing Austin Peay, garnering national attention for the University.

“Whenever my name is listed, it's listed with Austin Peay right after it,” he said. “It's already on a national stage, which brings exposure to the music and band programs at Austin Peay. I think that's my primary interest in doing the Peach Bowl, helping to get the Austin Peay name out and to make more people aware of the great things we're doing here.”

For more information about the Peach Bowl, visit their website at .