Brick by brick: OSU Marching Band members captured in Lego detail

Jacob English, a Hilliard resident and fifth-year mechanical engineering student at Ohio State University, said his college experience wouldn't be complete without the many stories, people he met and music that was crafted throughout the years as a baritone player for the Ohio State University Marching Band (OSUMB).

Making his first ever tryouts in 2020 when the audition process was completely remote, hangouts and meal times with fellow band members, getting his instrument smacked with a rogue football at the Rose Bowl (no hard feelings toward the football team , English says) — he embraces all of it as part of his journey.

This summer, he added another unforgettable memory to the roster, one that combines two loves: Lego and the Best Damn Band in the Land (TBDBITL). Ever since his first year at OSU, English has been working on perfecting a miniature posable Lego replica of an OSU marching band member inspired by the good times he's spent with the band.

What started as a personal passion project for his own enjoyment soon turned into something more when he got his friends' response: "I want one."

"You know, maybe there's a way that I can make it so that other people could have it," English said.

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In June, he submitted his design to Lego Ideas , the toy company's community site which allows fans to submit their own designs, which, upon reaching 10,000 online votes, are considered to become an official product.

Since submitting the design, he has gained a fair amount of attention, with a TV appearance under his belt , over 12,000 likes for a post on the band's Instagram account and now is nearly at the finish line with over 7,800 votes.

"If we reach 10,000, I mean, I think it'll be a really incredible feeling, kind of comparable to finally making the band," English said.

Love at first sight in 'The Shoe'

Making the band: It's a goal that was on English's mind even as a high school student. Back then, he used to play the saxophone, but because OSUMB is an entirely brass band, he began learning the baritone his senior year and attending the marching band's summer sessions to get a head start on preparing for tryouts.

It was a goal that became obvious to him after getting the chance to march in "The Shoe" for the Buckeye Invitational, a competition hosted by the OSUMB which brings in high school bands from all over the country.

" That was the biggest stadium I'd ever marched in before, and the coolest thing I'd done up to that moment," English said. "Then when I saw the Ohio State band march down the ramp — I was right next to where they entered, and I saw them coming down to the field right in front of me... The band kids and everyone, (they) were just going crazy for the band. And I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to do this.’"

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Though reaching the 10,000 votes doesn't guarantee that the idea will be made into an official Lego set, English said he believes his design has a good chance: He's banking on the community's love for the band and the timeliness factor, with the band's 150th anniversary coming up in 2028.

"There are other great bands out there that sound good, that play good, that march good," English said. "But I feel like we're one of those few bands where, when we march and play, we do both of those things at that top-tier level.

"We don't make any sacrifices because it's too hard. We go into that hard drill, that hard music and we're going to perform the best we can. I like that I'm pushed so much being in this organization, that we're performing at such a high level and that everybody seems to love it."

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All in the details

Standing at 10 inches, the figures went through an iterative design process that came at an intersection with English's background in engineering — whether it be incorporating feedback, perfecting the structural design so the figure can stand and pose on its own, finding or ordering the perfect piece that will capture the uniform or the instrument's details.

While the collection now includes instruments like a bass drum, sousaphone, cymbals and trumpet, the first two he created were a baritone for himself and a trombone for friend Tristan Miller, a trombonist in the band who helped English get the word out about his project.

Currently, Miller is the only other owner of the figures, which were gifted to him from English to thank him for his help. English said he's holding back on sharing the instructions for the figures for now, until he hears from Lego.

Coming to a close

Now in his last year at OSU, English reflected on his first days with the marching band during the pandemic and its role in forming his sense of belonging in college .

"I was really lucky that I suddenly had 28 people, if you include all of the baritones in the band, that I hung out with like every other day in a safe manner, and we got to know each other really, really well," English said.

"That really helped me kind of find my place at Ohio State."

To cast a vote for English's designs, visit the Lego Ideas website at ideas.lego.com .

elim@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Brick by brick: OSU Marching Band members captured in Lego detail