At each Wichita State basketball game, it is hard not to notice the loud noises coming from every direction at Charles Koch Arena.

Some of that noise is more sonically tuned than others, however.

Shocker Sound, the men’s and women’s basketball band, held auditions last week to find new musicians for the upcoming 2014-15 basketball season.

Made up of 50 to 60 members, Shocker Sound is open to any student who has a love for music and wishes to play in a pep-band setting.

It is a no-credit extracurricular activity.

Members of Shocker Sound are also compensated for their time and skills. According to the Shocker Sound website, students in the band receive a $30 dollar stipend for each game they perform at.

With an open-audition nature and diverse composition, recent Shocker Sound auditions invited students from all backgrounds to try out and see if their own sound was harmonious with the group.

“I’m just going to see what happens,” said Alex Miller, a freshman studying pre-med. “I heard about Shocker Sound from Shocker Blast, and then my mom told me [about the auditions], as well.”

The group that comprises Shocker Sound plays at each men’s and women’s basketball game throughout the entire basketball season, including winter break.

For some students, the recent auditions were not the first experiences to be had with Shocker Sound.

“This is going to be my third year being in the band, and I started as a freshman,” Christian Burgess said.

Burgess, a music education student, said being a part of Shocker Sound has provided him with an opportunity to upgrade his skill set while being a part of WSU basketball.

“I believe I have benefited as a musician,” Burgess said. “[Shocker Sound] definitely gets you to use your air.”

For another member of Shocker Sound, one benefit that has been found is something that those outside of the band might not be able to notice.

“It is more like a sense of community — a lot of my friends are in band, in spite of my major,” said Kaely Regier, a pre-nursing student. “I have definitely benefited from the community.”

Even though Shocker Sound promises access to many WSU basketball games, tournaments and opportunities to improve musical capabilities, for Miller, those reasons are backed up by one main idea:

“I just miss playing music.”