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Kennedy: Marching to a bright future

Members of the Marching Mocs play for kids at the Siskin Children's Institute, where Andy Bittenbender attended as a child. (Contributed photo by Debbie Bittenbender) Members of the Marching Mocs play for kids at the Siskin Children's Institute, where Andy Bittenbender attended as a child. (Contributed photo by Debbie Bittenbender)

By Mark Kennedy January 3, 2019 4 min read

Andy Bittenbender and his sister DeeDee at a Marching Mocs performance. (Contributed photo by Debbie Bittenbender)

Andy Bittenbender is the beating heart of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Marching Mocs.

Bittenbender, 21, is over 6 feet tall and plays one of the biggest instruments on the field – a massive bass drum that can rattle ribs from 100 yards away.

“Powerful” is how Andy says it makes him feel to hammer the bass drum on autumn football Saturdays.

It’s a big accomplishment for Andy, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when he was a toddler and was essentially nonverbal when he was little.

He did not always feel as powerful as he does today. He is the drum captain at UTC, a role he also filled a few years back at Red Bank High School.