The very soul and spirit of every historically black university is conveyed through its marching band the elegance of the majorettes down to the exuberant dance routines of the drum majors college life would not be the same without its bands no marching band comes close to uplifting its fans like the Prairie View A&M University “Marching Storm” The Marching Storm stands out from the rest of the pack with its theme-oriented halftime pageants innovative drum routines and professional musical sound Marching Storm Audition Requirements The Black Foxes Audition Band Staff Shop Marching Storm Marching Storm Giving performing at the Grand National Championships Band kids today don’t just parade up and down the field playing fight songs with elaborate themes and spandex-clad dancers Hell Week had come for the Marching Colonels and a hazy sun hung over Bourbon County High School the asphalt was hot enough to melt chewing gum The woodwinds were gathered there in a ragged circle waiting for the metronome to set the tempo while the trumpets and trombones stumbled around on the football field below scowled at the boys slouched in front of him “I’m not getting any effort from anyone right now,” he said The band had been at this since eight-thirty in the morning First half an hour of stretching and calisthenics and now sectional and full-band rehearsals they would rehearse close to fifty hours that week then two to three hours a day for the rest of the summer and fourteen hours a week in the fall The fingers and palms were wrapped in black athletic tape to cover blisters “The mallets rub up against them,” he said “And I have tendinitis and carpal tunnel in both arms Marching band is more than a pastime in Bourbon County The real reason the students rehearse so hard isn’t to play well at football games It’s to prepare for a series of fiercely competitive marching-band contests in the fall culminating in the Grand National Championships There are more than twenty thousand high-school band programs in America their shows have evolved into spectacles that John Philip Sousa couldn’t have imagined budgets of hundreds of thousands of dollars and fleets of trucks for their instruments They don’t just parade up and down the field playing fight songs “The traditional bands that don’t compete—pretty much all they do is halftime shows and songs like ‘Louie Louie’—the local bands that compete and the ones that compete nationally.” The Marching Colonels are in the third category They’re from one of the smallest schools at the Grand Nationals every year “It’s hard for a rural community,” Gray said It’s just a different world.” When he first came to Bourbon County Gray asked the school treasurer about the budget for new music you have two hundred and sixty-five dollars.’ And I said ‘That will buy one song.’ ” Gray was sitting in the band office slumped back in a rolling chair in green khaki shorts and a black polo shirt Another had a can of chewing tobacco—she held it at arm’s length pinched between her fingertips like it was full of spiders we found this in the band room.” He shrugged “Was it good?” Gray is fifty-one and has been working with bands or marching in them for most of his life He has burly shoulders and a close-shaved head heavy-lidded eyes and a thin circle of beard and carries himself with unhurried self-assurance He came to Bourbon County in 2023 from a larger His ex-wife co-directed his band in Morton and Bourbon County had a last-minute opening “I wasn’t even interviewed till late June,” Gray told me I lived in a hotel for four days while I tried to find a house.” A mellophone player in the Marching Colonels The school is one of the smallest to make it to the Grand Nationals The Marching Colonels on Main Street in Paris the night before Bourbon County’s homecoming game the Marching Colonels went on to have one of their best years winning first place for schools of their size at the Kentucky state championship and the Grand Nationals every season can feel like starting from scratch The band lost nearly a third of its members over the summer Some graduated; others quit to play sports The seventy-five who remained included only six seniors and a worrisome number of seventh and eighth graders “It’s like we’re making art out of pieces of driftwood,” one band director told me “You have to build around what’s there.” The big mistake is to try to turn those pieces into the Taj Mahal Marching band is the great remainder bin of American adolescence It may be the most popular of all high-school activities A teen-ager’s life can feel relentlessly Darwinian you’re tagged and sorted by degrees of intelligence the older musicians have to work with the young; the talented cover for the tone-deaf And because participation is both voluntary and brutally time-consuming everyone has to learn to love the band with a shared intensity The idea goes back nearly five thousand years unrelated youths and turn them into a unified force How do you teach them discipline and common purpose as far as we know—you can see their troops lined up in a Mesopotamian stone carving from the third millennium B.C.—and the method later spread to Greece Well-drilled troops weren’t just more efficient in battle the University of Chicago historian William McNeill wrote in his book “Keeping Together in Time,” from 1995 They developed an esprit de corps that transcended other loyalties—or even common sense McNeill called this “muscular bonding” and believed it to be the foundation of all modern European empires and the poorest peasants and urban outcasts will obediently bear arms and go to battle There is the whole secret,” the French military commander Maurice de Saxe wrote in 1732 in his book “Reveries on the Art of War.” “Everyone has seen people dancing all night But take a man and make him dance for a quarter of an hour without music and see if he can bear it.” The kind of music didn’t really matter so long as it set the beat and could carry over the tumult of an advancing army The Assyrians marched to cymbals and iron bells the Arabs to squealing shawms—like ancient vuvuzelas “Beat the drum once and the left foot steps forward; beat it again and the right foot advances,” a Chinese text written between the third and fifth centuries B.C The blueprint for today’s marching bands was set in the sixteenth century and Beethoven all composed marches alla turca but the true heyday of military bands was the late nineteenth century after the trumpet and other valved instruments were invented Marches like Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” composed on Christmas Day harnessed the full power of the brass section they set off a craze for marching-band music which lasted till the nineteen-forties when it was gradually done in by jazz and other diversions or “screamers,” like “Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite,” sent circus crowds into hysterics—the closest thing to speed metal at the time marching-band history had slowed to an amble The bands still wore uniforms and marched in formation but they did their best to adapt to mellower times The military themes were repurposed for football the patriotic tunes replaced with jazz rock and power ballads: “Black Magic Woman,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “MacArthur Park.” I played violin in the high-school orchestra and sometimes envied the band kids across the hall blasting away at their instruments and horsing around after rehearsals red-faced and giddy from marching all morning The orchestra played classical pieces as if we’d made them from scratch—sawed and jointed them out of rough lumber The miracle was that they could still sound beautiful The band played pop tunes as if they were classical music—stripped of vocals and puffed up with horns a marimba player and a leader of the Bourbon County front ensemble The color guard from Indiana’s Carmel High School which has one of America’s most successful marching-band programs One of the Bourbon County Marching Colonels prepares for a regional competition in Berea When I went back to Oklahoma two years ago the school’s marching band was unrecognizable I was getting up to go buy a drink at halftime when a group of dancers strode onto the field They gathered in front of a row of what looked like giant abstract paintings and struck a pose Then they began to contort their arms above their heads like smoke from a flame the band crept out from behind the paintings playing the “Dies Irae” from Verdi’s Requiem interlacing lines while the dancers flitted among them carrying flags and tossing rifles As the music built to a climax—a symphonic piece called “The Inferno,” by Robert W Smith—the band gathered into an amoeba-like shape that morphed and flowed across the field the band played the finale from Stravinsky’s “Firebird,” and the show was over and the show was more creative and challenging than anything I remembered from high school I glanced around at my neighbors in the stands They looked like the Oklahomans I’d grown up with: stout practical-minded folks in bluejeans and trucker hats I assumed that they were as baffled as I was but they were grinning and pumping their fists whooping and cheering as the band filed off the field The capital of the new marching-band culture where its peculiar evolution has been shaped and adjudicated for the past forty years Texas has the greatest concentration of excellent bands driven by an exceptional music-education system and other Southern states have their own tradition of high-stepping bands modelled on those at historically Black colleges But Indianapolis is home to the Grand National Championships and the organization that runs them It also has two of the country’s most successful marching-band programs: the Avon High School Marching Black and Gold and the Carmel High School Marching Greyhounds the schools have won the Grand Nationals eleven times in the past twenty years those roles were reversed: Avon beat Carmel but only by two-tenths of a point out of a hundred “That’s the reason they’re both so good,” Michael Townsend a show designer who has worked with both bands in a table-flat suburb of strip malls and new housing developments the marching band was rehearsing both its fall show and a short routine for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade the color guard carries the regimental colors and national flag The Avon color guard was more than fifty strong but without the glossy conformity of a cheerleading squad bending and lurching to the music from a boom box Wiles is roundly built but light on his feet with shrewd eyes and a grayish-white beard with a comedian’s offbeat timing and cutting asides I asked him if he’d had to soften his manner much for high-school students over the years “I’m more like a funny big brother than their father I don’t believe in that.” His uncompromising approach has its detractors Is this good for my kid?” one parent told me If your kid is tough enough to withstand it creating shows for marching bands was not a reasonable career goal Most bands had a single director and no budget for composers or choreographers because this isn’t a job,’ ” Wiles told me ‘I am going to make it my job.’ ” He lived hand to mouth for a few years after college working as a freelance color-guard director buying food with his gas card when the money ran out Some of his most innovative work was for Drum Corps International a private organization that runs a competitive band circuit in the summers had become an incubator for the marching arts It was meant for college and élite high-school players and its judges awarded more points for challenging a band had to do more than march and play cleanly tossed out the blocky formations that had boxed in bands for generations what you saw on one side of the fifty-yard line was the same as on the other,” Greg Bimm it was more Jackson Pollock-esque.” The music grew equally ambitious The jukebox format gave way to scores based on a single theme or classical composer: Bernstein and choreographers to their staff and vying for top designers Woodwinds migrated over from the orchestra to fill out the sound Singers and string players began to take the spotlight with microphones and sound systems to support them But I’m fifty-four years old and I still want to do more.” Avon’s show was called “Mondriesque.” The band members would be dressed as paintings by Piet Mondrian The props would consist of forty nesting cubes The idea came to Wiles and Michael Townsend after they’d chosen the show’s score They wanted to use “Russian Christmas Music,” by Alfred Reed—an old concert-band warhorse—but give the staging a twist which led to colored blocks and nesting cubes It was an exercise in free association—the theme never really circled back to the music—but it sounded artistic and gave the show a striking look As the band members marched around in their Mondrian outfits they would unpack the colored cubes and arrange them into three-dimensional paintings ‘I wish there was some more Christmas in here,’ ” Wiles told me The top bands try to keep their themes secret early in the season The irony is that most of the directors know one another and sometimes share information When Townsend isn’t co-writing Avon’s shows If he was working at Microsoft and I was at Apple but we’re not solving the world’s problems here.” He shook his head “It’s such a niche activity—it’s ‘Best in Show.’ But imagine: two of the best marching bands in the world are just twenty-five miles apart I always tell people: It’s not all about winning Carmel High School is north of Indianapolis in a suburb of lamplit streets and posh boutiques Temperatures were in the eighties and the sun had slid to the horizon like a drop of melted wax The students were lined up outside the school stadium in a parking lot painted with yard lines and numbers like a football field their arms bent in front of them in various positions He was standing on the roof of an observation tower four stories above us leaning over the railing with a microphone in hand I could see the band’s choreography unfolding below: lines crossing and reversing course circles exploding into smaller circles like fireworks in slow motion The patterns were so complex that the drill designer had to use a 3-D program called Pyware to choreograph them The coördinates for each player’s movements could be loaded onto a smartphone or printed onto a spiral-bound dot book—one page for each movement—then drilled until they were pure muscle memory we have to have a much stronger direction change and you have to get a really energetic step-off The theme of Carmel’s show was “Arcestrations.” The name was a play on the show’s props—twenty-six giant seesawing arcs made of aluminum—as well as its dark turbulent score: Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra Mastering the choreography alone would take weeks The length and speed of each step could change from one measure to the next and the players had to hit their marks exactly to stay in formation they would rehearse the music and the movements separately “There are just a lot of simultaneous responsibilities to work through,” Kreke told me What’s the choreography with my upper and lower body every moving gear in this nine-minute show would be meshed together in the players’ minds and the music would pick up mid-step at a dip of his baton Snare drummers in Bourbon County’s drum line warm up before the regionals A backfield drum major for Bourbon County leads a band rehearsal in the school’s parking lot It’s hard to think of another group activity The Prussians under Frederick the Great were once the zenith of military marching technique To synchronize their movements over a terrain They tried to find the ideal length and cadence for a soldier’s step then drilled their movements with a stopwatch Prussian troops could cut obliquely across a battlefield while the enemy was still marching at right angles They could change course and speed at an officer’s command In an era when battles could be won by an army’s rate of fire they could shoot their muskets in a continuous wave Carmel saxophonists at an after-school practice Band members start out rehearsing the music and the movements separately the Prussian Army had doubled its marching rate from six to twelve miles a day But its soldiers didn’t have to play instruments: they had drummers and fifers to keep the beat It was like the old quip about Ginger Rogers doing everything Fred Astaire did The Bartók concerto was hard for any high-school band to tackle Yet the Carmel musicians had to play it from memory and crab-stepping sideways across the field three women were stationed in lawn chairs with a case of medical supplies beside them Bethany Brown and Janelle Scarberry were band parents and members of the Carmel booster club; Kathy Hogan was Janelle’s mom They’d volunteered to sit there for the four-hour rehearsal and tend to any minor injuries or other medical issues that came up “Because we are so qualified for that,” Brown said and the occasional blackout or sunstroke in this summer heat “Jade just fainted this morning,” Scarberry reported I had one saxophone who tripped over his shoelaces and fell on his face And some guard girl got hit in the head.” The injuries sometimes came in bunches “We got to chaperon for the Macy’s Parade a couple of years ago “We had sick kids on every bus,” Scarberry said Carmel’s show “Arcestrations” incorporates giant seesawing aluminum arcs and a dark Carmel’s color guard arriving at a competition in Indiana The real toll of such intense rehearsing builds up over time Percussionists get tendinitis in their wrists Horn players have pinched nerves and back pain Woodwinds get numb hands and tingling fingers Almost every player I spoke to had one chronic complaint or another But the color guard seemed to be the most injury-prone The sabres they juggled weighed a pound and a half The weapons had to be tossed and caught in rhythm while the guards performed spins and acrobatics “You have to count your rotations,” Sydney Byers or you’ll have the sun in your eyes.” Byers had a broken bone in her foot so painful that she had to wear an orthopedic boot when she wasn’t performing Others had jammed their fingers with mistimed catches or conked one another with errant throws Their arms and legs were flecked with bruises She pointed to an especially livid mark on her left elbow Beleckaite’s parents are both Lithuanian immigrants She has their broad features and powerful frame she liked to do back walkovers—bending her body till her head nearly touched her heels she was lying in bed next to her sister when her back seized up without warning She had a fractured plate at the base of her spine “Bending my back in half must have snapped it.” The ruptured disk has since healed completely “I can feel the ball and socket rubbing up against my pelvic bones,” she said Brown wrote to tell me that the Carmel band was having trouble with its props The show’s aluminum arcs were each twelve feet long and five feet high and weighed more than a hundred and thirty pounds Dragging them around the field and rocking them into position was proving treacherous I’ve seen so many near misses with these kids.” The previous weekend had been hit so hard by an arc that X-rays later showed that one of his elbows was broken “He had two Band-Aids slapped on and continued to practice for three hours,” she wrote The elbow break turned out to be a bone bruise but her son would have kept on marching regardless “I suppose the bad news is he would have been much easier to find on the field in a sling,” Brown wrote It has its own planetarium and student-run television and radio stations Yet every year close to three hundred students join the marching band Playing a sport can be even more gruelling than marching But sports offer popularity and a chance at individual glory and the first major contest isn’t until the fall “It’s the most delayed-gratification activity I’ve ever seen,” Joseph Loria Loria’s son Gavin is a senior in the band’s percussion section was on the Carmel swim team—a program that has won thirty-eight state championships in a row and sent three swimmers to the Olympics last year “But that was on the athletic side,” Gavin’s mother I didn’t think there could be anything as intense as swimming I’d seen Gavin rehearse in the band room and the parking lot leading the percussion section during its drills with a shock of black hair that hung across his forehead inward gaze and a nervous rhythm that ran through his limbs like a ride cymbal joined the junior-high jazz band at twelve and won his school’s Jazz Player of the Year award at fourteen On the morning of his audition for the Carmel High School band his mother drove him to school and turned around to wish him luck But instead of playing snare drum in the band Gavin was assigned to the marching quads—a set of four large drums suspended from a shoulder harness That alone is enough to absolutely kill your body.” At night I don’t want to use the word ‘traumatic,’ but it was pretty bad.” The color guard for Bourbon County at an early-morning practice and the percussion director had asked him to play snare his memories of the previous year were so painful that he was afraid to rejoin “I thought about it for a long time,” he told me “They are learning what excellence looks like,” Joseph Loria said You do hard things even when there are obstacles—especially when it’s something you love.” The experience teaches patience There are a lot of benefits.” But it’s hard to see how any of that could get kids onto the field week after week Few of the students I spoke to wanted to major in music or even to join the marching band in college and at historically Black schools like Jackson State and North Carolina A But most don’t march competitively; they still just play pop tunes and fight songs at football games “The job isn’t to make art—it’s to entertain forty thousand drunks.” “I felt like I was throwing something away,” he told me it was hard to picture the panic-stricken boy he’d been Gavin now set the pulse for the entire group The drum majors conducted the show from the sidelines but they had trouble keeping the beat when the band was spread across a field The distances were so long that the sound of the musicians in back would arrive a fraction of a second behind the sound of those in front the drum majors had to ignore their ears and rely on their eyes They had to watch Gavin march and set the beat to the rhythm of his feet Members of the Jenison High School marching band to see hundreds of high-school students pursue a single goal for hours on end repeating the same thirty-second drills over and over eager for any way to lose themselves in a collective Watching Gavin charge across the parking lot The blazing focus in his eyes—the fixation on doing one thing right and then another the churn of anxiety and the weight of expectation—didn’t look like duty or blind obedience to me I went back to Bourbon County for a football game The Grand National Championships were just two months away and I wanted to see how the Marching Colonels were coming along I’d been to Indianapolis earlier that week and the Avon and Carmel shows were predictably on schedule: props built Both bands had won their first local contests vying for first and second place when they met at regional and state contests “The organization of this band is mind-blowing,” Gavin Loria’s mother they’d placed ninth out of ten bands at a contest in LaFayette they’re going to do it again,” Arthur Hubbard who owns an HVAC business close to the school and whose daughter plays baritone in the band Carmel’s yearly budget was a third of a million dollars most of it raised from parents and local businesses The Marching Colonels would be happy to raise a hundred thousand has a Beaux-Arts courthouse and rows of ornate shops from the eighteen- and early nineteen-hundreds when the town was known for its distilleries Some of the country’s finest Thoroughbreds are raised in the rolling pastures around Paris—Queen Elizabeth II had her horses bred in Versailles But the distilleries are long lost to consolidation and when the local horse barons open their wallets it’s usually for sports “People just don’t respect the work of the band as much.” The Bourbon County football team was 0–4 on the night I came Yet a splendid new field had recently been built for the team whose son Dutcher plays percussion in the band “We have a national-championship band that is barely getting funded and a football team that may not win a game More than twenty thousand costumed musicians and dancers descend on Indianapolis each November The drum line from Tarpon Springs High School practices in a prep room at Lucas Oil Stadium and the floodlights were on over the stadium but a dozen parents were crowded in and around the concession stand was heating up three Crock-Pots full of chili who runs a Thoroughbred stable in Lexington was plunging a basket of mozzarella sticks into a deep fryer “We’ve all burned ourselves already.”) Megan Davidson’s father whose left arm was in a cast from carpal-tunnel surgery two days earlier When the parents weren’t working concessions to raise more money selling drinks at Bengals games “It’s a wonder that any of us have any sanity left,” one of the parents told me were unloading props that they’d built for the band’s show He drives a box truck and a flatbed in town but both are handy and have kids in the band and then Dwight prettied it up,” Davidson said “That thing weighs about twelve hundred pounds—about kills two men just to move it,” he said A pair of huge round frames stood behind it painted silver and gold like ceremonial gateways He’d made them out of hay rings that a local farmer had donated I asked him what role they played in the show The show was called “Penthesilea: Queen of the Amazons.” Its opening number was from the “Wonder Woman” soundtrack had worked as a contest judge and thought that the show could use a weightier theme He’d been reading “The Power of Myth,” by Joseph Campbell the show would tell the story of one of the warriors who’d inspired her character Penthesilea is the sister of Queen Hippolyta—Wonder Woman’s mother in the comic She leads the Amazons in the Trojan War and is felled by Achilles “It’s the hero’s journey,” Gray said—from struggle to loss to triumphant redemption But he did want to include one comic-book element: a pair of mysterious portals on either side of the field I asked him where the portals led in the Penthesilea story If Grandma can’t understand it after ninety seconds The people I saw pumping their fists at halftime in Oklahoma were probably family members It’s the rest of the crowd that rarely pays attention everyone is talking to each other or going to get a hot dog,” Michael Townsend nobody cares about this except us.” Competitive bands lead a double life and other players who cheer for every complex formation and musical phrase The Marching Colonels were used to it by now The rise of the marching arts in America hadn’t changed the players’ status much While the cheerleaders preened and hopped around in front of the crowd and the football players collided on the field the band was bunched off to one side of the bleachers Whenever the home team scored or a time-out was called and blast a fanfare—“Go Team Go!” It was a thankless task capped by a final indignity after the game: because the band parents ran the concession stand their kids had to pick up all the trash under the bleachers “I kind of secretly hope the team doesn’t score,” Dutcher Howard told me “Because then they’ll shoot off fireworks and confetti Members of Bourbon County’s band watch another team on the field at the Grand Nationals with big eyes and a ruff of straw-colored hair He and Gael Martinez were among the youngest kids in the band—Martinez was a year younger than Howard and a head shorter an assemblage of sparely used percussion instruments clustered around a rolling stand and an Aztec death whistle that sounded like a human shriek The two boys were officially part of the front ensemble—the keyboard and percussion players who stood in front of the band and didn’t march during the show—but they looked like boxcar children along for the ride “We’re at the bottom of the ladder,” Howard said they seemed to be having more fun than anyone else Howard and the others jumped from bench to bench trading jokes and doing goofy dances to the music on the P.A the front ensemble marched to the sideline and stood facing the crowd at the fifty-yard mark There were eight of them in all—two marimbas They heaved their chests up and down to the beat and bobbed their heads like thrash rockers Even the mallet sticks have to line up perfectly.” Mack was the oldest member of the ensemble He had a mop of dark-brown hair bleached blond on top and bright eyes that peered through his bangs with crazed intensity as he played “Sometimes you just have to let out the adrenaline scream,” he said just as transgender issues were becoming a flash point in Kentucky (The state banned puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors in 2023.) Some of his friends were still afraid to transition for fear of being sent to conversion therapy But Mack’s parents were “fine enough with it,” he told me “Bourbon County is a weird outlier in the Bible Belt,” he said The front ensemble was full of odd ducks like him and when they were playing well they were like one body yeaaah.” The group had it put on a T-shirt That night’s performance was a work in progress: the finale still wasn’t ready The show opened with a battle scene—the players pouring through the portals and charging around in silver and black uniforms—paused for a ballad then ended abruptly with an ominous chord from the brass the Bourbon County marching band!” the announcer declared A Carmel player during the band’s performance at the Grand Nationals The home team was winning for once—it would lose in the final minutes 34–38—so most of the crowd stayed and relaxed into the evening dancing to “Superstition” as the football players took the field The night air had cooled and a light breeze was blowing carrying the smell of popcorn and chili-cheese fries someone’s little sister was doing cartwheels on the pitcher’s mound It was 2024 but felt like a half century earlier the players were whooping and jumping around Tim Gray had just given them the night off—they could pick up trash in the morning who had run sound for the show as well as making most of the props where the Grand National Championships are held is nine stories high and has nearly two million square feet of indoor space That’s plenty of room for its main tenants But on the weekend of the Grand Nationals it feels like an overstuffed clown car More than twenty thousand costumed musicians and dancers descend on the stadium every November more than a hundred bands take turns marching on and off the field every fifteen minutes Volunteers with synchronized stopwatches are stationed backstage The bands have exactly four minutes to set up their show “Everyone knows exactly what time it is,” one of the announcers If the event’s structure seems proof of its military roots came out in black cloaks and purple berets like characters from “The Matrix” headed to a poetry reading Then they flitted around the field like bats reënacted a solo sailing trip around the world with the band tossing itself about like waves and rocking on skeletal ships A show called “The Cutting Edge,” by a band from Cedar Park with music from “Sweeney Todd” and Samuel Barber and the band marching around giant barber poles In “Menagerie,” from a school in Kingsport the color guard were caged like animals in a zoo the musicians marched out in caps and hunting jackets while the color guard wore neon-orange rabbit suits Then the musicians chased the rabbits around to “The Barber of Seville” and the “William Tell” Overture The band that other players and directors seemed to admire most—they spoke of it with a kind of awe—was the Outdoor Performance Ensemble The band’s new show was called “Awakening.” It began with the color guard kneeling on the grass A circle of monoliths stood in the center of the field in the place that never was,” a disembodied voice declared and from the space between them magic was born.” For the next ten minutes the band members danced and swooned and arranged their props in geometric patterns They played “In the Light,” by Led Zeppelin I wished to touch the light of dreams and bring it before the eyes of day.” a seminal member of the Light and Space movement but its theme was a strange choice for a marching band If you want to express light and dreams and a Zen-like awakening why do it with two hundred high-school students blasting on horns and drums the more it chafed against the oddness of its art form A football field makes an imperfect theatre: the space is too big the stage painted with a giant helmet in the middle Yet designers have no choice but to embrace those limitations One of Avon High School’s color guard waits backstage at Lucas Oil Stadium Members of the Mustang High School color guard Marching-band shows are like opera: they can seem ridiculous to the uninitiated A brass section blaring about transcendence isn’t so different from a soprano caterwauling about love Both arts were born of physical challenges—How can a single voice be heard in a large theatre How can instruments carry across a stadium?—and both developed aesthetic rules of their own The more critics and judges rewarded their virtuosity and invention “We were born and bred to appreciate symmetry,” Michael Townsend Just marching in line or making an ‘X’ is cool Now we do it on the bias and make a weird line We started with symmetry and took the next step and the next and the next I spent an hour with Daniel Wiles at Avon High School watching a video of “Mondriesque.” The show started simply with five white cubes on the field and the band clustered around them The band’s formations split apart and twisted together The music went from unison lines to thunderous counterpoint slowly resolved into an exhilarating order “We have secondary and tertiary points of interest we move your eye where we want it to be,” Wiles said my job is to have you see what you hear and hear what you see.” Even armies had to stop marching in formation eventually William McNeill wrote in “Keeping Together in Time.” The Akkadians brought composite bows and shot up the Sumerian shield wall The Chinese climbed on horseback and rode roughshod over their enemy’s infantry The machine gun was invented and mowed down opposing regiments have taken to dodging and weaving across the field The arrows they’re avoiding now are just the judges’ pens The Grand National Championships ended as they had the year before: in a photo finish Avon for its choreography and other visual effects the two bands were less than a point apart—97.3 for Avon 96.35 for Carmel—with Broken Arrow and Tarpon Springs close behind we’re shaving hairs here,” the chief judge Carmel or Broken Arrow could have had a more expressive performance and they could have won.” The Marching Colonels were not among the finalists They had arrived at the Grand Nationals in a bit of a funk not sure that they’d make it out of the preliminary round They couldn’t afford a hotel in Indianapolis so they were bunking in a military base forty minutes south of town (Grayson Mack and two other trans students had to sleep in the girls’ barracks but Mack told me that he preferred it that way: “The smell in the boys’ barracks is just unbearable.”) The band’s first performance in Lucas Oil Stadium was a little shaky There were timing issues and marching miscues and the wireless microphones were still cutting out The woman beside me was recording her comments as she kept score and I could hear her ticking off problems as the show went along: “ you have to be really careful with the spatial relationship  Yet the band somehow slipped through to the semifinals and whirling their weapons in their Penthesilea outfits the whole band playing with fierce precision “I don’t know what happened,” Tim Gray told me afterward this is not the most talented group I’ve ever had the Marching Colonels were laughing and shouting Dutcher Howard was standing over by Utah Hartman a mellophone player whose parents raise goats and cattle in Bourbon County seeing everyone stand up in a ripple effect Half the stadium stood up!” Hartman couldn’t stop grinning his eyes opened so wide that he looked in shock “That was the best run I’ve ever had,” he said The medal ceremony that night was a surreal sight: more than three thousand band members crowded onto the field in candy-striped rows Bourbon County ended up placing second in its class—a triumph under the circumstances—just behind another Kentucky band But my favorite moment was earlier in the evening in the vast tunnels and rehearsal rooms around the field half a dozen bands were warming up—drumming and playing arpeggios as they waited for their turn to perform A trio of Elmer Fudds was hunched in conversation over here two orange bunnies giggling in a corner over there Some strays from the “Menagerie” show came wandering down the hall past a pair of water sprites from Broken Arrow and a few butterfly girls from Cypress It was like the world’s biggest costume party Marching-band contests aren’t like other competitions Even the biggest rivals root for one another The Grand Nationals seemed to bear this out The loudest cheers always came from the bands watching the shows and after the ceremony the Carmel and Avon players rushed over to hug each other you try to make the other team lose,” Grayson Mack told me you go out with this family you just spent six months sweating on the pavement with And then you see that it’s just one huge community Avon’s band celebrates winning first place at the Grand Nationals; its Indiana rival A long-ago crime, suddenly remembered A limousine driver watches her passengers transform The day Muhammad Ali punched me What is it like to be keenly intelligent but deeply alienated from simple emotions? Temple Grandin knows The harsh realm of “gentle parenting.”  Retirement the Margaritaville way Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light.”  Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. Phase 1 of construction on the Mountaineer Marching Band’s new practice facility is underway the “Pride of West Virginia” will begin practicing on a new artificial turf field with stadium lighting and easy access to parking and the PRT which will include a storage building and covered pavilion A dedicated fan of the band is matching the first $50,000 raised Give now. Located in Bozeman, MT For questions or comments contact the Ask Us Desk      D2L/Canvas      Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLONG BEACH (WLOX) - A local high school band is preparing to represent Mississippi in our nation’s capital The Long Beach High School marching band is one of 13 bands invited to the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade an annual festival to celebrate the arrival of spring in Washington D.C “It’s just further proof that hard work will go a long way,” band director Zachary Cannon said “One of our sayings in Long Beach is never let the circumstances dictate the outcome and we hold that to heart The students have spent the past months preparing for the event they believe this opportunity to be the biggest of their musical career “To be able to take this band to the next level especially going across the nation to our capital is a very meaningful experience,” said Isaac Spalding on Tuesday night and will perform on Saturday The parade is streaming on the festival’s YouTube page See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE I recently went to see the new musical “Suffs” with my family on Broadway It begins with female suffragists working together to organize the first Women’s March on Washington in 1913 and continues through the ratification of 19th Amendment giving women the constitutional right to vote This musical has been called the “Hamilton” of the women’s suffrage movement; the incredibly talented Shania Taub wrote the book It centers around Alice Paul and her lifelong commitment to equal rights including her drafting of and continued lobbying for the Equal Rights Amendment which she did not see ratified in her lifetime The musical shows the tensions between the various leaders in the movement and how they navigated different means to the same goal Alice Paul made great sacrifices in her personal life to put this call first and marched forward knowing that she would never see the fulfillment of all she was fighting for her character sings an incredibly moving song called “Worth It” where she questions the sacrifices in her personal life that she must make “What would my life look like if it was not so consumed by this?” Intrigued by this historical figure I spent some time researching what made Alice Paul live out this unconventional path for a woman of the early 20th century so boldly I came to find out that she had been raised in the Quaker tradition (and attended a Quaker university) in which one of the central tenets comes from Genesis 1:27: all are created in the image of God Her motivation to fight for equality derived from her faith background and her theological understanding propelled her to devote her life to bending the arc a little further toward justice As we move into a new year with a mix of emotions I have been thinking about how we can continue to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth through justice and the restoration of the hope of creation It seems overwhelming and heavy; how do we continue forward when equality and truth seem like they are evaporating in front of us The musical’s lyrics continue to resonate in my head Suffs captured an amazing story in American History and yet How can we change the scarcity mindset and explain that equality and freedom serve us as all How can we help people learn by listening to the stories of those who are different from them Do the small actions we take really make a difference How do we keep marching in our daily lives one of the ways that I am marching on is by answering God’s call on my life to become an ordained minister My primary area of service is to shepherd students to faith formation through theological education I have been on a path of discernment that has led me to lean into my strengths in teaching and work on completing a doctorate It is clear in my life that this is what I should be doing I want those who come after me to see that ministry can happen in non-traditional ways part of my ordination is saying “yes” for all those women who have gone before me that did not even have the opportunity to consider the question I think about the women featured in the Baptist Women in Ministry’s documentary Midwives of a Movement who tried faithfully to follow their call to ministry in the 1980s in Southern Baptist churches they continued to meet and push for the simple right for all Christians to follow the call that God has placed on their life Baptist organizations like the Alliance of Baptists and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship were formed that specifically endorsed and supported women in all types of ministry roles I went before a Baptist ordination council (in a Southern city) where my gender was essentially a non-issue; it was simply a piece of who I am and not a determining factor in my qualifications We know in our hearts that we cannot tackle every problem on our own but somewhere in our little wedge of influence we can find something that we are passionate about we can become so despondent that we end up doing nothing We should look to our communities to bolster us and join in the work together I have friends that volunteer at our church as tutors for ESL students One of my former middle school teaching colleagues was just sworn into the North Carolina House of Representatives and she will be a remarkable advocate for all the people in her district My sister and her family work with an organization that rescues and rehomes cats My mom visits church members in the hospital and homebound Anonymous church members endowed a scholarship for first-generation college students that literally change the life of one of my students after his funding fell through He was able to stay in college and pursue his STEM degree because of their generosity We need community to keep us moving forward Shaina Taub as Alice Paul in the Broadway priduction “Suffs: The Musical.” (photo courtesy of Joan Marcus) but it also started a conversation in the community about how to respond to a lack of suitable housing Is there a local organization that you can support with your time and resources Whose life is so different from yours that you need to stop and listen to their voice for a while we can choose to shut out the world and believe all is hopeless or we can be inspired by Alice Paul and keep marching Kamala Harris reiterated the need for the Equal Rights Amendment to be added to the Constitution since it has been ratified in the necessary number of states (even though it happened beyond the 1982 deadline Congress established for states to consider it) Alice Paul’s legacy continues as the next generation of women have picked up the banner and march it forward Sarah Blackwell is a contributing writer at Word&Way and a graduate of the Gardner-Webb School of Divinity. She teaches in the Religion and Philosophy Department at Wingate University and is a D.Min. student at McAfee School of Theology. Her intergenerational faith formation book, God is Here is available through Amazon and other online book retailers. Follow her writings at proximitytolove.org. Lyrics to the song “Keep Marching” from the Broadway “Musical Suffs” are written by Shania Taub (2024). The Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Association is thrilled to announce the 19 exceptional bands that will showcase their talents in the upcoming 137th Rose Parade® presented by Honda on January 1 With band visits by Tournament of Roses President Mark Leavens already underway bands have begun their fundraising efforts to prepare for this monumental event Leavens personally shared the exciting news with each band sparking reactions from pure joy to heartfelt tears and everything in between His genuine commitment to building relationships with these talented musicians shines through reflecting the spirit of this year’s theme “The Magic in Teamwork.” Leavens can’t wait to cheer them on as they work together and bring their collective talent to life on the road to the highly anticipated Rose Parade Bands from around the world—including Japan and Mexico—will make their way to Pasadena to take part in the iconic Rose Parade creating lifelong memories as they march down Orange Grove and Colorado boulevards The 2026 Rose Parade will feature a mix of beloved returning bands and exciting new groups ready to make their mark in Parade history it’s no surprise that community support for these performers is stronger than ever For details about the bands, we invite you to visit here! Bands are selected by a committee of the Association’s volunteer members based on various criteria and entertainment or special interest value Two bands will be added to the lineup when the universities participating in the 112th Rose Bowl Game® presented by Prudential are determined in December The 2026 Rose Parade bands are listed below Members of the Diamond Marching Band often meet for the first time at band camp but the bonds they form can last for decades after their marching days are over Watch and listen to the community that forms within the Diamond Marching Band while most students are off working summer internships or enjoying the last few weeks of vacation one group of Owls is already forming connections and working together in preparation for the approaching school year Members of Temple’s Diamond Marching Band often refer to their work as the pride of the cherry and white like welcoming students back to campus each year and providing a soundtrack for pep rallies and other university events The band can only do this work if they operate as a cohesive group—one family made up of members who can rely on one another Each August that family first gathers during band camp where the crucial teambuilding process begins “During band camp we spend a week together outside in the heat,” said secondary history education major Rowan Milne The week is packed full of activities—a scavenger hunt a performance for the football team—all of which help the band’s new and returning members grow closer “Bringing the band together is probably the most important thing we do at band camp,” said Matthew Brunner who has served as director of the Diamond Marching Band for 16 years “You can’t get 200 people to do all this work spend all this time together if they don’t have a connection with each other.”  Bonding with bandmates is especially crucial for incoming first-year and transfer students looking to find their footing at Temple her arrival on campus last summer came with mixed feelings about being in a new place for the first time But when she grabbed her saxophone and arrived at band camp she was welcomed by a community of people who share her same passion for music I realized that these are people that I can really connect with,” Spealman said and they understand where I am right now.”  still remembers how the band helped her adjust to Temple she looked forward to mentoring new members of the band “I had a few of the first-year students come up to me and ask It’s nice to have those resources available to you and it helps you adjust before the school year even starts,” Davis said “I gave one of the first-year members of the flute section a tour of Alter Hall to get to know these people in a way I probably wouldn’t have if not for the band.”  about 75% of Diamond Marching Band members are non-music-related majors Band members talk about how that diversity allows them to expand their social circle beyond the familiar faces of their school or college another valuable aspect of being in the band “The people make this band what it is,” Milne said “I have met some of my best friends here.”  “Most of my friends from the band are STEM majors they come from lots of different places,” Davis added it’s no surprise that the band brings together students from all corners of campus “Music is an important part of a lot of peoples’ lives,” he said “There is research that shows the benefits of performing music so I think it’s really important that students continue playing music in college I think it’s great that they can do so in a big energetic family like the Diamond Marching Band.”  The power of the Diamond Marching Band family is perhaps most on display during Homecoming weekend former marching band members are invited back for a halftime performance with the current band Brunner has watched the alumni turnout increase during his 16 years at Temple and more than 250 former members returned for alumni weekend in 2023 When asked about what keeps alumni coming back Brunner credits the lasting friendships that are formed through the band “They love meeting up with old friends they haven’t seen in a while,” he said “And it means the world to me to see so many of my former students come back.”  The Diamond Marching Band is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025. Part of that celebration will include a performance in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marking the band’s first appearance in the iconic annual holiday parade The Diamond Marching Band is one of just nine bands selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants to perform in the 99th edition of the parade “This could not have happened without all the hard work and dedication of the alumni of the band who came before,” Brunner said “Their skill and perseverance over the years have paved the way for the Diamond Band be part of the 2025 Macy’s Parade.”   The Diamond Marching Band isn’t just a staple on Temple’s campus The band has garnered attention worldwide—and gone viral—for its renditions of popular hits performances alongside celebrities and even an appearance in Martin Scorsese’s blockbuster The Wolf of Wall Street Here are a few times the band broke the internet Performance alongside Young Thug on Jimmy Fallon In the fall of 2019, the Diamond Marching Band took the stage with Young Thug and Gunna on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Members from Temple’s band and the rappers performed “Hot” in promotion of Young Thug’s forthcoming album at the time In the late summer of 2013, the Diamond Marching Band embarked on a trip to Manhattan for a performance on ABC’s Good Morning America The band marched around anchors on the set of the show while performing “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke and “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake The Diamond Marching Band was featured in a 2013 Rolling Stone list of “10 Mind-Blowing College Marching Band Cover Songs” for its halftime cover of “All of the Lights” by Kanye West Rolling Stone described the performance as “loud enough to fill a stadium.”  Next time you watch The Wolf of Wall Street or the 2014 remake of Annie, keep an eye out for members of the Diamond Marching Band appearing on set next to movie stars including Leonardo Di Caprio Temple Now: The official source for Temple news.Copyright 2015 the Spartan Marching Band was known for its iconic green-and-white uniforms The latter changed in 1972 when the band recruited its first two female members feature twirler Beth Mlynarek and alto saxophonist Lynne Charbonneau Judy Peterson became the first woman to become part of the drumline in 1975.  Anthropology junior Jenna Wesley joined the Spartan Marching Band during her sophomore year at MSU.  Wesley’s passion for the Spartan Marching Band comes from her father Although she’d spent the first ten years of her life in northern California Wesley’s father often played old records and tapes of his time at MSU he’d occasionally interrupt with "That’s me!" or the inevitable "You have to go there." Once she began taking drum lessons at eight Wesley would become the first woman to be appointed drumline section leader for the Spartan Marching Band.  "To get in at all was really exciting for me," Wesley said (but) I didn’t think that I would get it or anything."  When the decisions for section leaders came out Wesley had been folding laundry in her bedroom The TV was still on when her phone lit up with the email notification that confirmed her new role Wesley wasn’t even the first to break the news to her loved ones cymbal section leader Anna Scholes had been the first to text a groupchat with Wesley and cymbal squad leader Brooke Ringstad Scholes and Ringstad had both been on the same email Wesley received that confirmed their own positions.  The email had instructions to not share the news but the trio ended up telling each other before Wesley even told her parents "There’s never been a woman drumline section leader before and it's really cool to have that be one of my best friends." Scholes also comes from a line of Spartan Marching Band alums Scholes didn’t realize she wanted to continue the "lineage" until January of her senior year of high school.  She’d attended one of the marching band’s help sessions over winter break There wasn’t a specific moment where Scholes realized she wanted to join "Seeing all the people that were already in the band "It was such a family community that I was like I don’t know where else I’m gonna get that." Maintaining and nurturing that sense of community is one of her main objectives for the upcoming marching season She hopes that having more female representation will help newcomers feel a "sense of comfort" and like someone is "vouching" for them.  Ringstad will be working closely with Scholes to bring that vision to life.  "I want everyone to get what they came there for but also being really good at what they do," Ringstad said "I want to make sure … that they have the resources they need to make it as less stressful as possible." While there have been female cymbal section and squad leaders before Scholes and Ringstad have become part of the greater movement toward more female leadership in drumline but drumline specifically just always seems to have the majority of men," Ringstad said.  Scholes recalled being told "Welcome to the fraternity" by a Spartan alum upon making it into the band.  "It’s really weird mix of I feel accepted but also it’s not quite the same." Scholes said guys are the "expectation." There’s a tendency to expect someone bigger to carry the weight of the instruments traditionally used.  Wesley doesn’t think the wait for a female drumline section leader has been "intentional." "I don’t think that sex has a lot to do with it it’s just harder to make it to this level," Wesley said "Not that they make it harder for women at all but there’s not that many of us that go for it." The drumline isn’t the only part of the band to be making progress on the leadership front Criminal justice junior Holly Bertram has also been named the first female tuba section leader.  "It’s heavily guy-dominated and there is some history of it not being the most polite to women We (have) finally gotten over this barrier and I can finally Bertram had learned she could be the first woman to lead the tubas before the audition process began last fall The realization was borne out of personal curiosity while acting as squad leader for the tubas.  Bertram hopes the 2025 season will mark the beginnings of "a great shift." "I’m just hoping that people aren’t afraid," Bertram said "People can look at me and won’t think they’re too small for tuba We always get 'They’re too small for tuba.'" Bertram is also the first lesbian to be section leader for the tubas Her co-section leader for the upcoming season is also part of the LGBTQ+ community a shared trait that she hopes will also be part of a "shift" in the band’s demographics.  "I want to make it known that that’s another thing we don’t have to be afraid of," Bertram said Although it took effort to achieve their new titles they were not immediately recognized for their collective accomplishments.  had been unaware that Wesley had made history until she became curious and asked It was then announced that Wesley was the first woman to become drumline section leader during the band’s banquet in January.  "You should know if you’re going to be the first woman "If you’re going to be the first of something Share and discuss “MSU marching band makes history with increase in female leadership” on social media The Caldwell University Marching Band began in the fall of 2017 It is an instrumental ensemble of about 25 students and is directed by Prof The students who participate in the marching band include music majors The marching band consists of instrumentalists The Marching Band performs at the football games For more information email Rebecca Vega, director.Phone: 973-618-3446 Caldwell University does not discriminate on the basis of race or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in administration of its educational policies and athletic and other school-administered programs Try a different filter or a new search keyword music has served important and enduring social functions Because it organizes time around tempo and rhythm it’s a tremendous tool for coordinating the movement of groups of people The first thing that idea might bring to mind is dance music has been used to organize armies on the parade ground and battlefield Armies used to march and maneuver to the beat of drums and signals and commands were conveyed across distances by bugles are some of the oldest kinds of ensembles for public music performances Marches are integrated into the entirety of Western music: Mozart and Mahler wrote marches because they heard them via bands and soldiers passing through public squares John Phillip Sousa wrote famous marches to be played while heading down the street or with the ensemble static in a gazebo marches and brass band music are essential to wedding celebrations in the Balkans and public celebrations and funerals in New Orleans These are ancient traditions that are as modern as any other contemporary music and other instruments added isn’t confined to just keeping feet on one beat or playing “The Stars and Stripes Forever”; such groups can play whatever they set their imaginations to wild world of brass and marching band music on Bandcamp brass bands were how people heard music from outside their own social and cultural worlds didn’t have the opportunity to hear their original music Into that space came brass band arrangements of shorter classical pieces and excerpts from operas The stylish Panorama band gives us a throwback to what that was like with this sweet little arrangement of the famous Sicilienne waltz composed by Gabrial Fauré in 1893 Down in New Orleans, trumpeter Leroy Jones is dedicated to keeping the brass band tradition alive he presents some of the repertoire from a brass band he was originally part of in the 1970s (and which became one of the foundations for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band) A band like this can turn anything into a march; in this track’s case it’s a classic 1937 swing tune from singer With people from all over the world passing through great port cities like New Orleans cook up a multicultural stew of music Jazz came out of the city from a mix of blues So here comes a Spanish brass band from Madrid hip version of modern brass band music back to American ears it just rarely made it onto records through most of the 20th century and those recordings were mostly of the anthropological/ethnomusicological variety Concord Jazz decided to record the Dirty Dozen Brass Band They became a staple on the extended jazz concert circuit And if you want to know where The Roots get their unique sound One of the great contemporary brass bands hails from New York City, formed by seven sons of the late jazz trumpeter (and former Sun Ra Arkestra member) Kelan Phil Cohran This is post-hip-hop brass band music with punchy beats Their fantastic sound has them in demand with some of the leading hip-hop and R&B artists Another New York City brass band that has more than a little punk in it—they call themselves a “post-apocalyptic disco-punk brass band.” “Kill Yr Idols” shares a title with a Sonic Youth track but this is original music from Phil Andrews a veteran brass band scene player who writes their material like all the best parts of American culture but until the rap comes in and you hear the accent it’s easy to mistake them for the best from New Orleans or New York warm sound have a universal appeal that anyone can pick up and play This is a 24-piece ensemble that captures the best of the Balkan brass band style. It’s a battle between the Romanian ensemble Fanfare Ciocarlia and Serbian trumpeter Boban Markovic and his Orkestar who made frequent appearances in films by director Emir Kusturica They meet less as rivals than collaborators absolutely blowing away the listener with the frenetic rhythms and energy that are particular to the brass music from this part of the world A staple from Massachusetts with a hefty discography, Emperor Norton’s band is a seriously tongue-in-cheek (and musically serious) mix of New Orleans and Balkan brass bands, klezmer music circus music (another place to hear great brass band music) and “a tasteful thrash of metal thrown in for good measure.” They may be stationary Members of the Cavalier Marching Band rehearse for five hours before each pregame and halftime show. (Photo illustration by John DiJulio, University Communications; photos by Matt Riley, University Communications) Some Saturday mornings during the fall semester at the University of Virginia, more than 200 students wake up before sunrise – and well before many of their peers – for home football games. They aren’t on the team, nor are they necessarily football fanatics. They are members of the Cavalier Marching Band. “It’s just incredible,” said Lara Forstner, a fourth-year student and drum major in the Cavalier Marching Band. On home game days, the band members spend roughly 10 hours working, from early morning rehearsals, to the “Wahoo Walk,” to performing pre-game and halftime shows to hauling their equipment from Scott Stadium. Practice starts about five hours before game time. [♪ Cavalier Marching Band performs “The Cavalier Song” ♪] being a band member can feel like having a part-time job: Students spend about 20 hours rehearsing the music and choreography (which marching band members call “drill”) for the upcoming game That level of commitment might lead someone to assume band members devote all their time Of the Cavalier Marching Band’s 216 members and many of those study music as a second subject Members of the Cavalier Marching Band study in more than 80 academic areas “If you have an aerospace engineering student who is head down in the books and really focused on being the world’s next best aerospace engineer this is an outlet for them – for expression While Forstner isn’t an engineering student she participates in rotations at UVA Health University Medical Center and Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital When she isn’t in marching band rehearsals or learning how to care for patients Forstner works at the Aquatic & Fitness Center and serves the Charlottesville community as vice president for musicianship of Kappa Kappa Psi But she loves performing – that’s why she is a band leader for the drum majors Lara Forstner and Justin Abel each credit the Cavalier Marching Band with helping them find community “We just genuinely enjoy what we do,” Forstner said “It’s an incredible thing to be able to perform for thousands of people at a football game.” a fourth-year student and section leader for the trombones Cavalier Marching Band has been a source of comfort and community When he first stepped on Grounds for band camp the summer before his first year But he had loved playing in his high school marching band A small sliver of marching band members study music you immediately have 200 people that want to be your friends Abel stays busy as an economics and systems engineering double major While he sometimes wishes he had a little more time to study as the semester goes on he doesn’t regret the time he spends in rehearsals and performing “Even if there are rehearsals where I’m not really in the mood you’re always glad you stuck with it,” Abel said Because he loves “playing loud” and taking part in the community around the marching band Abel says it has become central to his UVA experience from study tips to reminders to wash their sheets every two weeks It’s knowledge that more senior members of the Cavalier Marching Band pass down every year to the newest members of the marching band 10-day period of rehearsals before the start of classes every year the marching band features baton twirlers like Madison Salber it was huge,” Forstner said of her first rehearsal It was where she met people who she says will be lifelong friends Forstner and Abel share a favorite memory of their three years in the Cavalier Marching Band: running out from the tunnel at Scott Stadium for their first pregame show “It’s one of the coolest things we do,” Abel said you’re sprinting out of the tunnel at full tilt.” Boise State student Eston Hall was studying abroad at Saarland University in Saarbrücken Hall has experience in almost every facet of the College of Arts and Sciences He is a Spanish secondary education major and a German minor He was also a clarinetist in the Blue Thunder Marching Band Hall’s placement in Saarbrücken was fortuitous His host family lived next to Kurt Weidmann the band director at the nearby Kaiserslautern High School Kaiserslautern serves children of American servicemembers in the region and Weidmann was hoping to expand the school’s musical offerings to include a marching band Weidmann learned about Hall’s marching band experience through his host family and quickly reached out to enlist Hall as a subject matter expert seeing the opportunity as a “side quest” during his time in Germany Hall and Weidmann worked to develop the incipient marching band program at Kaiserslautern High School Hall used his experience in the Blue Thunder Marching Band to draw up a K-shaped formation for the Kaiserslautern marchers to use on field He also visited band practices to students proper marching band posture and teach the basics of on-field movement – essentials for students who had only played in concert halls until then “Beyond displaying Eston’s skills at marching band techniques this unique moment shows how intercultural competencies arise when one least expects it,” said Beret Norman German section head in the Department of World Languages “Eston’s love of music helped him create a bridge of experience for high schoolers in Germany.” the volunteer work may have been a side quest and a small opportunity to help out But for students at Kaiserslautern High School the marching band deployed their first on-field formation in their homecoming football game versus Lakenheath High School “The most exciting band in the land” shaped the band director careers of these two alumni who went viral in an OHIO Homecoming TikTok The Marching 110 at Ohio University is more than just a college band—it's a family that continues to inspire and connect musicians long after graduation. A TikTok video featuring the Alumni Band at Homecoming went viral sparking conversations and heartfelt reactions from current and past members Among the alumni featured were Marc Zirille and Lauren Domenick both of whom are now band directors in Ohio schools The video not only celebrated their time in the 110 but also highlighted the deep bonds formed during their years in the band reflected on her reaction when she saw the video go viral our students are going to love this!' It felt great to see the Marching 110 featured so prominently on the university’s account," she says the video wasn’t just a fun moment—it was an opportunity to show her students the power of community and music The impact of the 110 extends far beyond performances; it shapes the way alumni like Domenick and Zirille approach teaching and mentoring the next generation of musicians dedication and emphasis on entertaining a crowd all came from my time in the Marching 110," said Domenick incorporating popular music and full band dance routines to engage students in the same way she was once inspired Her students’ reaction to the TikTok was one of pride joking how their teacher is now TikTok famous The video had quickly become a point of pride as several of them went on to join the Marching 110 after high school Domenick’s experience in the 110 continues to influence her teaching philosophy and the drive to entertain—are things I pass on to my students every day," she says and accountability that come with being part of a band "Music is the medium through which we get to teach all the other skills of being a good person," Domenick added the Marching 110 is more than just a band—it’s a lifelong community and celebrate each other," Domenick explains whether it’s performing at iconic events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or the first NFL game after 9/11 That connection has led to hundreds of alumni returning to Homecoming each year to relive the excitement of performance and to reconnect with those who became their family The Marching 110’s ability to foster such strong and lasting connections between alumni is what truly sets it apart.  Domenick echos the 110's fostered connection. "You have hundreds of alumni that return each year to feel the rush of performance and catch up with friends who have become family."  © 2025 Ohio University The FAMU marching band competed against the North Carolina A&T State University Blue & Gold Marching Machine Friday in a Red Lobster Band of the Year event at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta where the competition was held ahead of the Cricket Celebration Bowl "Speechless, humbled and proud of our amazing Marching 100 band students and staff on an extraordinary performance tonight during the 2024 Band of the Year in Atlanta," FAMU Band Director Shelby Chipman said in a Facebook post Friday don't leave nothing for chance during this 'One Shot' experience Special kudos to the number one band staff in the world." Red Lobster – a restaurant chain famously known for its "Cheddar Bay Biscuits" – was the first-time sponsor of this year's event which is a season-long competition where marching band halftime shows are judged and ranked by a panel of experts monthly to determine which bands will move on to Division I and Division II conferences While FAMU's Marching 100 won the Division I conference the Miles College Purple Marching Machine from Alabama won the 2024 ESPN Division II Band of the Year contest against the Virginia State University Trojan Explosion marching band The Marching 100's victory came on the same day as FAMU's Friday commencement ceremony for the fall 2024 graduating class he also said he shed tears while heading back to Tallahassee Friday night to celebrate graduating band members in the university's Saturday graduation event at the Lawson Center Related news: FSU, FAMU celebrate thousands of graduates with fall commencement ceremonies "The band is coming home to the 'Band of Every Year,' " the university said in a Friday Instagram post Over a thousand social media users commented to compliment and congratulate the band "brilliantly orchestrated and masterfully rehearsed," while another said that "every show that we witnessed in person or viewed digitally was impeccable Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_ a celebration dedicated to honoring musicians and composers worldwide who perform in the marching arts This day pays tribute to the music genre that has become a staple at football games and parades band director at Hidden Valley High School highlights the multifaceted benefits of participating in a marching band “It really gives kids a chance to be a part of a team and achieve high levels of musicianship,” he said athleticism because it does take a lot of endurance and muscular strength to pull off a marching band show.” many have taken to social media to share their experiences in marching bands Do you have an amazing marching band photo or video? Submit your photos and videos on Pin It for a chance to see it online or on TV! Copyright 2025 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Internships at WSLS 10 Careers at WSLS 10 Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 WSLS.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group Jon Lewis Photographs of the United Farm Workers Movement most of them Mexican American and Filipino set out on foot from the small town of Delano bound for the state capital in Sacramento 280 miles to the north As they passed through the dusty highways and farming communities of the Central Valley all drawn to the remote regions of California in support of the farmworker struggle the farmworkers and their growing number of supporters marched to shine a light on the conditions in the fields exerting pressure on growers and government officials to finally take action By the time the march concluded in Sacramento a landmark victory for the farmworkers and the beginning of what was not only a labor movement but a cause—la causa—demanding for farmworkers the fundamental rights and freedoms to which other American workers were entitled The 1966 farmworker march was not only a part of the farmworkers’ struggle for justice; it was a key moment in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s The farmworkers who marched from Delano to Sacramento represented the large composed overwhelmingly of people of color whose labor made California’s thriving agricultural industry possible Although their labor produced fortunes from the soil they were subjected to poor wages and working conditions Farmworkers also experienced legal and illegal discrimination economic inequality and social injustice went hand in hand farmworkers successfully overcame the entrenched power structures of California agriculture Their movement challenged some of the most powerful people and corporations in the state demonstrating a remarkable resilience and ingenuity on the path from Delano to Sacramento Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go The UCF Marching Knights are making history today as they represent the University of Central Florida the band has been performing at historic landmarks across Ireland in the days leading up to the grand event the Marching Knights have spent the weekend entertaining Irish residents and even the Mayor of Dublin with their powerhouse performances in front of epic Irish castles and other landmark locations in the “Emerald Isle.” The band’s combination of precision and passion has captivated audiences throughout the country building anticipation for their highly anticipated parade performance today the Marching Knights—affectionately and reverently known as the MK to UCF students and alumni—are making it happen with the incredible support of the all-volunteer Marching Knights Parents Group Their dedication ensures that this unforgettable journey is not just possible but a truly seamless and extraordinary experience for every band member this international journey is a life-changing experience Among them is Junior Tenor Sax Player and Positively Osceola staff videographer who shared his excitement about representing UCF on a global stage “Every Marching Knight understands that we are representing one of the largest and best universities in the United States and it’s made me even more proud to be a Marching Knight.” The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is set to begin at 8:30 AM EST, and fans back home in Florida can watch it live via this link:📺 Watch Here: St. Patrick’s Day Parade Livestream The UCF Marching Knights continue to uphold a legacy of excellence showcasing their talent and school spirit on an international stage Their participation in this historic event not only highlights their musical prowess but also reinforces UCF’s presence on a global scale #UCFMarchingKnights #ChargeOn #StPatricksDayParade #DublinIreland #ProudToBeAKnight Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress The next stop for “The Pride of West Virginia” is New York City The Mountaineer Marching Band will perform in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade which starts at 8:30 a.m a senior biology major and tuba player from Morgantown for an inside look at what it means to go from the Mountain State to the global stage Watch The Pride’s Journey to Macy’s, Episode 4. For the members of “The Pride,” it’s more than just a saying It’s a way of getting through hot days on asphalt rainy days at games and long practice sessions in between See what life is like for these members as we follow four students from fall band camp all the way to the streets of New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Watch the previously released The Pride’s Journey to Macy’s, Episode 1. Watch the previously released The Pride’s Journey to Macy’s, Episode 2. Watch the previously released The Pride’s Journey to Macy’s, Episode 3. Read more in the WVUToday Mountaineer Spotlight. Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. For more information, please see our University Websites Privacy Notice The home of the New England Patriots will get a taste of Husky spirit on Sunday when the UConn Marching Band makes the trip to Foxborough for a halftime performance The Patriots host the Houston Texans for the Oct and marching band members say they could not be more excited to represent UConn with a mix of classic and current songs and then perform out there is super exciting,” says Allan Lian ‘25 (BUS) analytics and information management major explained his role as the “musical and motivational leader” of the group Some of his responsibilities include conducting Lian stands atop a ladder and helps conduct the band making sure all the members are playing in time He is no stranger to playing in an NFL stadium with the UConn Marching Band in an exhibition for a national high school marching band competition in 2021 the Patriots game will be a brand-new experience a clarinet player and new member representative for the marching band has never played a stadium bigger than Rentschler Field She says she usually gets nervous before performances and will be more anxious than normal for the Patriots game “I get nervous before performances all the time But I also know that a lot of people around me support me and so I feel as if that support really anchors me and helps me get the nerves down,” says Hazen Band members are excited about the performance The band has seven minutes on and off the field to perform The performance will be a combination of the pregame and postgame shows the Huskies play at UConn games One major difference for the students to learn is the layout of the field “Something we think about often is our performance surface,” says McManus “A college field has different hash marks than an NFL field So those are reference points that we have to prepare for McManus says they will rehearse by using spray chalk to simulate NFL field markings on the practice field in Storrs so the formations are to the correct spots at Gillette The performance has been planned since July It is the first time the UConn Marching Band will play an NFL game since a Buffalo Bills game in 1996 UConn has the largest collegiate marching band to play at halftime at Gillette in recent history McManus says that UMass and Boston College have played in the last few years and UConn is the most recent to receive an invite we were kind of the next group they wanted to reach out to to represent another aspect of New England,” McManus says McManus says he got an email from the Patriots in July and the scheduling process was “pretty easy.” McManus attributes this invitation to “the visibility of the program.” He explains that it is more difficult to build a marching band in New England compared to band programs in the South or Midwest where football’s roots in the community generally run deeper than parts of New England The hard work has paid off: there are over 300 students in the marching band with more than 100 of them being new members Only 15-20%of the band’s members are music majors the performance will mean a lot of hard work and careful organization Getting equipment ready for the performance will be quite the process The band takes seven full coach buses to fit all the musicians and staff There are also two box trucks and a sprinter van for equipment the band will have to go through standard security procedures; metal detectors The payoff will be the opportunity to perform for a crowd of nearly 65,000 The band members say they’re especially eager for one particular part of the performance: running out of the tunnel “I’m excited to feel the energy in an NFL stadium,” says Lian McManus has more plans for the band to perform on bigger stages He says the band was recently invited to play at the closing banquet of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony “We’re the first band to be invited since COVID,” says McManus “They’ve been apparently trying to get us for a while and had us in mind.” McManus says the program has also applied for the 2026 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Match Recap: Women's Tennis | 3/1/2025 3:11:00 PM | Jared Pine Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Nov 8, 2024 | , , , , All four of Leander ISD’s 5A high school bands — Cedar Park Leander and Rouse — competed at the UIL State Marching Band Championships from Nov the Cedar Park High School Marching Band earned the State Champion title The Rouse High School Band earned the Silver Medalist title and the Leander High School Band earned the Bronze Medalist title — making for a #1LISD sweep at the podium rose through the ranks to earn 16th place overall out of 38 total competing bands “Our 5A bands represented their schools and communities at the highest level this week,” said Mike Howard “The hard work and dedication by the students staff and hundreds of parent volunteers is a testament to a strong commitment of service and excellence within #1LISD.” Leander ISD’s bands wowed hundreds of spectators — and the judges — with their performances Cedar Park High School Band’s “The Cutting Edge” Glenn High School Band’s “City Cycle” Leander High School Band’s “Shades” and Rouse High School’s “Opus 78” were a clear display of the musical talent we cheer on the Vandegrift and Vista Ridge High School Bands as they compete at the 6A UIL State Marching Band Championships from Nov The official Leander ISD Instagram account | #1LISD ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " The Seminole High School Warhawk Marching Band will perform in the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena marking the third time the band will be part of the annual event The students will represent Florida in the 136th Rose Parade as the reigning Class 4A state champions which is a title they earned in November at the Florida Marching Band Championship More than 130 students spent the past year rehearsing and raising $3,000 each for the trip "The students are absolutely thrilled," said band director Gerard Madrinan it’s an honor to be a part of this time-honored tradition To be able to perform on a national stage means so much to our school and community." He said the students have been preparing for the 105-degree turn onto Colorado Boulevard and rehearsing the two parade tunes: "Rock Around the Clock" and "Gangnam Style." "Both pieces feature full dance choreography in addition to marching in the parade block Balancing the Rose Parade repertoire and our competitive marching season has been a blast," Madrinan said He was also there when the school participated in the Rose Bowl parade in 2005 and 2013 Madrinan is an alumnus from the Class of 1999 has been a part of the program for 23 years and has been serving as director for the past decade He said the parade has taught them so much about American tradition and the importance of civic and community engagement "While the students enjoy their district evaluations and competitions the opportunity to march in this nationally televised parade has brought our community together both from a performance and fundraising point of view," Madrinan said "Our biggest hope is that our students will have memories that will last a lifetime Their participation in the Rose parade is not only a performance opportunity but the chance to represent the city of Seminole Pinellas County schools and the Sunshine State." The parade's 20 invited bands are selected by volunteers in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association NBC will televise the 5½ -mile parade from 11 a.m The event features its traditional floral-covered floats that are judged in the annual Tournament of Roses For those keeping track, the Seminole band is the 46th of the 83 parade units. It will follow the Louisiana tourism float, a performance by country artist Timothy Wayne and the Rotary float, according to the Pasadena Star-News which is hosting a College Football Playoff quarterfinal between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks “I like to say I have four moms,” Torres said lovingly Torres recalled a time when he was particularly affected by this reality Torres’ experience is exactly why the Goin' Band Association has made scholarship support a cornerstone of its mission for student success.  Donors, Impact, Students, Talkington Visual & Performing Arts, Theme-On & On, Why Now, Why You Despite its storied reputation and cultural significance to Florida A&M University the Marching 100 faces financial challenges impacting scholarships travel opportunities and overall resources said the issue is with the band’s leadership and how the university allocates its funds “It’s not really a staff problem with scholarships,” Dixon said They don’t give us enough funding to match how big the band has become we’ve been receiving the same amount of scholarship money but the band has grown… to nearly 300 [members].” The university must prioritize funding across academics and the band often finds itself at a disadvantage the Marching 100 relies heavily on donations and external sponsorships The funding issues have forced some students to make difficult decisions about their participation Dixon shared that several of his peers have had to step away from the band due to scholarship reductions and band responsibilities financially impossible has felt the weight of these financial struggles but a lot of people—maybe the majority of the band have faced a 50% decrease in their scholarships,” Davidson said “My scholarship went from $2,400 to $1,300 and now I have to take out loans just to get by.” The Marching 100 is expected to be at every event but Davidson says it does not match up to the financial support These constraints have also affected the band’s ability to travel for away games and national performances the Marching 100 has performed at major events including NFL games and battles of the bands this season has seen a steep decline in travel opportunities we went to Houston for the Pepsi Battle of the Bands we performed in Miami for the Orange Blossom Classic and traveled to multiple states for games,” said clarinet player Janelle Wesley we were only able to attend one away game because there wasn’t enough money to cover buses Davidson added that the financial burden of traveling with a band of their size is massive “It takes about $250,000 just to take the full band to an away game,” she explained Both Davidson and Wesley emphasized the deep pride they feel in being part of the Marching 100 and their commitment to keeping the legacy alive “There is no better feeling than stepping onto that field but actual resources to ensure this program continues to thrive.” The band has raised awareness about its financial needs by promoting donation drives and encouraging alumni contributions through the FAMU Band website Yusuf Whitaker and Paris Cornelius Whitaker Gracie Weimorts Howard and Chandler Howard Sara Trotman Womack and son Mason Womack with Tim Alexander William Adam Foster and Kara Miller Foster Letisha Samuel Scott as a Blazerette in 2000-2001 The UAB Marching Blazers is now a family affair The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s marching band is looking back on its first 30 years this season Some familiar faces will be on the field this Saturday as the Marching Blazers celebrate Alumni Band Day when past band members are invited to march with the current band for Homecoming halftime More than a few members over the years can thank the band program for finding their love match Two freshmen whose parents were Marching Blazers Majors and degrees for these historic Blazers include music Find your degree at uab.edu/degrees/.  “We have had a wonderful history of people meeting their significant others in the UAB Marching Blazers over the years,” Fambrough said “At least 30 couples have met as a result of participating in the band at UAB — although a few knew each other previously.” Randy Johns played trombone and Tracy Avery was a majorette for the Marching Blazers’ first season They met just before Homecoming and got engaged in December 1994 they came back to march and were married during football season on Nov “We actually had at least three Marching Blazers show up to our reception in uniform.” “I was one of the original members of the 1994 Marching Blazers under Ski Winter’s direction I was a 28-year-old student who went to college after working a job right out of high school joined and became the first-ever legacy band member also became a legacy member playing trombone begins his legacy UAB marching career (trombone) and I anticipate he will do so for four years as well.” Youngest son Zane Sara Trotman Womack and Sean Womack met in drumline rehearsal for the Marching Blazers in summer 1996 mentioned to Sean that I thought he was cute,” Sarah said There was a band party after rehearsal that weekend “We talked for hours in the parking lot of the rehearsal area We dated for six years and finally got married on June 1 Sean also met his business partner in the Marching Blazers he and Brad Palmer owned DoubleStop Percussion a percussion education company that contracted with schools to teach drumlines and percussion ensembles. Sean is a first-generation college student who is in the Alabama Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and owned a music store in Homewood for nearly 50 years is a UAB alum and was part of the UAB Band Dads movement My mom worked at UAB Highlands as a nurse anesthetist Rhian Scott Letisha Samuel Scott and her daughter “I was a Blazerette for the 2000-2001 season I later transferred and finished my undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama I received my master’s degree in nursing from UAB in 2011 is a freshman trumpet player majoring in art Her love of music inspired her to be part of the marching band this meant we would both share the UAB Marching Blazer tradition.” Paris Cornelius Whitaker and Yusuf Whitaker  “We met on a band trip to Orlando our freshman year 2010 and married in August so we could get our honeymoon in before band camp.” Paris Whitaker graduated in 2014 with her bachelor’s degree in early childhood elementary education Yusuf Whitaker graduated with his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2018 and master’s degree in structural engineering in 2020 Dustin Duncan was part of the marching and concert bands in 2004 when his future wife “We just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary,” she said Sarah Lusk Schmiedl and Alan Schmiedl met at band camp 2006 and Alan is still actively involved in the music field ‘Pershing’s Own,’ as an audio engineer,” Sarah said Yusuf and Paris Whitaker with their daughtersCourtney Walker McDowell and Adam McDowell met in the music department at UAB in spring 2006 and were in the marching band together from 2006-2009 even marching in Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps together in summer 2007 “We got engaged in December 2009 after our last season to march together I marched again in 2010; but he was completing his last semester as a student teacher that fall before we got married He is now a band director with Leeds City Schools Julie Mari Freeman and Jay Freeman both traveled with the band to Ireland in 2013 but did not meet each other until later They were friends for a year or two when Jay wrote and recorded a song for his final project in Computer Music and showed it to her Julie said: “I had a sneaking suspicion that it was about me but he didn’t tell me.” It was a few months later when he finally revealed his feelings while they were playing a Blazer Band gig “We enjoyed being together during band functions He was drum major that year and I was section leader We were together for four years before we got married in 2019 Gracie Weimorts Howard and Chandler Howard met in the drumline in 2016 and I was a drum line section leader,” Chandler said. “We started dating as sophomores in 2017 during band camp and got married in May 2022.” “Melody was named so because of our mutual love for music and how UAB’s band brought us together,” Thomas said Kara Miller Foster and William Adam Foster with son and daughterKrista Lashley Connelly and Joel Connelly met in band in 2009 After a year of getting to know each other “We got married in 2013 just after I graduated from UAB,” Krista said “He still plays his instrument and is a member of the 313th Army Band Kara Miller Foster and William Adam Foster are both former Marching Blazers who married and have two children Megan Stumpff Ramirez and William Ramirez met in band and have been married 12 years Hayley Kennedy Coleman and Jevon Coleman met in the Marching Blazers and got to know each other through Kappa Kappa Psi “Jevon was baritone section leader and president of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity at the time We’ve been married since 2017 and we have two kids Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMADISON (WMTV) - Valentine’s Day has come and gone but UW-Madison is sharing the unique love story of one Madison couple UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Association put a call out for former Badgers to share their love stories The organizations said they would share a new love story each day leading up to Valentine’s Day met at UW-Madison in 2020 when they were both in the UW Marching Band together Sam was an incoming freshman when he messaged Savanna on Instagram about auditioning for the UW Marching Band during COVID “I was like ‘where do I start?’ So I went to the UW Marching Band Instagram page,” Sam said “I clicked on their last post and I looked through all the people who had liked it and I clicked on the first person who I saw that was wearing a marching band uniform and it just happened to be Savanna,” he laughed “So I sent her an Instagram message and I was like ‘Hey I don’t know anything about the marching band can I ask you a few questions?’ So that’s kind of where we were first introduced to each other.” Sam proposed to Savanna during Fifth Quarter the student section was definitely going to storm the field so I was like ‘please lose.’ I feel bad saying that as a Badger fan but yeah The Badgers lost to the Gophers in the annual border battle rivalry game ”You could tell on her face she was like ‘Oh my gosh this is happening.’ So then I got on one knee It was really cool because you could see it on the jumbotron too,” Sam said Savanna had no idea he was going to pop the question in the middle of the football field I was expecting he was going to wait longer until both of us were graduated,” she said Sam said about 75 percent of the band knew he was going to propose “But Savanna didn’t (know) and that was the ultimate goal,” he said Sam and Savanna have now been married for over a year They said they got married during a big snowstorm in Madison last January which makes this snowy Valentine’s Day weekend even more fitting to celebrate their love Both Sam and Savanna now attend UW for graduate school Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app We use cookies on this site. By continuing to browse without changing your browser settings to block or delete cookies, you agree to the UW-Platteville Privacy Policy. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville marching band will be performing at Lambeau Field on Sunday 20 when the Green Bay Packers play the Houston Texans This is a rare opportunity for band members whose numbers are estimated to be between 170-180 this season I try to take the band on a trip to perform outside of Platteville,” said Gregg it is a priority to promote UW-Platteville and the Marching Pioneers by getting them in front of as many people as possible.” This is Gregg’s third time taking the band to Lambeau though he believes the Marching Pioneers have performed in Green Bay less than ten times in all the band needs to be very selective of its song choices They plan to play “Rock Me Tonite,” “It Had Better Be Tonight,” from their first season show “There is no other experience that compares to leading those young performers onto Lambeau Field to play for 80,000 fans TV cameras and dozens of NFL players,” said Gregg “This is something they will remember for the rest of their lives Get ready to kick off the Tropical Heatwave with an electrifying performance by the Gulfport Gecko Amalgamated Marching Band Starting at 5:30 PM on May 10th at the Cuban Club Get ready to experience an incredible lineup featuring 12 bands across 3 electrifying stages this dynamic group of volunteer musicians will set the stage on fire leading the way for an unforgettable night of music with a lineup of 12 bands across three stages Nothing better to start an exciting night than with the energy of great music and powerful music create a visually stunning and exhilarating performance that engages the audience from start to finish Expect the unexpected with the Gulfport Gecko – a wild and talented ensemble whose energy is contagious and we can’t wait for them to drum up the excitement once again With their incredible music and infectious energy the Tampa Bay community is fortunate to have them Leading the Gulfport Gecko Amalgamated Marching Band is Toffer Ross who emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and representation especially in today’s challenging political climate Despite only about 10% of the band members identifying as LGBTQ+ they proudly participate in Pride events and numerous parades throughout the year spreading a message of acceptance and unity Marching bands often serve as cultural ambassadors for their communities They bring people together from diverse backgrounds and ages and the Gulfport Gecko Amalgamated Marching Band is the perfect example of this The Gulfport Gecko Amalgamated Marching Band is more than just a musical ensemble – it’s a community that celebrates diversity and inclusion they showcase the rich tapestry of humanity breaking down barriers and spreading joy wherever they go Don’t miss the chance to experience the magic of the Gulfport Geckos at the Tropical Heatwave and the spirit of unity with this extraordinary marching band Get your tickets now and be part of the excitement! Additional bands at Tropical Heatwave 2025 XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Steve Wasserman is as charming as his eloquent writing the Best Little Radio Station in the Nation has.. That means we don't advertise like a commercial station WMNF volunteers have fun providing a variety of needed services to keep your community radio station alive and kickin' Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value" Proud member of Project Galileo and protected by Cloudflare WMNF is a registered 501(с)3 charitable organization - The Nathan B. Stubblefield Foundation, Inc. | Online Public File Or if you just wanna let our DJ know you’re enjoying their show Signup below to get The Scoop delivered every weekday to your email inbox Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" WMNF advises you to check with the individual venues or event planners listed before heading to anything posted here There is a high likelihood that many events have been or will be canceled or postponed Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Liberty University's Mountain Marching Band will not be able to perform in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 20 the Presidential Inaugural Committee notified LU that the indoor venue would not be able to accommodate the band Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band was invited to perform in the parade for the first time in history "We are honored to have been invited and proud of the talent and dedication of our marching band students and supporters," said their FaceBook post "While we are all disappointed by this unforeseen development we are honored to have been invited and proud of the talent and dedication of our marching band students and supporters," said LU staff No further changes have been made that would impact other inaugural events this week Staff say that LU remains committed to celebrating the 47th Presidential Inauguration and supporting our nation’s peaceful transition of power and highest traditions By on March 19, 2025No Comment Clarkston Board of Education approves marching band proposal added by on March 19, 2025View all posts by Megan Kelley → and website in this browser for the next time I comment Missouri State University's Pride Marching Band will not be part of the presidential inauguration parade Monday in Washington the only band from the Show-Me State invited to participate wrote in part: "While this is a disappointing turn of events for us all we are extremely grateful for this opportunity and will continue to showcase our time in D.C." while temperatures were still relatively mild They became much colder over the weekend and were forecast to be below freezing Monday forcing part of the inauguration festivities indoors Images on Instagram showed members of the marching band at the Lincoln Memorial This was expected to be the first presidential inauguration performance in the history of the marching band but not the university the MSU Chorale performed during the 58th presidential inauguration by submitting the band's performance history video footage and letters of recommendation from former Missouri Gov A contingent of 350 students and staff were expected to be part of the trip the marching band performed on the campus of Georgetown University Burlison was at the event along with university officials More: Donald Trump's presidential inauguration is Monday. Here's when, how to watch In a livestreamed video of the performance director of bands Brad Snow said the trip was expected to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience "We knew we were going to remember it for the rest of our lives We just are going to remember it for a different set of reasons than we originally thought," Snow told the crowd "Just know that we've had a wonderful time." Snow thanked Missouri State President Richard "Biff" Williams and Shawn Wahl "This was not an inexpensive endeavor so this definitely would not have been possible without .. Wahl said the marching band schedule was "modified after being notified about significant changes to the (inauguration) parade in line with safety measures." the band performed at Georgetown University with friends adding the performance was followed by a reception "I was honored to join the students at Arlington National Cemetery for a special ceremony in addition to visiting numerous monuments and museums in the DC area." Band students and staff will be back on the main campus in time for classes Tuesday Wahl said: "The students and team are doing well and have had an amazing educational experience." (This story was updated with more information) Team up with professors on cutting-edge research Fearlessly pursue excellence on the field and the court; in the gym and the crowd Our vibrant community embraces your curiosity and supports you as you grow into the life that God wants for you Calvin University is proud to announce the launch of its first-ever marching band program under the leadership of seasoned band director Dr. Steve Sudduth With 25 years of experience building and directing marching bands Sudduth brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for connecting music programs with their communities Steve Sudduth began his career in 1999 and has successfully established and led marching bands at various institutions including Dickinson State University in North Dakota His extensive experience includes starting bands from the ground up making him well suited to lead Calvin’s new initiative “Marching bands hold a special place in the heart of a community,” said Sudduth “They create a strong connection between the university and the public offering a window into the vibrancy of a school’s music program A successful marching band can uplift the identity of an institution and become a cherished tradition.” Dr. Tiffany Engle, associate professor; co-chair, visual and performing arts; director of instrumental studies, expressed excitement about the new addition to the university's music offerings “This marching band represents an exciting expansion of our music program It will elevate the student experience and create lasting connections within Calvin We believe that the band will quickly become a source of pride for our students Sudduth emphasizes that the creation of this marching band is not just about music; it’s about building a lasting legacy Calvin has excelled in formal music programs but the philosophy of a marching band has yet to be fully implemented Our goal is to incorporate this new program into the very fabric of the university’s music tradition,” he explained The new marching band at Calvin will serve as a dynamic and visible representation of the university contributing to the campus atmosphere like a successful athletic team Sudduth is confident that the program will grow in size and impact potentially reaching 60 to 80 members within three years When asked why he chose to join Calvin University Sudduth highlighted the university’s reputation and the opportunity to reconnect with his family and this job allows me to contribute to a new tradition while staying close to home,” he said Sudduth plans to build the program gradually He also stressed the importance of incorporating faith into the marching band experience “Our performances will reflect the belief of that power in music and provide that to the university in our performances.” The excitement surrounding the new marching band is already palpable “I’m most looking forward to seeing the joy and enthusiasm on the faces of our students as they participate in something new and meaningful,” Sudduth shared Calvin University invites students, alums, and the community to support this exciting new chapter in the university’s history. Contact Sudduth for more information © 2025 Calvin University. All rights reserved Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email millions will tune in for a holiday tradition: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade And a Georgia band will be among them: the Jonesboro High School Majestic Marching Cardinals Among the colorful floats and bands making their way down the streets of New York City is a first-timer — the Jonesboro High School Majestic Marching Cardinals The metro Atlanta band is the only one from Georgia and just one of 10 bands performing in this year's parade The weeklong journey to New York was preceded by months of preparation and community fundraising to send 115 band members on the trip up North The band will march for just over 2 miles while playing half a dozen songs ranging from Christmas classics to Kendrick Lamar Band director Lynel Goodwin has every confidence that his kids will crush this opportunity “I can sit back and pretty much relax knowing that they're going to give their absolute best because the kids always show up when it's time to show out,” he said On the final day of practice before the band hits the road Goodwin reminds his students of the significance of their performance “You are representing more than everybody in this room,” he said “There are people who are looking forward to seeing you across the country I don't remember a time when a school like us went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.” is looking forward to representing their style of marching band on a national stage “I really don't see a lot of people like me on national television like marching bands that play how we play,” he said so seeing an HBCU-style show going on national television broadcasting for millions of people believes the most difficult part of preparation will be adjusting to the cold weather in New York and the weather changes the way that instruments sound But she’s excited to represent Atlanta nationally and confident the band is prepared to overcome every obstacle because they are “I just hope they see all the hard work that we put in because you don't see a lot of people that look like me especially a high school band,” Williams said she puts her best foot forward by remembering her responsibility to everyone watching they don't deserve a bad performance just because you're not in the right mindset because you never know what somebody else is going through.” Goodwin has been dedicated to creating transformative experiences like these for his students He believes the opportunities help to expand the scope of their ambitions “It most definitely shapes their future aspirations because a lot of these students — myself included — never thought the band would get them to some of these platforms,” Goodwin said “That lets you know that there are really no limits to the things that you can do if you really work for it and you really dedicate yourself to the craft.” The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is just one of many highlights for the band The Majestic Marching Cardinals have attended the White House Easter Egg Roll and appeared in a Super Bowl commercial with Atlanta native and pop star Usher Their next major appearance will be international where they’re set to perform in London’s New Year’s Day Parade Allexa Ceballos (she/her) is a Digital Content Producer and writer/reporter for GPB Prior to joining GPB News she was a reporter at Fresh Take Georgia covering local and state politics as a reporting fellow for the Center for Sustainable Journalism She is a graduate of Kennesaw State University Pamela brings her deep news knowledge and love of storytelling to the airwaves across Georgia Monday through Friday mornings on GPB Radio.  GPB is committed to bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia across the country and around the world.  Your support makes this possible.  Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Several historically Black colleges and universities are experiencing a boost in student enrollment since the pandemic.  A marching band on a North Carolina campus is credited for helping contribute to its recent growth.  Tomisha Brock serves as director of university bands for Johnson C She’s also the campus music program coordinator Brock stepped into these leadership roles in 2023 “I’ve followed and known about JCSU since I was an undergrad student at Virginia State University The opportunity to come and rebuild the band program and help restore its legacy is why I’m here,” Brock said the historically Black university's marching band known as the International Institution of Sound Brock said right before coming to the university “Through some recruitment of the interim director Through some aggressive recruiting throughout the year and over the summer we're now up 96 members in the band program,” Brock said A post shared by Alex! (@shotbycoote) The JCSU choir program has also grown to 41 members The overall increase of band and music students fits the trajectory of growth seen campuswide Last year, JCSU enrolled about 1,100 students However, in fall 2024, the university welcomed over 1,300 students, representing its largest incoming class since before the pandemic But JCSU is not the only HBCU experiencing a boost of students Other HBCUs including North Carolina Central University Elizabeth City State University and Shaw University according to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education One reason attributed to the growth is the 2023 Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in the higher education admission process.  help draw attention and people to the campuses.   Brock said marching bands are one of the most visible student organizations on any HBCU campus making them a valuable tool for recruitment “That opportunity to connect with fans on the weekends but also travel and get out into the schools and into the community helps tremendously to boost enrollment and retention at the university,” Brock said "Without music period – it would be very hard to do everyday activities The band just adds extra motivation to keep going pride and support for the alumni to come back and support,” Brock said He later pursued a higher education environment where he could embrace this art form.  “Music helps people and everybody needs it in their life.”  Washington said he researched both academic and music offerings before enrolling at JCSU The marching band solidified his commitment “The potential we have now is what drove me to come,” Washington said we come to the band first before anyone else Really do your research and join [if it’s for you],” Washington said Brock said her music team is continuing to recruit band members for the next academic year “We just want the community to know we’re here we’re still a vibrant school in a new era of excellence It’s showtime as the Cornhusker Marching Band returns to the Lied Center for Performing Arts for its annual Season Highlights Concert at 7:30 p.m Come experience the sights and sounds of "The Pride of All Nebraska." “The concert features all seven halftime shows from the 2024 season along with our pregame spectacular,” said Tony Falcone associate director of bands and director of the Cornhusker Marching Band “You’ll hear the sounds of our talented musicians and witness the visual artistry of our Color Guard and Twirlers.” Falcone said the band has had a great season “We powered through the opening volley of five games in six weeks and have settled into a groove since then,” Falcone said.  This year’s 300-member band includes representatives from nearly every region of the country though 77 percent of the students are from Nebraska Twenty-four percent of the students had majors in the Glenn Korff School of Music The rest are studying in 70-plus other degree programs across campus.  Drum majors this year are junior Vilynn Decker of Stapelhurst senior Jason Manzitto of Lincoln and senior Annie von Kampen of North Platte.  Tickets for the concert are $20 for adults and $10 for students/seniors and can be purchased in advance through the Lied Center for Performing Arts Box Office at 402-472-4747 or online Doug Bush is the assistant director of bands and assistant marching band director Other band staff members include graduate teaching assistants Foteini Angeli and Samantha Houston Brown is the color guard instructor Rose Johnson is the administrative technician and Nolan Schmit is the “voice” of the band which resides in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Glenn Korff School of Music was founded in 1879 as an ROTC unit and is one of the oldest marching bands in the nation The band has received many honors throughout its history including a Distinguished Recognition Trophy presented by John Philip Sousa in 1927 and the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Trophy in 1996 The Sudler Trophy is the highest honor given to collegiate bands For a full listing of this year’s band members, visit the Cornhusker Marching Band's website Some parts of this site work best with JavaScript enabled The UAB Marching Blazers rehearse at Legion Field The UAB Marching Blazers Drumline in a moment of fun The UAB Marching Blazers pose in front of Regions Field Members of the UAB Marching Blazers band in the Homecoming parade The Marching Blazers Drumline in the 2022 Homecoming parade Drum major Cameron Rodgers-Johnson leads the band during band camp on the Intramural Field If University of Alabama at Birmingham fans bleed green and gold, then The Marching Blazers band surely keeps the beat of the team’s heart who wear the green and gold.” – UAB Fight Song The Marching Blazers, dubbed “The Sound of The Magic City,” are the university’s athletic music ambassadors. Part of the UAB College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music the band is the university’s largest performing ensemble and thrills thousands of fans with amazing performances students from across UAB’s schools and colleges come together to present a traditional marching band show appear at sports and special events throughout the year and perform as the exhibition band at high school and college band competitions But to the dedicated few who love band life, it is more than worth it. Some of the hardest and most grueling days out on the field or in the stands become the most treasured of memories, says Brian Wilson, a 1994 charter member and drum major for the Marching Blazers who graduated with a music degree in 1997 Wilson is the band director at Berry Middle School and associate band director at Spain Park High School in Hoover Students can study anything they want at UAB and still be part of the Marching Blazers and the legacy band teaches students to be great musicians and great leaders an original member of the Marching Blazers band in 1994 Courtesy the Marching Blazers.“It is very similar to athletics teaching them to push through adversity,” he said we have got to motivate them and prove that they can do more than they thought they could at that moment.” The contributions UAB bands make are a service to the community, Wilson says. UAB’s leadership, Director of Bands Sean Murray, Ph.D., and assistant band directors Cara Morantz give freely of their time to support junior and high school band programs not just something that happens at a football game,” Wilson said “It’s a great group of people using their talents to give back and build relationships in our community.” The UAB Marching Blazers are the headliner for Sparks in the Park in September a showcase and exhibition for area high school bands hosted by Spain Park High School UAB band faculty give the students critiques offering a little extra feedback to help prepare high school bands for competition and are a great resource for band directors Drum majors this season are Cameron Rodgers-Johnson and Ashley Rehage, who are both majoring in music education, and Mia Hernandez, a biology major The UAB band is presently at an ideal size not so big that you can’t move around on the field and with plenty of people to draw from when you need a pep band With Morantz transitioning from 10 years working with Athletic Bands into her new role as director of Music Education in the Department of Music joins the team as assistant professor of trombone and assistant director of Athletic Bands All band alumni are invited to play with the Marching Blazers at Alumni Band Day Working together with others to accomplish great things has even led to love for its members — the UAB Marching Blazers band family boasts more than 30 married couples in its ranks some of whom are raising the next generation of Blazers Murray says they are hoping alumni will return for UAB’s Homecoming on Nov. 2, when all past players are invited to perform with the marching band for Marching Blazers Alumni Band Day The Marching Blazers will host a banquet and other festivities for students and alumni that weekend “We have thousands of band alumni from the past 30 years and we want a really big turnout,” Murray said I thought that might be kind of fun to bring the kids too.” Fambrough dug into the archives with Murray to craft a selection of songs from different decades Photography: Steve Wood“It’s all music that people would know an important piece to include because it was the first hit out of pregame from 1994 until 2002 “Bohemian Rhapsody” from 2012 and “Thriller” from 2004 will round out the show with a switch to “Back to the Future” after Halloween which was a tribute to movie music — but it is also a UAB bands OG: Murray has a handwritten arrangement of it on his desk High school students will get a chance to march with UAB at All-Star Marching Band Day an annual event when outstanding band students are invited to join the Marching Blazers for a day of music and marching that culminates in a massed band performance for family and friends This year it will be the second game of the year