Michigan Marching Band
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| Michigan Marching Band | |
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| School | University of Michigan |
| Location | Ann Arbor, MI |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Director | Jamie L. Nix |
| Members | 350+ |
| Uniform | Blue jackets with white on the back and a maize shield on the front, blue pants , white hats with blue trim & maize & blue plumes |
The Michigan Marching Band (or MMB) is University of Michigan's Marching Band.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Michigan Marching Band History can be found here.
[edit] Instrumentation
The Michigan Marching Band performance block instrumentation:
- 1 Drum Major
- 3 Twirlers
- 24 Flags
- 18 Piccolos
- 24 Clarinets
- 18 Alto Saxophones
- 12 Tenor Saxophones
- 24 Horns
- 48 Trumpets
- 33 Trombones
- 3 Bass Trombones
- 12 Euphoniums
- 24 Sousaphones
[edit] Performance Block
The Performance Block is the subset of the MMB that performs pre-game and halftime. An additional subset is called "half-time only" which adds to the performance block for half-time. These groups of members change from week to week. The rank and section leaders along with the MMB staff decide which members in block are to be challenged for their position in block. This method lessens tension in the band as a member does not need to challenge an individual member of the performance block for their position. Friday after rehearsal, challenges are held, which consist of a halftime marching audition while playing a musical excerpt from the weekly show, followed by performing the difficult part of the pregame marching. Results are posted the following Monday. Students who do not make the performance block, called reserves, spend the week rehearsing fundamentals to prepare for the next week's challenge on an adjacent practice field while the performance block learns the show. The reserves are no less a part of the MMB, as they still wear the uniform and play in the stands during football games.
[edit] Band Week
Every summer during the two weeks before the first home game the MMB holds their "Band Week." Prospective members, rank leaders, and flags arrive first to rehearse marching styles and traditional music. Prospective members work on marching fundamentals. The returning members join a few days later and the music audition is held to determine the players' chairs. After the returning members have been through a couple days of marching rehearsal "First Look" is held. During first look the entire band performs glide step and a pre-game portion which are observed and voted on by the rest of the band. These performances are given in groups of approximately 12. Until recently, the votes of the entire band determined which members will make up the first performance block. However, concerns over the accuracy of this method gave rise to a new process in which the staff judge and determine the initial performance block. The remainder of Band Week is devoted to rehearsing the first performance of the MMB for pre-game and halftime. The reserves spend the remainder of Band Week practicing for the next challenge.
[edit] Expectations
The MMB rehearses daily from 4:45pm to 6:15pm. Rehearsals are held outside on Elbel Field. Members are also expected to attend weekly one hour section rehearsals for additional work on music. Members are also expected to enroll in the two credit hour course ENS 348.
[edit] Organization
[edit] Director
Prof. Jamie L. Nix is the director of the Michigan Marching Band after spending time as the assistant director of the Texas Longhorn Band under former MMB director Dr. Kevin Sedatole. Before Prof. Nix was assistant director of the Texas Longhorn Band, he was a Graduate Assistant to the MMB, and also served as director of the Michigan Hockey Pep Band from 1997-99. In the latter position, he was best known for originating the tradition of the "disco dance" performed by the Hockey Pep Band director in the final few minutes of Michigan hockey victories.
[edit] Assistant Director
G. Scott Bersaglia is the assistant director of the Michigan Marching Band. Dr. Bersaglia was formerly a Graduate Assistant to the Texas Longhorn Band.
[edit] Instructors and Graduate Assistants
Working directly under Prof. Nix are graduate assistants and instructors. Graduate students in the music school or former members that are grad students are hired to help direct the MMB and also to oversee student staff positions. The MMB also has a color guard instructor and a percussion instructor.
[edit] Drum Major
The Michigan Marching Band has one drum major for the entire 350+ member ensemble. Auditions are held in a two phase process. The first phase is held in front of the MMB staff which narrows the field of candidates. The second phase is held on the last day of classes for the winter term and the final vote is decided by the current members of the MMB. The "Man Up Front," a common nickname of the drum major, for the 2006-2007 school year will be Iden Baghdadchi, a member of the tuba section.
The first female Drum Major, Karen England, was elected in April of 2001[1]. She performed through her entire 2001 season, but lost the following Drum Major election in 2002 to Matthew Cavanaugh. Karen chose to leave the MMB after the 2002 election.
The 2006 season gave us the first Drum Major firing[2]. Ben Iwrey was elected by members of the MMB in April of 2006 to be the Drum Major. Over the course of the summer there were a few alleged incidents that appear to have compelled the director, Jamie L. Nix, to remove Ben from his elected position and promote Iden Baghdadchi. Ben Iwrey has filed a grievance with the School of Music.
[edit] Section Leaders
Section leaders are the head of their section and are responsible for the music performance. They hold weekly music rehearsals for their section. Section leaders are determined by the staff and generally announced at the 'Spring Meeting,' traditionally held on the last day of Winter semester.
[edit] Rank Leaders
During Band Week, the Rank Leaders are responsible for teaching the new members in their section the correct marching techniques. During the season, Rank Leaders are in charge of the marching position and style of 10 members on the field. They are given full drill charts to ensure that their rank members are in formation. To save paper regular members are given coordinate sheets to give their position on the field by numbers rather than graphically. Rank Leaders are voted on at the end of band week by staff.
[edit] Traditions
[edit] Saturday Morning Rehearsal
The MMB practices on Elbel field before every home game. Generally this practice begins at 8:00am for a noon kick-off. The MMB begins the rehearsal with music warm-ups and a review of the halftime music. The band then rehearses the transition elements of the pre-game performance. Following the pre-game rehearsal the band reviews the drill for their halftime performance. Music is either sung or played at "half volume" during this portion of the rehearsal.
[edit] Step Show
The Michigan Drumline performs on the steps of Revelli Hall about an hour and a half before kick off. They run through warm ups, some pieces arranged for the MMB Drum Line, the parade cadence series and close with Temptation and Hawaiian War Chant.
[edit] March to the Stadium
Following the step show the MMB lines up on the steps of Revelli Hall for inspection by the drum major before stepping off to the stadium. Once this is complete the band then begins parading to the stadium by moving out onto Hoover Street. The band parades down Hoover Street, turning left onto Greene Street and then into the Michigan Stadium parking lot. The band stops amidst tailgaters and performs a specialized version of The Victors. The band used a tree planted in the parking lot as the stopping point until it was removed in recent years. This specialized version is shortened for timing reasons. The band then progresses to the mouth of the tunnel of Michigan Stadium. They then make a right face and play Let's Go Blue and the trio of The Victors.
[edit] Pregame
The band arranges themselves in the tunnel to Michigan Stadium for the start of the pregame performance. These are called Entry Lines. The drum major then proceeds to the lower mouth of the tunnel signaling to the stadium announcer that the band is ready. The Michigan Stadium and MMB announcer, Carl Grapentine, announces the entrance of the band in his signature baritone: "Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting the 235 member Michigan Marching band! Band, take the field!"
[edit] Entries
The band then enters the field to the Entry Cadence at 220+bpm. The band "pours out" of the tunnel in entry lines and then these lines fold out into the "solid block M."
[edit] M Fanfare
From the "solid block M" formation the MMB plays the M Fanfare. The M Fanfare was composed by longtime Michigan Marching Band arranger and composer Jerry Bilik, and consists of portions of The Victors, Varsity, and the Yellow and Blue.
[edit] Back bend
At the climax of the M Fanfare the drum major performs their signature move. The drum major moves from the middle of the band to the 20 yard line. They then turn to face the south end zone and bends over backwards to touch the plume (feather) in their hat to the ground. Due to greater flexibility and lack of control it has become the top of the hat. Recently the drum majors have started the tradition of removing their hat and touching their head to the ground instead. This started after a drum major fell during their first pre-game performance. They returned the following week, removed their hat and touched their head to the ground.
[edit] The Victors
During the pre-game performance, the MMB plays a specialized version of The Victors. This version is shortened and has an added drum transition for the band to change formations from "sweep lines" to the "hollow block M." The band marches in "sweep lines" from the middle of the field to the North end zone, transitions into the "hollow block M" and marches to the south end zone.
[edit] The Goal Post Toss
During the Victors the drum major struts down to the north end zone goal posts and tosses their mace over the cross bar. Superstition says that if the mace is dropped, the football team will lose the game.
[edit] The High step
During The Victor's break strain the MMB performs their high step. This is done for 16 counts at half tempo. The "post leg" is to remain perpendicular to the ground while the free leg is to make a right angle with the shin being perpendicular to the ground and an extreme downward toe point.
[edit] Visitor's Fight Song
Immediately following The Victors the MMB plays the visitor's fight song to the south end zone. The south end zone is where a major portion of the visiting fans sit. This is a strong tradition between all Big Ten marching bands.
[edit] Varsity
Following the visitor's fight song the band transitions into the school's second fight song entitled "Varsity". The band forms "sweep lines" and marches it back to the middle of the field to form another "solid block M."
[edit] Blues Brothers
One game a year, generally a game without a visiting band, the MMB performs a crowd favorite "You Can't Turn Me Loose." The band forms concentric circles on the field and during a vamp collapses the circles into what is commonly referred to as "the cake." The entire 235 member band fits in between the 45 yard lines and the hash marks. Once this is complete the band scrambles back to their "solid bock M" positions.
[edit] Let's Go Blue & Team Entrance
Time permitting the band will play Let's Go Blue to the West, South, East, and North sides of Michigan Stadium. "Let's Go Blue" was written in 1977 by Joseph Carl, a tuba player in the Hockey Pep Band. The band then splits the M to allow room for the "Go Blue" banner to be raised for the team's entrance. The team runs onto the field as the band plays the trio of The Victors.
[edit] The Star Spangled Banner
Since September 22nd, 2001 the team has been on the field for the playing of the Star Spangled Banner. The band then collapses the split M back to the "solid block M." Following the playing of the Star Spangled Banner the marching band marches to the North end zone while playing the trio to The Victors and once finished marchs the Entry Cadence off the field.
[edit] Post Game
After every home game the band returns to the field and performs The Victors as written, or in its entirety. They also play selections of the half time performance. The performance closes with Temptation, The Hawaiian War Chant, The Yellow and Blue, The Victors (trio), and the Entry Cadence. When the football team wins, the band wears their hats backward during the post game performance.
[edit] Temptation & The Hawaiian War Chant
Temptation and The Hawaiian War Chant are percussion features that have been played by the MMB for almost 40 years. The cymbal line is highly featured with their acrobatic routine.
[edit] Bowl Trips
A favorite tradition in the band is traveling somewhere warm during the bowl season. The band holds another audition ("Final Look") to decide which of the current members will make the bowl trip.
[edit] Fun Facts
- The MMB formed the first script Ohio in 1932. This was later incorporated into the "Script Ohio" formation which the Ohio State University Marching Band currently performs.
- During the 1938 Ohio State game, legendary MMB director William Revelli (1935-71) moved the "i" from a "Buck-i" formation in between the "u" and the "c" to spell Buick, to thank a major sponsor of Michigan football and the MMB. He received a very angry phone call at 2:00 the next morning from athletic director Fielding Yost, warning him, "Young man, you will never do that again!" referring to the prohibition on advertising in Michigan Stadium.
- The MMB was the first recipient of the Sudler Trophy in 1983. This award can only be won once.
- Women were first admitted into the Marching Band in 1972 - one twirler and about 10 other women.
- The first female drum major was Karen England, serving from 2001-2002.
- Carl Grapentine is the voice of the Michigan Marching Band, and has been the announcer for 36 seasons. For the 2006 Football season he will replace Howard King as the voice of Michigan Stadium on top of his MMB duties. The 2005 season saw Carl substitute for Howard King for the first few games due to Howard's recovery from surgery. An alumnus of the MMB, Grapentine drives four hours from Chicago for every Michigan home football game.
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes
- ^ Lisa Koivu (9/5/2001) Woman Up Front The Michigan Daily
- ^ Gabe Nelson (9/27/2006). Major Issues. The Michigan Daily.
| The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor |
