Marching Salukis
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| Marching Salukis | |
|---|---|
| School | Southern Illinois University Carbondale |
| Location | Carbondale, Illinois |
| Conference | Missouri Valley |
| Founded | |
| Director | [1] |
| Members | 90[2] |
| Uniform | Maroon and white tuxedo and black homburg |
The Marching Salukis is the official marching band of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Composed of men and women, the band performs at all SIUC football home games and marches in parades for SIU homecoming, the Du Quoin State Fair and Carbondale Lights Fantastic. The band has also performed in halftime programs for the Chicago Bears, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Rams, as well as presidential addresses in Carbondale by Bill Clinton.
The band is known for its "Saluki Salute to America", a patriotic medley that opens with "America The Beautiful" and then moves to "The Star-Spangled Banner", performed by two solo, antiphonal trumpets. "Salute to America" has been performed by the band at many functions, including the 1982 World Series.
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[edit] History
The Marching Salukis began as a military-style marching band, and began evolving into its present form around 1965 under the directorship of Donald Canedy. Tuxedo jackets and homburg hats were adopted as the uniform, arrangements of jazz, big band and rock music started to come into use, and a loose approach to marching drills was taken. Many of the early arrangements were written by Grammy-winning composer Glen Daum, a trombonist in the band in the 1960s, and are still in use.[3] In the late 1960s to 1997, the band was led by Michael D. Hanes. Other directors have included Dan Philips (assistant 1988-1997), Travis Almany (1997), Matt Bishop (1998), Thomas Bough (1999-2005), and Andrew Tucker (2005 - Present).
The Marching Salukis featured several innovations in its early years, including a baby grand piano on wheels, wheeled percussion carts (the "Rhythm on Wheels", which included a pair of timpani) and a violist (usually a non-musician playing a dummy instrument).
The tuxedo uniform has gone through several alterations over the years. For a time, there were different colored jackets for the various sections of the band: Black band (low brass and saxophones), red band (high brass and woodwinds), plaid band (percussion) and white band (drum majors). In 1989, the uniform was changed to maroon jackets (former black band), white jackets (former red band) and maroon vests. The drum majors wear all-white tuxedos with tails.
In recent decades, the marching drills on the field have become more generic with corps style formations, and the addition of a snare drum line. However, the parade drills still feature some scramble band band remnants, namely the "Saluki Scatter", during which the band members break formation and greet bystanders on the parade route. In the late 1980s, a flag corps, the Saluki Silks, was added to the band.
Administered by the SIU School of Music, the Marching Salukis are a music class (MUS 011), and members receive course credit for participation in the band. Membership in the horn line is open to all student musicians, while the drum line and Saluki Silks is by competitive audition.[4]
[edit] Saluki Pep Band
During basketball season, members of the Marching Salukis are able to audition for the Saluki Pep Band, who perform at all home games of the Salukis' men's and women's basketball teams.[5] With the success of the men's basketball team, the pep band has traveled to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, as well as the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2002 and 2007.
[edit] Saluki Shakers
The Saluki Shakers are a dance squad, organized by the SIU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, which performs with the Marching Salukis during football season, and during men's and women's basketball games.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official site at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Marching Salukis Alumni Band Group at MySpace
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