Minuteman Marching Band

University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band
School:	University of Massachusetts Amherst
Location:	Amherst, MA
Founded:	1863
Director:	George N. Parks
Associate Director:	Thomas P. Hannum
Members:	349 (2006)
Uniform:	White jacket with maroon sash, black pants, maroon shako

The Minuteman Marching Band has long been a source of great pride for UMass Amherst and the surrounding region. Under the leadership of George N. Parks, founder of the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy, and assisted by DCI Hall of Famer Thomas P. Hannum (Cadets of Bergen County, Star of Indiana and Blast!) and Michael Klesch (Cadets, Crossmen and Phantom Regiment), the Minuteman Marching Band has emerged as one of the nation's outstanding band programs. Each week at home football games, the "Power and Class" performs its traditional Post Game show for thousands of enthusiastic dedicated fans who don't leave the stadium until the last note.

Over 300 students experience the excitement of college marching band at UMass. The Minuteman Band has performed for Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies in 1981, 1985, and 2001. In 1993, 2001, and 2004 the band performed as an exhibition band at the Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championship.

In 1998, the Minuteman Marching Band received the most prestigious honor bestowed upon college bands, the Louis C. Sudler Trophy, which is awarded in recognition of "the highest of musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas, and which has made important contributions to the advancement of the performance standards of college marching bands over a period of several years."

Users interested in greater detail on the UMMB should check out the band's own wiki, BandoWiki, at http://ummbalumni.org/wiki.

[edit] 2006 Season

The Minuteman Band's main show for 2006 contained music from Henry V and Chicago. The band's normal season was extended because UMass's football team made the playoffs. The band played their final halftime show of the 2006 post season in Chattanooga, TN at the NCAA National Championship game vs. Appalachian State University.

[edit] History

The Minuteman Marching Band, commonly referred to as the "Power and Class of New England", started off small when first formed in 1935. In 1938, the band had its most successful season by playing at all home games and an away game versus the Coast Guard Academy. With World War II soon after, all bands at the university were disbanded from March of 1943 until September of 1945 because many of the members served in the Armed Forces. After the war, the band remained small but since 1950 there has been steady growth. The band's named changed to The Minuteman Band in the 1970s and in 1977, George N. Parks was hired to direct the band. Parks brought the roll-step marching style and fostered the reputation that the band has today. His unique styles and intensity have long been praised. As of the 2008 season, the band has over 380 members.

[edit] Instrumentation

The Minuteman Band comprises typical marching band instruments: mellophones instead of French horns, alto and tenor saxophones, flutes, piccolos (by audition), clarinets, trumpets, trombones, euphoniums, and sousaphones instead of tubas. The Minuteman Band, like many marching bands, has a strong favor for sousaphones, and each season there are over a dozen of them.

The Minuteman Band's percussion section is strongly regarded as one of the best in the nation. The award winning drum line is led by Thomas Hannum and each season he will often arrange a percussion-only piece which is performed at all regular performances.

[edit] Style

Most people would regard the Minuteman Band's style as that of a corps style, forming precise drill sets and shapes. The band moves from set to set using a "roll step" or "glide step" and members stay in the form while in motion. However, The Minuteman Band tends to mix in some free form or scramble band techniques with more the traditional marching styles. Usually, for the main show theme, traditional marching band styles will be used and then there will be some songs that are looser and less rigid and members are frequently encouraged to have fun to excite the audience during these tunes. The band's use of amplification with electric guitars and other percussion often gives the band the reputation as a non-traditional marching band.

[edit] External links

• The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band
• The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band photos page
• The UMass Drumline Website
• Minuteman Band Alumni Association
• Minuteman Band not selected in Top Marching Bands list
• BandoWiki at http://ummbalumni.org/wiki

[edit] See Also

• Kappa Kappa Psi
• Tau Beta Sigma
• UMMB: Adstaff