For over a decade, the Power and Class of New England, the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band has not had a home. By home, I mean we have do not have one specific place that the band can meet, have our offices, and store our uniforms, equipment, and instruments. By we, I mean that I am a member of the band and play the alto saxophone.
Without one centralized location, putting together a marching band and a show can be difficult. However, you haven't met the band. Together, we can do anything. We can wake up at 7 a.m. on a Saturday and walk with our instruments, uniforms, and shako boxes across campus to the fields we rehearse on for a 3-hour practice session. This, of course, all in preparation for a home football game.
Without one centralized location, putting together a marching band and a show can be difficult. However, you haven't met the band. Together, we can do anything. We can wake up at 7 a.m. on a Saturday and walk with our instruments, uniforms, and shako boxes across campus to the fields we rehearse on for a 3-hour practice session. This, of course, all in preparation for a home football game.
But for the band, all of that and much, much more, is worth it. Our work and sweat earned us a standing ovation at the Holy Cross football game from the audience that had booed us before we had taken the field.
This weekend, I called a list of UMass band alumni about a new building that the band is developing. If you think about it, 380 band members and all those alumni, that's a lot of people on the phone this weekend. UMass Amherst has pledged $4.5 million for the new building, but the band must now raise between $1 and $3 million to keep the project alive. Can we do it? The band has until October 31, 2008.
George N. Parks, the director of the band, words this much better than I can. (Just scroll down a little and click on 'Hear Mr.Parks' request for assistance..')
3 comments:
Thanks for doing your part, Katie!
I hope you guys can raise the money. The new Studio Arts Building brought together all of the studio arts that were strewn about campus is buildings that were out of code of condemned. It really helps when a community can finally have their own gathering place on campus.
So true! The director's office (where the Sudler trophy is, the highest honor for college bands) is condemned and falling apart. It's unbelievable. I think with a little effort we can pull it off. We really need it.
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