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Membership and Housing Deadline: Usually by the third week of July, members need to return a housing/participation agreement to secure their dorm room (if on-campus) and to secure their place in the band.
August
New Member/drumline/front ensemble /color guard weekend: New Members, percussion and guard move in on Saturday. Drumline and “pit” get right to work on show materials while new members get two days of training in marching and music that makes them ready to work with all the returning members and feel comfortable. New members check-in and move into their own dorm rooms on Saturday morning and at 1:30 parents and students meet for a welcome and intro session. Then, goodbyes are said and the fun begins!
UCMB Pre-season: The rest of the band moves in and the entire band is brought together. Sections are formed, players meet, music begins—before dinner, much music has already been rehearsed. After dinner more rehearsal and a parade across campus to Jorgensen Auditorium.UCMB Pre-season: All members of the band move back to campus, members check in, move into their dorm rooms, at 2:00 the entire band is brought together for the first. Sections are formed, players meet, music begins—before dinner, much music has already been rehearsed. After dinner more rehearsal and an impromptu parade across campus to Jorgensen Auditorium for Convocation. The band builds marching skills from the very beginning of how to stand and take the first step up all the way to reading drill and performing our shows, music rehearsal cover show and stands music, and but the end of the week it all comes together with in a rehearsal at Rentschler Stadium on the following Sunday. The time is a mammoth effort nearly 300 people are transformed into a dynamic, precision organization!
UCMB Convocation: THE OFFICIAL start of the UCMB year is Convocation. New members parade in while returning members play the fight song. Leaders and Officers are formally dressed to fit the importance of the occasion. Welcoming speeches from leaders, alumni, special guests, and the directors along with “slideshows” and video presentations get the year started right!
Circle Ceremony: On Thursday of Pre-season, our new members have had six days of hard work and have bonded with our band. It is time to retire the pink new member tag and trade it for the white standard tag of the returning members. A simple but touching ceremony is held following the evening rehearsal. New members move out to the parking lot and hear from our historian about the heritage they are now a part of. Returning Members form a circle around the center of the field with one opening, all become quiet and the opening is marked with a lighttorchlight. Neww New members in alphabetical order file onto the field and around the circle until all are just behind the circle of veteran members. Words about significance of membership are said and the new members are invited to take the “Big Step” of coming into the circle of what is now “their band”. As their name is called they step into the circle. They shake the hand of the drum majors and the directors of the band; they are met by their “Big “Band Buddy” with their official UCMB t-shirt and cap and a symbolic glow stick (“light is symbolic of leadership”). The Big Band Buddy places them in front of the Big Band Buddy’s spot in the circle. When are in place, more words of significance are spoken and the circle enlarges to allow space for all new members in one circle. The simple ceremony concludes with the singing of the alma mater, Old Connecticut, and a huge cheer welcomes all members of the UCMB.
Pre-Season Concert-by-the-Lake: On Friday of Preseason, the first public performance of the UCMB takes place beside Mirror Lake. Parents, alumni, and friends are invited to bring a blanket or chairs and lounge by the lake as the band reveals new show music and old popular and patriotic favorites.
Picture Day: On At the Sunday at the end of Pre-season, formal pictures of the band are taken in full uniform. A picture of the full band, sections, and individuals are made. On alternate years the picture is taken in Rentschler Field or on the UConn Campus.
1stst Football Game: It’s SHOWTIME! The first football game is almost always Thursday night during at the end of the first week of classes! While .d While this presents great challenges to the band to get the entire performance package together (Pregame, Halftime, Postgame and in-stands spirit pieces), it is a night of great excitement. Perhaps the greater challenges are the logistical ones of getting everyone in uniform and getting everyone to the bus and to the field in time! Students Some years the first game has been on Thursday night, and students who have a late Thursday class may even have to arrange to miss that class, but everyone takes this in stride and the brand new UCMB takes the field with 22 min on the pre-game clock. The pre-game show begins with the Superman Fanfare from the top row of stands in front of the scoreboard, Drum Line feature, and Fight On Connecticut the members take the field during the Drum Line feature, forms a giant block C and floats the C down field with Fght On Connecticut down the field in the big block C .
UCMB Annual Preview Show: On Depending on the football schedule either on the Friday night before the first football game or on the Saturday before Labor Day the UCMB puts in a full day’s work and then take the field at UConn’s Sherman Complex (field hockey and track field) for a show for parents, alumni, and friends. The audience of around 2000 people Starting at 7:00 PM, a large audience of family, alumni and fans watch the UCMB execute an impressive open-rehearsal. At 8:00 PM the “Show” starts with a performance of the Pregame routine. The introduction of Staff and Leaders is interspersed with musical favorites. As a finale, the band performs the parts of this year’s “Exhibition Show” followed by, of course, singing the Alma Mater (Old Connecticut). It is a great tradition to introduce the new version of the UCMB.
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Pregame: Our traditional Pregame Show is all about school spirit and patriotism. The band enters the field with a great fanfare from the top of the end zone stands, then down and onto the field while the drumline shows its stuff. Quick fanfares announce the band and the “Block C” appears, moving down the field with Fight On Connecticut. The “C” is presented to both sides as the song ends and during the Let’s GoGo cheer the players move to tight formations ready to “Pop the Letters” as the audience spells U-C-O-N-N! A beautiful and inspiring version of America the Beautifulmoves into a rousing chorus of Battle Hymn of the Republicbringing the Stars and Stripes through the band to front and center for the National Anthem. The band moves to the end of the field to provide an entrance for the football team and the game is underway
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Other (non-football) Performance Events (Fall)
Mansfield Parade: On a Sunday in Some years n September, the UCMB shakes the walls of the new Storrs Downtown as part of the annual Celebrate Mansfield Festival. It’s a short parade, but the UCMB is proud to do its part to celebrate our hometown!
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Collegiate Marching Band Exhibitions: Two college exhibitions are great fun to see the variety of performance styles of college bands in the Northeast. Huge crowds find there way to see the spectacle and root on their favorite university bands. There are few nicer ways to spend a Sunday afternoon in the Fall!
Allentown Collegiate Marching Band Exhibition: one of the oldest and best attended college band festivals, appearance by the incredible bands from Townsend State, Morgan State, Delaware, West Chester, and UMass and, of course, the UCMB every other year, show off the finest band programs in the North East.
New England College Band Exhibition:A newcomer to the Collegiate Band Festival, this festival features New England’s best including Boston Univ., Boston College, Univ. of New Hampshire, Univ. of New Haven, Holy Cross, Albany State, and every other year UConnThe UCMB
Allentown Collegiate Marching Band Exhibition: one of the oldest and best attended college band festivals, appearance by the incredible bands from Townsend State, Morgan State, Delaware, West Chester, and UMass and, of course, the UCMB every other year, show off the finest band programs in the North East. UConn attends this festival about every 3 years.
December-January
UCMB Council Elections: at the end of Fall semester members elect all officers of the Band Council. The Band Council is provides the “Organizational Leadership” to run the UCMB. An impressive number of operations are formed through the “council” It is essential to the operation of the UCMB and great experience for young people to truly own apart of the UCMB. This group meets weekly in the fall semester and bi-weekly.
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UCMB Banquet: The first Saturday in the Spring Semester is the time for the annual UCMB Banquet. Students pay $20 (just less that half the actual cost) for It is a wonderful evening of live entertainment, hors d'oeuvres, a great dinner, important guests, recognition and celebration, and dancing with the best DJ in the state! The members come dressed to impress and cap the year with festivity and shared memories.
Leadership Class: Spring semester, Friday from 12:20-1:00 10 finds a good portion of the UCMB in a class that helps develop personal leadership, provides opportunities to envision and develop leadership roles that will help the band, and give a personal view of the philosophy that shapes our band and what an individual can do to create their niche in the structure. Lessons mixed with humor and lots of discussion makes a great experience and helps take the next UCMB further.
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Section Leader Selection: Section leaders may be the most important leaders in the band. Like the Sargent in the armyArmy, they are close to the action, taking direct responsibility of the sections of the band, Their personal leadership becomes the most crucial factor in the smooth operation, the morale of the band, and ultimately the success of the UCMB. They are selected through interviews with the directors, a playing audition, and, of course, the everyday service they have shown as members of the band.
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