UCMB Operation Center

Owned by David Mills
Last updated: May 29, 2022

UCMB Operation Outline

  1. Creating/ Building the Band

    1. Recruiting Members

      1. Compiling names/database

        1. From Admissions Office

        2. From members

        3. From events

        4. From Website

        5. From Music Department

        6. From H. S. Director Contact

      2. Recruiting Team/Recruiting Team Handbook

      3. Recruiting Events

        1. Open Houses/Audition Days

        2. Exhibitions at Festivals

        3. Band Events

      4. Spring recruiting “Blitz”

      5. Summer Office

      6. Recruiting Materials

        1. Communication, Publications, Website, Events, etc.

        2. Emails & phone calls script

    2. Recruiting and Auditioning Color Guard and Twirlers

      1. auditions and “tryout weekends”

      2. Selection and “education” of specialty members

      3. Summer Color Guard Camps.

    3. Recruiting Staff and Graduate Assistants 

      1. Distribute poster/advertisement

      2. Call colleagues

      3. Call prospective

      4. “Sell” degree program at all event

      5. Schedule visits

      6. Assist with housing and move in

    4. Leadership Development/Training 

      1. Identification of Potential leaders

        1. Drum Majors

        2. Captains

        3. Section Leaders

        4. Council Officers

        5. Committee/Team Leaders

      2. Selecting Leaders

        1. Applications

        2. Interviews

        3. Auditions

      3. Training Sessions

        1. Spring

        2. Summer

        3. Fall

      4. Developing Objectives

      5. Developing instructional plan

      6. Individual Mentoring

      7. Ongoing programs for leaders

      8. Evaluations/coaching

  2. Securing/Maintaining the Resources

    1. Budget and Funding 

      1. Budget preparation (GUF process)

      2. UConn Foundation/Fund Raising

      3. Seeking additional funds

        1. Grants

        2. Exhibitions

        3. Miscellaneous

      4. Adjustments/Creativity/Savings

    2. Uniforms 

      1. Design, purchase, funding

        1. Design ideas

        2. Parts

      2. Distribution/collection

        1. Uniform Sizing

      3. Uniform Cleaning/Repair

      4. Alternate and Supplementary Uniforms

        1. Warm-ups

        2. Ball caps

        3. T-shirts

      5. Color Guard

        1. Design

        2. Ordering

      6. Twirler

        1. Design

        2. Ordering

    3. Equipment Procurement and Distribution

      1. Wind Instruments

      2. Percussion Instruments

      3. Rehearsal/Performance

      4. Color guard flags and poles

    4. Equipment Maintenance and Repair

      1. Instrument  distribution

      2. Storage (long term/short term)

        1. Wind Instrument

        2. Percussion Instruments

        3. Guard Equipment

      3. Instrument Repair

        1. Annual cleaning and repair “party” at home

        2. In-house repair

        3. Professional repair

      4. Percussion Instruments

        1. Simi-annual drum cleaning/repair

        2. Ongoing/daily maintenance

        3. Professional repair

    5. Vehicles 

      1. Procurement

      2. Maintenance and repair

      3. Cleaning

      4. Drivers

      5. Loading and unloadinga

    6. Library (Music and Drill) (Work Study)

      1. Music Copying

      2. Music filing and maintenance

      3. Music Distribution

      4. Drill Copying/UDB

      5. Drill filing and maintenance

      6. Drill distribution

  3. Operational Activities/Duties

    1. Member Officer and Committees: descriptions, drives, guides

    2. Internal Communications

      1. Data Base/Roster

      2. Email communication

      3. Website communication

      4. Facebook and Social Media Communications

      5. Husky CT

    3. Alumni Communications 

      1. Contact w/ database manager

      2. Historical info gathering

      3. Homecoming and Events

    4. Website 

      1. Recruiting Information

      2. Member Information

      3. Historical Information

      4. General Public Information

      5. Perpetuation of site

    5. Publications 

      1. Recruiting

        1. General Information pamphlet

        2. Leadership pamphlet

        3. Personnel profiles pamphlet

        4. Letters

        5. Posters

        6. Blogs

        7. Video

        8. HTML productions

      2. Member information

        1. Newsletter (monthly)

        2. Pre-season information

        3. Pre-season schedules

        4. Band Handbook

        5. Leadership information

        6. Ballots

        7. Itineraries

      3. Programs

        1. Pre-view Show

        2. Press Guides

        3. Banquet

        4. Exhibition Performance Program

        5. Band Day Materials

    6. Public Relations 

      1. News Release Topics

        1. Officer selection

        2. Member selection

        3. Soloists

        4. Area Performances

        5. Special events

        6. Special Awards

      2. PR committee

      3. Personal Contacts 

        1. Thank you notes

        2. Recognitions

    7. History 

      1. Maintaining Old Records

        1. Website Yearly UCMB information database

        2. Physical location/care of media

          1. Photo Archives

          2. Recording Archives

            1. Audio

            2. Video

          3. Updating material to current media

        3. Website accessibility

      2. Creating New records

        1. Database –Membership/Roster

        2. Database of officers and historic data

        3. Acquiring/Storing Video

        4. Acquiring/Storing Audio

        5. Acquiring/Storing Photos

        6. Print Media

      3. Passing Tradition

        1. Consult w/ other event organizers

        2. Plan pre-season ceremony

        3. Banquet video presentation

        4. Media for members

        5. History Day

        6. Website/media/ publications presence

    8. Transportation—Personnel 

      1. Pre-season

      2. Game day-personnel

      3. Exhibitions

      4. Special Trips

      5. Communication with travel sites

      6. Directions

      7. Timing

      8. Travel Support/Comfort issues

      9. Itinerary

      10. Coordination of student/family transportation

    9. Transportation—Equipment 

      1. Rehearsal equipment

      2. Game day equipment

    10. Food 

      1. Pre-season Meals

      2. Travel Meals

      3. Rehearsal snacks/

      4. Game day meals/snacks

        1. Breakfast (1st meal)

        2. Lunch (main meal)

        3. 3rrd quarter snack

        4. after -game food for members

        5. disposal of extra food

    11. Photography 

      1. Roster/database photos

      2. Daily activity photos

      3. Performance Photos

      4. Special event photos

      5. Archival/publishing of photos

      6. Photographers

    12. Videography 

      1. Media Team Formation and Operation

      2. Daily activity video

      3. Performance video

      4. Instructional production/distribution

      5. Special event/topic video

      6. Archival/publishing of video

    13. Sound Recording 

      1. Indoor Rehearsal Recording

      2. Outdoor Rehearsal Recording

      3. Production Recordings

      4. Performance Recording

      5. Recording for CD

  4. Instruction, Rehearsal, and Performance: MARCHING BAND

    1. Attendance 

      1. Attendance Policy

        1. Class Conflicts for rehearsals

        2. Individual Absences for rehearsals

        3. Individual Absences for performances

      2. Daily Attendance Procedures

        1. Outdoor rehearsal

        2. Indoor Rehearsal

        3. Performances

      3. Record Keeping

        1. Identifying attendance problems

        2. Resolving attendance problems

    2. Physical Preparations/Logistics

    3. Preseason Rehearsals (Direct, Council, DM/Cptns)

      1. Housing (house 300 students)  

      2. Food (feed 300 people)

      3. Registration Items and Proceedurea

      4. Rehearsal support (water etc)

      5. Transportation to rehearsal sites

      6. Leadership Training

      7. Rehearsal/Instructional plans

      8. Rehearsal Site preparations

      9. Alternative rehearsal site prep.

      10. Membership Auditions

      11. First Year Induction ceremony

    4. Regular Rehearsals

      1. Indoor

        1. Winds

        2. Percussion

        3. Guard

      2. Outdoor

        1. Winds

        2. Percussion

        3. Guard

        4. Full band 

    5. Football Games

      1. Game day procedure

      2. Breakfast

      3. Buses

      4. Load-in / Set Up

      5. Parking

      6. Early Bus

      7. Husky Walk

      8. On field rehearsal

      9. Seating in the Stands

      10. Pre-game

      11. Music In the Stands

      12. Half-time

      13. Post-game

      14. Load Out

    6. Exhibition performances

      1. Purpose

      2. Travel Procedure.

      3. Warm-up

      4. Show

      5. Encore

      6. After Performance

    7. Parades

      1. Parade block formation

      2. Parade instruction

      3. Leader duties on parade

      4. Special instructions

    8. Bowl Games

    9. Other Performances

      1. Concert by the Lake

      2. Tuba Christmas

      3. Huskython

      4. Foundation Support

      5. University Ceremony

    10. Special Events (directors, DM/Cptns, Council)

      1. Homecoming

      2. Band Day,

      3. Family Day

      4. Band Competitions

  5. Instruction, Rehearsal, and Performance: PEP BAND

    1. Attendance (DM/Cptn SL directors)

      1. Class Conflicts for rehearsals

      2. Individual Absences for rehearsals

      3. Individual Absences for performances

      4. Daily Attendance Procedures

      5. Record Keeping

      6. Identifying attendance problems

      7. Resolving attendance problems

    2. Regular Rehearsals

    3. Hockey Games

    4. Basketball Games

    5. Tournament Games

    6. Other Performances

    7. Special Events

  6. Creative Activities

    1. Show Development 

      1. Show Theme

      2. Music selection

      3. Music Arrangement Planning

      4. Musical Arrangements

      5. Visual effect planning

      6. Drill writing

      7. Visual effect development

    2. Rehearsal Planning 

      1. Overall goals

      2. Marching Goals

      3. Musical Goals

      4. Section Goals

      5. Attendance procedures

      6. Special Needs

    3. Event Planning (Dir, DM/Cptns, Council)

      1. Football Games

      2. Exhibitions

      3. Parades

      4. Band Day

      5. Make Your Own Band Day

  7. Member Enhancements

    1. Convocation

    2. Banquet (Council)

      1. Location

      2. Finances

      3. Program

      4. Awards

      5. Menu

      6. Transportation

      7. Guests

      8. Banquet Committee Guide        

    3. Social Activities (Council)

      1. Pre-season night time activities

      2. Weekly “Spirit Days”   

      3. Section activities    

    4. Apparel/Merchandise (Council)

      1. Necessary Merchandise

        1. Official-t-shirt/hat/headband

        2. Shoes

        3. Gloves

        4. Folios

      2. Optional sportswear

      3. Non-Member sportswear

      4. Hand/foot warmers

    5. Student Fundraising (Council)

      1. Banquet

      2. Awards

      3. Operational Needs

    6. Student Support

      1. Letters of Recommendation

      2. Awards

        1. UCMB Paperweight

        2. Alumni Awards

    7. Alex Schachter Memorial





UCMB OPERATION CENTER

Welcome to the UCMB Operation  Center!

The Operation Outline appears here in its entirety and in the left sidebar of the UCMB Operation Center Confluence dashboard. Expand each area from the sidebar to go to the page of interest. Everything is ordered by relevance to the areas in the outline and can also be found by using the "Search" engine. "Labels" for certain groups and topics that overlap sections are located on the information pages and will lead to other things related to that group or topic, this feature will evolve as the Operation Center sees more activity and the various groups supply or request labels relevant to their interests.  

This goal of this site is to provide the complete guide to the operation of all aspects of the UCMB. The UCMB is an organization that has been in existence for over 125 years in some form or another. It has evolved into one of the nation’s elite marching bands. That evolution has required the dedicated work of many people in many different roles. In order to service the needs of the band a number of entities have taken on those roles and established a unique web of interdependent operations that produce our band. Beginning as a small student run group and growing to over 300 members with three directors and an administrative assistant and many student leadership/service roles. There are many  people  that contribute to organizational processes:

Directors 3

Administrative Assistant        1

Director Interns: 1-3  

Graduate Assistants      1

Band Council  approx.              30 +/- officers/committee members

Drum Major/Captains               3 / 4

Section Leaders                          34 leaders

Kappa Kappa Psi Fraternity   40+/- members

Tau Beta Sigma Sorority          40+/-members

Student work study                    1-2

Part time Staff                               6-10 adults

Volunteers          many alumni and friends

It is nearly impossible to detail who does every operational task, Many of the entities above contribute to one or more of the efforts described in this guide. Some tasks are shared and others are the complete responsibility of one entity. Pages with direct relevance to one or another group will eventually be accessible by "label". This guide first attempts to outline all operations with background, procedures, and materials and secondarily will attempt to direct those operations to the proper entity(ies) who will carry them out. The UCMB Operation Center will change daily as it grows and is refined through each season of use. Suggestions, additions, and input are welcomed.



https://www.youtube.com/user/UConnMarchingBand   UCMB YouTube Channel

https://uconnband.org. (UCMB Website)

Fire Show, Part 1