Dear Hawkeyes,

I am thrilled to be writing this message as part of the inaugural issue of Roll Along, our online Iowa Bands newsletter. I hope this semi-annual newsletter will serve as a way of staying in touch and keeping you informed of band news from campus.

It has been a busy but exciting three years since moving into the new Voxman Music Building. The concert and athletic band programs continue to do well and involve more than 600 UI student participants each year.

In the spring 2017, Kevin Kastens, Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band, announced his retirement, after a 40-year teaching career, 20 of which were spent at Iowa. Following a national search, Dr. Eric W. Bush, Assistant Director of Bands at Penn State University, was appointed the 13th Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band. Dr. Bush holds degrees from Central Michigan University, University of Montana, and the University of Iowa, and his teaching experiences include faculty positions at Suffolk County Community College (NY) and Penn State. Dr. Bush enjoyed a successful first year with the HMB last year, and there is mounting excitement about the band's upcoming season. We are so glad to have Dr. Bush and his family back in Iowa City! 

There is quite a bit of news regarding the concert band program, but unfortunately there is too much to discuss everything within this brief newsletter. However, here are a few recent highlights:

A concert band comprising 50 UI students enjoyed a concert tour to Ireland in March 2018. The tour highlights included numerous historical and cultural sites and events throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as well as shared performances in Castlebar with the County Mayo Orchestra and in Fivemiletown (UK) with the Silver Murley Band. The Ireland tour, which was highly successful, was the first international band tour from Iowa since the famous 1966 Symphony Band European Tour with Fred Ebbs.

In 2017, the band area released TRADITION, a CD featuring performances of the Symphony Band under the leadership of Fred Ebbs, Frank Piersol, Myron Welch, and Mark Heidel. The performances are live, unedited, and span almost 50 years of the Symphony Band. Be sure to let us know if you would like a copy of the CD.

This year promises to be another busy but rewarding year for the band program with a full slate of concerts. In addition, the Symphony Band will perform at the 2020 College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference at DePaul University at 8:00PM on Thursday, February 21, and at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference in the ballroom of the Downtown Marriott in Des Moines at 8:15PM on Friday, May 15. You are cordially invited to attend these free concerts!

And finally, the longstanding tradition of the Iowa Dinner continues and is held each year in conjunction with the Midwest Clinic. This year, the dinner will be at a restaurant in Chicago on Thursday, December 19, and current UI students and alumni are invited to attend. More information about the dinner will be posted on the Iowa Bands Facebook page later in the fall.

The University of Iowa is a special place with special people, and I am proud to be starting my 12th year as Director of Bands. I hope you will keep in touch and let us know what you are doing. And if you are ever in Iowa City, please to let us know as I would enjoy meeting with you or even giving you a tour of the fabulous Voxman Music Building. Be sure to check out the Iowa Bands website at uiowa.edu/bands and our Facebook page for news and upcoming events. 

Best wishes, and.....

Go Hawks!

Mark Heidel
Director of Bands
mark-heidel@uiowa.edu