It's time to get ready for the BOOM!

As you read this, nearly 300 marching Hawkeyes are arriving on campus for camp with the 143rd edition of the Hawkeye Marching Band. The HMB staff and I have been preparing for this moment since March: interviewing student leaders, holding auditions, show planning, drill writing, arranging music, organizing CAMBUS schedules and residence hall move-in dates, assembling rehearsal uniforms and preparing instruments… and that’s just some of the work that goes into our “summer break!” And it’s all worth it. Because there is so much to look forward to this season.

We had the largest number of audition registrations this year since I became director of the HMB in 2018. Competition for acceptance to the band was high in many sections, including the Hawkeye Drumline, which had 51 students audition for one of 29 spots on the line. Thanks to support from Iowa Athletics and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, we were able to not only hire Dr. Nick Miller as Associate Director of the HMB and Director of Marching Percussion this year, we were also able to expand our graduate staff. I know all of our students will benefit greatly from the expertise and mentorship shared with them by Dr. Miller and our seven Hawkeye Marching Band TAs this season.

In addition to our 7 home game performances this season, we are also greatly anticipating the HMB’s first ever performance at the Iowa State Fair. This is the first time we’ve been invited to perform at the Fair, and we are thrilled to celebrate the Hawkeye State in this way! We also have two exhibition performances planned this season here in Iowa City and in Pella, Iowa. I love these opportunities to connect with high school marching band students, and looking at the growth in our audition numbers, I have no doubt that events like this make a big impact. Check out the HMB’s full season performance schedule here.

This year is also a landmark year for student support in the HMB. Fiscal Year 2023 saw exponential growth in fundraising for the band, including the establishment of the Lou Crist Legacy Fund and a record-breaking performance on One Day for Iowa. Thanks to some incredibly generous donors, we are excited to announce new additional scholarships for HMB students! This includes multiple awards from the Kelly L. Enstrom Marching Band Scholarship Fund and the newly established John F. Allen Appreciation Awards! The Allen Appreciation Awards will include a scholarship for every first year member of the Hawkeye Marching Band, plus additional funds for returning members of the HMB!

I hope you’ll take a moment to read through the rest of this newsletter to catch up on some of the other exciting developments for the Hawkeye Marching Band. We have a lot of celebrate and look forward to, and I know our 143rd year is going to be a great one.

On Iowa, and Go Hawks!

Dr. Eric W. Bush
Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band