We just completed the 2021-2022 academic year, and bid farewell to the class of 2022. It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to our graduating students, and this year was especially so, as many of them were first-year students in my first year as director. My first “Block I” during the 2018 Kickoff at Kinnick was for the class of 2022. This class was special, and I’m incredibly grateful for their leadership over their years in the band, especially during our virtual 2020 season, and this past season, where we got to play on some of the biggest stages for collegiate bands: the Big Ten Championship and the Citrus Bowl.

And now, all eyes look to the 2022 season! In March, five talented HMB members auditioned for the role of Drum Major of the Hawkeye Marching Band. Each student brought something very special to their vision and candidacy for the position, and because of their leadership, the future of the HMB is bright! It is with great excitement that I introduce the next Drum Major of the Hawkeye Marching Band, Christian Frankl.

Christian recently completed his third year as a double major in political science (pre-law) and music, and he studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland during the spring 2022 semester. A native of Ames, Iowa and a member of the alto saxophone section in the HMB, Christian served on undergraduate staff for the 2021 season.

The Hawkeye Marching Band family continues to blow me away with their support for the band. On One Day for Iowa, the university’s annual day of giving, 228 donors gave more than $120,000 to help us build the future of the organization. Donor and alumni support are what make it possible for us to travel and perform throughout the state of Iowa, connecting with future members of the Hawkeye Marching Band. It enhances our performances by supporting unique collaborations and elevates the quality of the music we play through custom arrangements of popular music. It does so much for the band, including bringing us closer than ever to my goal of putting a quality HMB-owned instrument in the hands of every band member on game day.

A very special group of HMB alums are working to finish out that goal by raising funds for a line of game day alto and tenor saxophones, in memory of Stacy Thompson, who marched in the band from 1988 to 1991. This goal will require approximately $65,000 for the saxophones and cases, and the group has already raised nearly $21,000! If you are interested in working with them to raise these funds, please contact Susan Sebille (susan.sebille@gmail.com) for more information.

I am very excited about what we have planned for the 2022 season! We have some wonderful collaborations and partnerships on the horizon:

• On October 1, for the game against Michigan, we will celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of the man who wrote Iowa Fight Song, Meredith Willson. We will present a special performance featuring music from The Music Man, and will invite HMB alumni trombone players, as well as trombone players from the three Iowa City High Schools, to join us on the field to feature 76 Trombones in the show’s closer. We also have a few other surprises cooking up, and I can’t wait to share them with you when the time is right!
• The band will travel to Columbus, Ohio in October for the game vs. Ohio State. We will perform in a joint performance with the Ohio State University Marching Band, featuring the music of Elton John, arranged by Ted McDaniel, an alumnus of the University of Iowa School of Music, and Professor Emeritus of African American Music and Jazz Studies at Ohio State!

As always, thank you for your continued support and the enthusiasm you share for everything we do in the Hawkeye Marching Band! Our success is tied directly to the dedication and generosity of our alumni!

I can’t wait to see many of you at Homecoming in October. I hope you will consider joining us Thursday evening, October 27 in Voxman Music Building for our HMB Alumni Homecoming Kickoff Celebration!

On Iowa, and Go Hawks!

Eric W. Bush
Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band