To our Hawkeye Marching Band and School of Music family,

On Saturday, September 5, a student in our Hawkeye Marching Band family experienced a significant medical emergency, and this morning he passed away. Derek Phillips was our mellophone section leader, a beloved member of the School of Music horn studio, and the kind of friend, student, and musician that represents the very best of what it means to be a Hawkeye.

Losing a HMB family member is one of the most difficult tragedies we will experience. We are grateful to his parents, Sara and Brian, for providing regular updates throughout the weekend to HMB staff and the students who love him. We will continue to walk the journey together, and we will continue to provide support and resources to our students to ensure they are getting the care they need. The Hawkeye Marching Band and the School of Music are strong and resilient because of the people within. We appreciate the thoughts and well-wishes from so many members of our community.

Dr. Walker and I are grateful for the heroic actions of our athletic trainer, our police officers, university medical personnel, EMS, and our HMB students who responded immediately and provided assistance to Derek on-site before he was transported to UIHC.

Counselors will be on site in Voxman, and with the HMB all week. We encourage you to reach out to those around you and ask for support if you need it.

There is nothing more important than the safety of our students. Their well-being is always at the top of my mind. We are teaching them more than music and marching— and we are a family. I told the band on Saturday, when we gathered after we departed from Kinnick Stadium, “As a parent, the care I have for my own son extends to every single marching Hawkeye.”

This Saturday, and for the rest of our season, the Hawkeye Marching Band and School of Music will honor Derek’s memory, and we will communicate those details as they take shape.

The University of Iowa, the School of Music, and the Hawkeye Marching Band leadership will continue to provide support in the coming days, weeks, and months to students who need it. We understand that grief affects us in many different ways, and we are committed to supporting our students in whatever ways they need.

With much gratitude for our Hawkeye family,

Dr. Eric W. Bush

Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band

Associate Director of the School of Music

Dr. Tammie Walker

Director of the School of Music