Hello HMB Family!
As I write this, we are only 48 hours away from THE BOOM. We are wrapping up our first week of classes, and the 145th edition of the Hawkeye Marching Band has spent the last two weeks becoming more than a band -- these 295 students and our incredible staff have already become a family.
After a whirlwind of a summer, we are so excited to take the field in Kinnick on Saturday, and there is much to look forward to this season! I want to share a few highlights with you as we enter what is sure to me yet another memorable year:
- In addition to record retention numbers in the HMB this year, we also had more than 200 students audition for the band. For the first time since I became director, we had to cut more students than we were able to accept. While that's a heartbreaking reality for so many musicians, the increased level of competition is a very good sign for the future of this ensemble. We welcomed 96 new marching Hawkeyes to the family this year, and they have already blown us away with their dedication, enthusiasm, and focus.
- We have some fantastic halftime shows planned for this season, starting off with what is sure to be an emotional farewell to our beloved Golden Voice of the HMB for the last 44 years, Lou Crist. Lou will announce his final Pregame on Saturday, August 30 in the game vs. Albany, and the band will honor his legacy with a show in his honor at halftime. If you haven't already, I hope you'll take a moment to read this lovely feature on Lou in The Gazette. Please join me in thanking him for his decades of service!
- Lou's retirement means we also have a slate of six wonderful finalists for the next Golden Voice. Each of these dynamic individuals will announce one home game this season, including our Rec Building Show, our historic Pregame, and Halftime. It's not everyday someone has to do a job interview in front of 70,000 fans -- I hope you'll join me in supporting them as they bring their energy and creativity to each performance! We will announce each finalist on the band's social media channels in the week leading up to their audition. Stay tuned!
- The Hawkeye Drumline has made the switch to Pearl Instruments this year. They look great, they sound great, and we are very grateful for our new partnership! We are excited to work with HMB alumnus Shawn Lafrenz, who is a director of operations at Pearl Corporation, as we enter this new era for the drumline. We are also thankful to our partners at West Music for providing us with brand new Pearl drums on consignment, which will be used for the Black and Gold Drumline, as well as the Iowa Alumni Band Drumline. Dr. Nick Miller helped orchestrate this new partnership, and his leadership continues to be exemplary as he develops the marching percussion program at Iowa!
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In addition to our seven home games at Kinnick, we have some other fun performances scheduled this season. We look forward to performing at the 70th Annual Southwest Iowa Band Jamboree in Clarinda, Iowa on October 4, and the Cedar Rapids Metro Marching Band Classic on October 13. We look forward to welcoming the Iowa Alumni Marching Band back to Iowa City for Homecoming later this month, and we will host our annual Band Extravaganza at Xtream Arena in Coralville on December 7.
In the midst of all the organized chaos that is the start of marching band season, it feels really good to take a moment to reflect on how grateful I am to be leading this organization. I am surrounded by talented students and colleagues every day, working to take the band to even greater heights. I am supported by some of the best alumni in the country, who work to preserve the band's legacy and build its future. And we have some of the greatest friends, family, and fans any band director could hope for. Together, we've built something very special. I can't wait to discover what comes next.
On Iowa! Go Hawks!
Dr. Eric Bush
Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band
Associate Director of Bands
Associate Director of the School of Music