Joys Of Band Spread In Band Day 2006

By: Timothy Bleasdale

Posted: 10/9/06

More than 450 high school band students converged on Storrs Saturday morning for Band Day 2006. The day started off rather chilly, but the air was filled with enthusiasm as the high schoolers cheered the beginning of Band Day.

Band Day is an event the UConn Marching Band (UCMB) has been putting on for more than 25 years. In the early 1990s, Band Day began with a parade from the Music Building to Memorial Stadium. Along the way, UCMB staff evaluated the high school marching bands' performance. The parade was followed with a music rehearsal in preparation for a joint UCMB and high school bands performance at the half time show of a football game later that afternoon.

Over the years, Band Day has changed quite a bit. In an attempt to improve the overall Band Day experience, Dr David Mills, UCMB's current director, reformatted the program. For logistical reasons, the opening parade was dropped and replaced by a UCMB show for the high schoolers in Memorial Stadium.

"It's hard to believe, but many of the [high school band students] had never seen another marching band," Mills said. "This is especially true here in Connecticut, where there are many small high schools that have neither a football team nor a marching band." He adds that Band Day provided a valuable opportunity to many of these students whose band would normally only perform in Memorial Day parades.

After the performance, UCMB members would conduct clinics with the high school bands on the basics of marching and playing while moving. The clinics included one-on-one attention from UCMB members in learning the new skills.

"This proved to be one of the most valuable parts of the event since many of the students had never had the opportunity to learn the basics of marching properly at home," Mills said.

Then putting the new skills to use, the UCMB would take to the field with the high school bands and create different formation while playing the music they had learned that morning.

Band Day moved to Rentschler Field four years ago.

"It was a big deal to be in the big stadium with all the people again," Mills said. "We did Band Day there two times and both were very successful."

Unfortunately, on the third year, it was decided that the seats normally reserved for the high schoolers were needed for season ticket holders and Band Day could no longer include the half time show at a football game.

This year's event was a revival of Band Day as the program was in the late 1990s. The program consisted of a concentration on clinics for the high school students followed a combined UCMB-high school bands performance and concluded with a performance of UCMB's classic rock medley show, "Rock Your World."

The high school band students broke off into clusters all around Rentchler Field by section with UCMB members. Music professionals then conducted clinics on producing the best sound. Saxophonists learned a few exercises to strengthen their face muscles while flautists learned new tongue techniques.

"It's been great so far," said Paul Efthymiou, a sophomore alto-saxophonist from Ansonia High, during a break. "I really like UConn's band."

But the positive feelings were not limited to the saxophone section.

"It's cold, but great. We're having a lot of fun," said Justin Lafountain, a sophomore clarinetist at East Hampton High School.

Band Day is an important part of the UCMB program. It is a chance for the older and more experienced UCMB members to bond with the high schoolers and impart to them an intense enthusiasm for marching music and a sense of pride.

"Some [high school students] 'go through the motions' of having a band," Mills said. "When they see the college students taking things seriously, they learn that it's cool to care about their bands."

Part of the function of Band Day is to recruit high school band students to UConn. Many current UCMB members attended Band Day as high schoolers.

"I came to Band Day my senior year," said Kait Moss, a 3rd-semester undecided major and color guard. "It was a great experience and I knew it was something I wanted to do when I came here."

The loss of the football game half time show isn't all bad news for Band Day.

"It's really Band Day now- no football, just band," Mills said.

Many of the UCMB members agree the reformatting of Band Day 2006 has made a positive impact.

"It's great because now we have a lot of time with the high school kids so we can teach them a lot more," said trombonist Ashley Lockwood, a 5th-semester music education major.

Many high school bands still don't have the sort of marching programs that can provide the sort of experiences gained at Band Day. These schools benefit immensely from Band Day. One such school is Woodstock Academy.

"Our school doesn't have a marching program for our band yet. We just started our football team," said Lauren Sansoucy, Director of the Woodstock Academy band and a former UCMB drum major.

Trumpeter Jon Firman, a 5th-semester biology major, declared Band Day 2006 a success.

"You could definitely tell the high schoolers were enjoying themselves which is important because that's what this day is all about," Firman said.