You know it’s game day at Maryland when the music of the Mighty Sound of Maryland (MSOM) echoes through the rows of residence halls as the band rehearses for the day ahead. Next year, without fail, the band’s sounds will still ring throughout the campus, but one thing will change: the band will now be a Big Ten band rather than an ACC band. As one of the campus’s most valuable assets in instilling pride and spirit among fans at athletic events, the transition to the Big Ten definitely means big things for the marching band. According to the Report of the President’s Commission on UMD and Big Ten/CIC Integra-

tion, released on June 30, 2012, by the University of Maryland, “Because of the value of the marching and pep bands and the Testu-do mascot in establishing team support and spirit, a dedicated and enhanced budget in support of these activities should be established.” The enhanced

funds the band should receive, as indicated in this report, will be a huge help to the band in paying for new equipment and staff members, which will in turn help the band remain com-petitive with the other Big Ten band programs. The Big Ten Conference is currently home to 12 universities, joining the conference means the MSOM will now have 12 new peer marching bands to interact with. This means new opportunities for the MSOM to travel to these schools and have the Big Ten bands, which include some of the oldest and most famous college marching bands, come visit and perform at Maryland home games.Current members voice excitement “I’m excited to perform alongside some of the oldest and most prestigious bands in the country,” said Austin Boroshok, a sophomore psychology major and member of the MSOM. Boroshok and other students in the band look forward to the games next year when the band will have the opportunity to travel to, and perform at, Maryland’s away games at Big Ten schools across the country. (Continued on Page 2)

The Mighty Sound of Maryland performs its pregame show at every home football game.

Photo credit: Ken Rubin

It’s almost Big Ten timeNews from the 50-Yard Line

Trumpet players run across the field during the MSOM’s signature ‘block

and mess’ move.Photo credit: Ken Rubin

The Mighty Sound of Maryland presents:

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Inside this issue:Game day for a drum major Page 2Spare change supports local bands Page 2MSOM throughout the nation Page 3Terrell Smith directs DCA corps Page 3Do you remember when? Page 4Clarinet section break down Page 4Alumni return game after game Page 4

January2014

It’s game day. As alarms blare in their ears, band members struggle to roll out of their beds, assemble their uniform pieces and rush to the practice field all before the drum majors blow the first whistle of rehearsal. Before all of those things, however, the drum majors are already working behind the scenes to ensure that everything is ready for a smooth game day. The current drum majors provided a glimpse into what a drum major’s schedule looks like on game day, something that has long remained a secret to the rest of the band.

Schedule for a 3:30 p.m. game8 a.m.: Wake up and shower9 a.m.: Meet other drum majors at Bagel Place to eat and discuss the day ahead10 a.m.: Join band members on the practice field and solve any crises10:30 a.m.: Lead rehearsal on the field1 p.m.: Conduct at Terp Town1:30 p.m.: Eat (quickly) at a band tailgate and get into uniform2 p.m.: Step off and truck to Byrd Stadium8 p.m.: Get home and sleep for as long as humanly possible

The game day life of a drum major

Raiding your piggy bank to help a local band

The pressure to perform at the highest level possible will be constant for the MSOM in this move; however, students are looking forward to this pressure. Zachary Caplan, a senior economics major and member of the MSOM, said, “I’m excited that the band will have better traveling opportunities and new motivation to make us perform at a more elite level.”

While many questions still remain as the university’s official move to the Big Ten

Conference approaches, one thing is for sure – the move will definitely provide the members of the Mighty Sound of Maryland with new and unique experiences that would not

have been possible in the ACC. Maryland’s new place in the Big Ten gives the band the opportunity to show an entirely new set of universi-ties, and their fans, why the MSOM truly is “The Best Band in the Land.”

A Maryland football player high-fives band members after beating ODU.

Photo credit: Ken Rubin

It’s almost Big Ten time (Continued from Page 1)

2

“I’m excited that the band will have better traveling opportunities and new motivation to make us

perform at a more elite level.” - Zachary Caplan

Drum major Jacob Knippel prepares to call the band to attention.

Photo credit: Ken Rubin

Each fall sections within the band strategize against one another in the annual Penny Wars. Band members dump overflowing handfuls of spare quarters and dimes into old jars labeled for each section of the band, all while saving their pennies and dollar bills for their own section’s jar. The Penny Wars competition is an annual service project hosted by the sisters of Tau Beta Sigma within the Mighty Sound of Maryland. Band members quickly learn that in order for their section to win the competition they need to gather the most positive points, in the

form of pennies and dollar bills, while also putting dimes, nickels and quarters into other sections’ jars to add negative points to their scores. This year the flute section won the competition with 8,455 positive points and the saxophones lost with 1,791 negative points.

The goal of the entire service project, however, is not to see which section can get sabotaged by their peers the fastest, but to raise

money for a local high school band in need. During this year’s Penny Wars the band raised a total of $449.50. The money collected went to High Point High School’s marching band to fund new instruments for the program.

$449.50Total amount raised in

2013 Penny Wars

One of the main responsibilities of the Mighty Sound of Maryland is to represent the university at events both across campus and across the nation, but were you aware that the ensemble is composed of students from all over the nation? Although a majority of the students in the band, like the majority of students at the university, are Maryland natives, there are also students from hundreds, and even

MSOM representation across the nation from Vermont to California

MSOM percussion director creates Thunder Brigade Drum and Bugle Corps

staff and alumni have signed on to work alongside Smith and lead Thunder Brigade in their first season of DCA competition. Pedro Paz, a former graduate assistant with the MSOM, recently accepted a position as the mellophone tech withThunder Brigade. Paz has experience working as a tech with the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps this past summer. If you are going to be in the Maryland/D.C. area this summer make sure to check out Thunder Brigade at its local DCA competitions as well as at the 2014 DCA World Championship in New York. For more information about joining Thunder Brigade visit their website at thunderbrigade.org.

The Mighty Sound of Maryland’s marching percussion coordinator, Terrell Smith, is recruiting from the MSOM and alumni for the drum corps he recently founded. Smith founded the Thunder Brigade Drum and Bugle Corps and now serves as its executive director. He previously served on the staffs of other world

class DCI and DCA drum and bugle corps. Thunder Brigade is a great opportunity for current and future MSOM alumni to join as members of the ensemble or to take on valuable leadership positions on the staff. Until now Maryland did not have a local drum corps for people to get involved in. Many students in the Mighty Sound of Maryland, including alumni, have marched in DCA and DCI drum and bugle corps across the nation, including the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps and The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. Prior to Smith’s creation of Thunder Brigade many students and alumni who wanted to march in the summer had to travel to other states in order to find ensembles they could join. Additionally, other members of the Mighty Sound of Maryland’s

Terrell Smith watches the UMD drumline rehearse on game day.

Photo credit: Ken Rubin

Terrell Smith founds DCA drum corps to begin competing in summer 2014

3thousands, of miles away. Students on the band’s current roster come from as far as away California, Illinois and Florida.

In addition to these states, the members of the band also represent the northeastern states, with multiple members from Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. For out-of-state students, a main difference in committing to be a member of the MSOM is the large amount of thought and planning required for travel arrangements. Band events outside the typical university schedule, such as early week or performances at bowl games and basketball tournaments, require out-of-state students to plan their schedules and flights as early as possible.

Home states of 2013 MSOM members

States that are shaded red represent home states of current MSOM members. Source: The Mighty Sound of

Maryland/Credit: Kate Sylvester via piktochart.com

The clarinet section by the numbers

This month’s section break down Once a season the MSOM alumni double-time across the field alongside the current

members of the band. This annual homecoming performance gives alumni the opportunity to escape their lives in the real world and return to their days of college marching band. One game, however, is not enough for alumni who wish

MSOM alumni sway to the band’s performance of the alma mater.

Photo credit: Ken Rubin

9 BSOS majors7 CMNS majors4 ENGR majors

81% in-state

5 seniors9 juniors6 sophomores6 freshmen

4Reflecting on some of the best moments in recent MSOM history When looking back on the four years spent at Maryland, the typical students will celebrate their fond memories of attending football games, rubbing testudo’s nose and swimming in the fountain on the mall. For band members, however, there are many more experiences tacked on top of the clichéd ones of every UMD student. Here are some of the key moments Mighty Sound of Maryland alumni

remember from their time at Maryland. Do you remember?• Performing “Thriller” at half-time • Marching in the Inaugural Parade• Trucking around Byrd Stadium• Cheering for the men’s basketball team as they beat Duke• Winning the Hawaii Five-O Competition• Attending the Military Bowl• Performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

• Marching at M&T Bank Stadium in the pouring rain• Traveling to Virginia Tech and cheering the Terps to a victory in overtime

Plus students in AGNR, ARCH, ARHU, JOUR, SPH & undecided

The MSOM performs pregame in M&T Bank Stadium. Photo credit: Ken Rubin

they could relive the best four years of their lives. The influence four years in marching band has on students is evident in the dedication alumni have to coming back each weekend, no matter the weather, to sit with their friends and reminisce. “Being a part of the Mighty Sound of Maryland made my college experience worthwhile. I was able to find amazing friends, while still gaining the leadership skills necessary to take away to the real world,” said Stephanie Groff, a 2013 UMD graduate and MSOM alumna. Whether it is a year or 30 years after graduation, alumni, like Groff, can never say enough about the lasting influence the MSOM had on their lives, particularly the friendships they made in the group.

MSOM alumni return game after game

The MSOM clarinet section warms up before the Inaugural Parade.

Photo credit: Ken Rubin

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