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The Tennessee football team will be on the field for its annual Orange and White Spring Game for fans to enjoy, accompanied by the musical stylings of 350 high school band students playing side by side with the Pride of the Southland Band.
Current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will join the University of Tennessee at Knoxville's prestigious marching band April 12 to be a "Member for a Day," bringing their own music holders and instruments picked from a long list of what's allowed - including brass and percussion instruments.
It's open to any student in the county, state and country as long as they can make the trip, but the event fills up quickly about a week after registration opens.
“It’s a big recruiting day for us,” Mike Stewart, director of the Pride of the Southland, told Knox News. “The goal is to get as much interaction time with our students as possible.”
Registration for the event costs $40, and includes a T-shirt, music with folder, lunch and a ticket for the game. Families and friends will need to purchase their own $10 tickets.
The students will check in between 9 and 10 a.m. at the music center within the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music. After that, students will attend a meeting followed by a 45-minute rehearsal with the band to go over the music while getting to know the college students at the heart of UT's band.
The groups will eat lunch together, giving the high school musicians a chance to mingle, ask questions and connect with the UT students. Lunch is one of most important parts of the day, Stewart said, and such interactions are UT's main reasoning for hosting the event.
“The great thing about it, too, is before they even step in that morning, they already have something in common. They already play music. They already play in band," Stewart said.
Once lunch wraps up, the group departs for Neyland Stadium, where they'll sit in the stands and play the band's typical game tunes. The high school students and the UT band won't do any drills or marches, and the event is done around 4 p.m. with a walk back to the music building.
The event has filled up year after year, with UT capping it at 350 students to ensure they're not overcrowded. Feedback has been positive from students and faculty, Stewart said, and he asks the new Pride of the Southland Band each school year how many members previously took part in "Member for a Day."
Around 100 hands shoot up in response, or about a quarter of the band of up to 415 total members.
Even if they can't take part in the event, Stewart encourages high school students to attend a rehearsal or talk to the band directors about the band, as well as performing well to get a chance to be in the band as UT becomes a more competitive school to enroll in.
“If it’s your dream to be a part of the Pride, then be involved with events like this or on-campus recruiting events," Stewart said.
He's excited to direct the band this year, teasing new songs and shows for next season. But nothing is set in stone yet as he and the UT Bands team are still picking out the members to make up the next iteration of the Pride of the Southland Band.
Leader of the band: Meet Christian Carroll, the 2024 drum major for UT's Pride of the Southland Band
“This will be the 156th year of the Pride, one of the oldest bands in the country," Stewart said. "Every year brings that excitement, every year is a new band, and for us it will be no different. Putting new shows together, new drill designs, that’s always an exciting time when we get to be creative and come up with new ideas.”
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at [email protected].
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Pride of Southland Band joined by high schoolers at Orange and White Game
Continue reading...
Current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will join the University of Tennessee at Knoxville's prestigious marching band April 12 to be a "Member for a Day," bringing their own music holders and instruments picked from a long list of what's allowed - including brass and percussion instruments.
It's open to any student in the county, state and country as long as they can make the trip, but the event fills up quickly about a week after registration opens.
“It’s a big recruiting day for us,” Mike Stewart, director of the Pride of the Southland, told Knox News. “The goal is to get as much interaction time with our students as possible.”
A day full of music, interaction between students
Registration for the event costs $40, and includes a T-shirt, music with folder, lunch and a ticket for the game. Families and friends will need to purchase their own $10 tickets.
The students will check in between 9 and 10 a.m. at the music center within the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music. After that, students will attend a meeting followed by a 45-minute rehearsal with the band to go over the music while getting to know the college students at the heart of UT's band.
The groups will eat lunch together, giving the high school musicians a chance to mingle, ask questions and connect with the UT students. Lunch is one of most important parts of the day, Stewart said, and such interactions are UT's main reasoning for hosting the event.
“The great thing about it, too, is before they even step in that morning, they already have something in common. They already play music. They already play in band," Stewart said.
Once lunch wraps up, the group departs for Neyland Stadium, where they'll sit in the stands and play the band's typical game tunes. The high school students and the UT band won't do any drills or marches, and the event is done around 4 p.m. with a walk back to the music building.
A popular event at University of Tennessee that will continue
The event has filled up year after year, with UT capping it at 350 students to ensure they're not overcrowded. Feedback has been positive from students and faculty, Stewart said, and he asks the new Pride of the Southland Band each school year how many members previously took part in "Member for a Day."
Around 100 hands shoot up in response, or about a quarter of the band of up to 415 total members.
Even if they can't take part in the event, Stewart encourages high school students to attend a rehearsal or talk to the band directors about the band, as well as performing well to get a chance to be in the band as UT becomes a more competitive school to enroll in.
“If it’s your dream to be a part of the Pride, then be involved with events like this or on-campus recruiting events," Stewart said.
He's excited to direct the band this year, teasing new songs and shows for next season. But nothing is set in stone yet as he and the UT Bands team are still picking out the members to make up the next iteration of the Pride of the Southland Band.
Leader of the band: Meet Christian Carroll, the 2024 drum major for UT's Pride of the Southland Band
“This will be the 156th year of the Pride, one of the oldest bands in the country," Stewart said. "Every year brings that excitement, every year is a new band, and for us it will be no different. Putting new shows together, new drill designs, that’s always an exciting time when we get to be creative and come up with new ideas.”
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at [email protected].
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Pride of Southland Band joined by high schoolers at Orange and White Game
Continue reading...
