News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Golden Eagle Marching Band has recently seen an uptick in student participation.
Tech Director of Bands Jefferey Miller said when he first became the university’s band director in 2018, he was tasked by President Phil Oldham to increase participation. Since then, Miller said the band has grown from 120 to 220 members, by recruiting non-major students at the university’s orientation event called SOAR.
“The real purpose there is to catch those students who are new to the university who may not know anything about the marching band, or may be on the fence about joining the marching band.” Miller said. “And that face-to-face connection usually allows me to answer all their questions and kind of put their mind at ease and that has been really helpful for us.”
Miller said he believes more non-major students are participating in the band to earn a degree while also continuing a creative outlet that students were involved with in high school. Miller also said the university’s band schedule is appealing to students.
“I think they see that it’s exciting that our schedule by comparison to larger universities you know a UT band or a Florida State or any of the larger bands there is a lot more travel that is involved,” Miller said. “On our side, we obviously support the team as best as we can and sometimes we travel but that is pretty minimal.”
Miller said the university has a scholarship that every student is eligible for but is based on auditions.
Miller said with the growth of the band, the band brings a lot more to the table for the university.
“We bring a lot of spirit to the football game experience throughout the game by supporting the team,” Miller said. “Our half-time performances we always try to engage the crowd and perform music that we know that the students will enjoy and that the crowd will enjoy. I think that I heard a metric one time that a university marching band should be roughly one percent of the total population of the university and so we are above that.”
Miller said the university has invested in the band by purchasing new uniforms this past fall.
