Practice Field - Minnesota Home

UNIVERSITY of MINNESOTA

Facts:

Location: Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota

Mascot: Goldy Gopher
Stadium: H.H.H Metrodome

Home: Northrop Auditorium and Ferguson Hall

Band size: Fluctuates from 290 to 320 each year

Director: Prof. Jerry Luckhardt, Assistant Director of Bands

Assistant Director: Prof. Tim Diem, Associate Director of Bands

Instructor and Hockey Band Director: Skeeter J. Burroughs

Instructor and Basketball Band Director: Robb Mueller

Percussion Instructor: Kelley Lima

Drum Major: Jon Tepe

Twirler: Aimee Barmore

Sections: Flutes and Piccs, Clarinets, Alto Saxes, Trumpets, Mellophones, Tenor Saxes, Baritones, Trombones, Sousaphones, Drumline and Flagline

Marching Style: combination with full chair step (90 degrees) used for pregames and selected halftimes, low glide step used for most halftimes and 3/4 chair for parade marching. Run cadence is used to get on and off the field and is a double time chair step.

Leadership: Section Leaders (musical development and rehearsal; one per section), Assistant Section Leaders (backs Section Leader; number depends on size of section), Rank Lieutenants (teach and maintain proper marching form as well as teach pregame and halftime; approximately 1 for every 5 in the section)

Practice Locations: Music rehearsals are generally held at Northrop Auditorium on the mall. Marching Rehearsal is outside behind the Bierman Athletic Complex north of Dinkytown. Friday evening and Saturday morning rehearsals before games are held inside the Bierman Football Practice Facility. The Drumline has it's own rehearsal room in the basement of Northrop (Room 4).

Rehearsal Times: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs - 4:15-6:00 every week. Game weeks include Friday nights, 7-9 and Saturday mornings, generally 4 or 5 hours before the kick-off.

School Songs: Active: Minnesota Rouser, Minnesota March, Our Minnesota, Hail! Minnesota, Minnesota Fight, Go Gopher Victory.
Special Request: Mighty Minnesota, We're On Our Way, Hat's Off to Thee.

Pep Bands:
Hockey: 60-70 members, performs at Mariucci Arena, battery percussion, marching band pre-req
Basketball: 45-55 members, both battery and set percussion, performs at Williams Arena, marching band pre-req
WAB (Women's Athletic Band): 25-75 members (depends on sport), plays for women's hockey, basketball, and volleyball, set percussion, open to anyone.

Traditions:

The band memorizes their music. This includes pregame, halftime as well as everything they perform at indoor concerts. Only recently have they introduced a folder for stand tunes during games.

Pregame changes little from year to year, and the pregame performed ten years ago is not unlike that performed today. The grandest tradition is the "Swinging Gates" played with Dr. Bencruiscutto's arrangement of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Introduced in 1960, this formation has continued with only two short interuptions in the 70s and 80s. A new director must promise the continuation of this formation before they will even be considered for the job.

The Block M near the end of pregame was a tradition started by 1914, possibly earlier. the M's shape has gone through numerous transformation, though the current form began, at least in principle in 1960.

BARF, the Big American Representational Flag, has become a signature of the band. It is 21x40 yards and is used mainly in pre-game for the National Anthem.

Pregame spots are limited and try-outs are done before almost every game. Those not in pre-game are Big Ten flags or hold BARF.

Saturday mornings before rehearsals, the drumline gathers early in room 4 for warm-ups and then marches to practice, sometimes circling through campus and down frat row.

Homecoming week is known as Stooge Week and is an "educational experience" for the rookies. It is used to teach the history of the band and university.

The Homecoming parade runs down University avenue beginning at Sanford Hall and ending at the McNamara Alumni Center (the site of memorial stadium). Last season, the alumni were invited to march within the ranks of the current band, with the band's numbers reaching 500.

Many of the Parade Cadences have existed since the 1950s, modified only for changes in drum technology. New cadences are sometimes added, but no cadence is ever cut out. The band has created several chants to fit the cadences, with many sections creating their own versions which makes for an interesting parade.

Each year before school begins, the band holds Spat Camp. The first few days involves only leadership, then the rookies come for two days for a crash course in marching. The vets return two days after the rookies. Camp is held on campus and the band takes over one of the residence halls. During camp the band performs at the Minnesota State Fair and at a pep fest in St. Paul.

The end of the year banquet last about 5 hours (depending on the length of Luckhardt's speeches). At the end, there is a 40 minute slide show presentation with photos from the season. The show is created by the band photographers, Dave Whitaker and Tonya Wilson, as well as members of the band.

At the end of every rehearsal and performance the band links arms and takes off their hats to sing Hail! Minnesota, the alma mater. During their last year, seniors will direct the band through this song (which is often both emotional and humorous at the same time).

Minnesota Travel Information:

Practice locations and times are listed above in Facts.

Inspection takes place on the steps of Northrop 2 hours before kick-off.

Pre-game performances are held outside the Metrodome on the plaza. The band marches around the stadium and breifly stops on the plaza for a concert. This is done generally one hour before kick-off.

Band sits at the edge of the end-zone near the tunnel on the lower level.

Pregame starts about 20 minutes to a half and hour before kick-off.

During the third quarter a small group, The Fanfare Band, travels around the field.

Post-game performances are held outside the Metrodome at Gate C, unless it is the final home game of the season, then the band is inside doing tuba races and bone spins.

Locations where marching band members may be found are Tubaville Estates and Drumline House in Dinkytown, Omega Nu Alpha and Sigma Chi fraternities, the School of Music on the West Bank and the basement of Northrop on the Mall.

Good restaurants:

Best Chili: Sally's

Best Coney Dog: The Big Ten

Best free popcorn: The Big Ten

Best Mexican: Chipotle (oh so good!)

Best Pizza: Taste of Manhattan, Campus Pizza

Best Chinese: Village Wok

Best Malts: Annie's

Best Breakfast: Al's Breakfast (only 18 seats, so don't bring big groups)

Best Subs: Erbert's and Gerbert's or Big Mike's. It's a toss up.

Fast Food: McDonalds (2), Burger King, Dairy Queen, Arby's/ Sabarro, Taco John's (Dinkydome), Chick-fil-a (Coffman Union), Bruegger's Bagels (2), Pizza Hut, Papa John's, Dominos

Bars: Stub and Herb's. The Big Ten, Perry's Pizza, the Library, and Sally's all on the East bank. Sgt. Preston's, Town Hall and Grandma's all on the West Bank. All of these have fairly good food.

"It's tough to find bad food on campus. Not impossible, just tough. As long as you avoid the dorms." - Matt "Biffy" Hanley, Tenor Sax

Schedule:

Aug 15 - Spat camp begins for leadership

Aug 19 - Spat camp begins for rookies, flags and drumline

Aug 21 - Spat camp begins for vets

Aug 24 - State Fair performance

Aug 30 - Home game: University of Tulsa

Sep 2 - New student convocation

Sep 6 - Home game: Troy State

Sep 20 - Home game: University of Louisiana-LaFayette

Oct 11 - Home game: University of Michigan

Oct 18 - Home Game: Michigan State