The Skyhawk Marching Band (SMB) premieres their Clubbin’ season this Saturday at Martin’s first home game.
The halftime performance includes Maynard Ferguson’s “Birdland,” Bruno Mars’ hit “Uptown Funk” and the Daft Punk piece “Up All Night to Get Lucky/One More Time.” The band hopes to incorporate new pieces throughout the season so they encourage students to attend each game and see what has changed within their show.
There will be several features in the Daft Punk piece, including baritones, a mellophone and a trumpet line. Freshmen Logan Priestley and Jacob Luker on baritone; junior, Destiny Meyer on mellophone and Phillip Winters, Trevor Belton, Michael Larkin, Matt Scott and Tyler Davis on trumpet will all be given a moment to wow the crowd with their enthusiasm and execution.
The band as a whole will showcase their moves during the dance break of “Uptown Funk,” which has members of the band both old and new excited. Dr. Bill Waterman, the director of athletic bands, has been with UTM for three years and has incorporated three dance breaks for the SMB, so it’s safe to say this one will be high energy and fun for all watching.
Charles Taylor, a junior geoscience major and instrument and equipment manager, says he is most excited about the dancing in Uptown Funk.
His favorite part of SMB as a whole is “the ‘hype’ atmosphere that surrounds [them] in the stands… from the roar of the tubas, to the yelling from the cheerleaders. [It] all brings a special flair to the student section.”
Taylor hopes that the student section will cheer and sing with the band so the football team feels the enthusiasm and unlocks their deeper potential.
The Skyhawk Marching Band gave a performance in the recent Soybean parade and they are hosting the West Tennessee Marching Championship at Hardy Graham Stadium on October 22, for competing high school marching bands. After Saturday’s game, they will also be performing for exhibition at the Union City Invitational. SMB would like to remind alumni of UTM that the Alumni Band will be returning to the field on November 12. All former members of SMB are welcome to return and perform with the current members.
Dr. Waterman would like to remind musicians that scholarships are available for both marching and concert ensembles and spots are often available.
