Champs Sports Bowl

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Today we began with practice again in the morning. After lunch and a shower we got on our 6 buses and went to two pep rallys before the game. The first performance was at the UW Badger Blast. Here you can see us playing "Space Badger". The UW Cheerleaders throw one of the female cheerleaders up in the air at several times during that song.


The cheerleaders flip around while they're up in the air and it looks pretty cool.


Next we marched in parade formation to the second pep rally which was right by the stadium.


After the pep rally we went into the stadium and did our Pregame performance. Here the band is entering the field during our traditional "run-on".

The next time I was able to take a picture was the very end of Pregame when we played a short part of the "1812 Overture" which our director, Mike Leckrone arranged for the band.

After we performed, the Florida State Marching Band did their Pregame show.

Their band includes many baton twirlers and flags.

Here is the UW Marching Band at the end of our halftime show, which was called "Ladies Who Rock." The show featured the music of women songwriters and performers of the past several decades.

After we performed, the FSU Band played their halftime show.

Here is a picture of Mr. Stone and me next to one of the Champs Bowl signs.

After the game, the UW Band lined up for our traditional 5th-Quarter performance.

Whether we win or lose, we always have fun during the 5th-Quarter.

Many of the UW fans stayed for the 5th-Quarter, and the die-hard fans stayed until we were done playing.

When we were done, the band lined up one last time and marched out of the stadium.

After the game we showered at the hotel and went to the airport. We left 70-degree weather and arrived home very early in the morning to a driving snowstorm. I eventually got home by 5:00 am. I was tired, but I had a lot of fun.

UW Band at the Champs Sports Bowl

Friday, December 26, 2008

The UW Band flew down to Orlando Florida yesterday afternoon (on Christmas day!!!) Today we began the day with practice for the first time since December 17. (Practices during December were often very cold, which made it difficult for the band members to play, especially when their valves froze.) It was nice to be here in Florida and have 70-degree weather.

Instead of practicing in coats, pants, hats, and gloves, band members wore more comfortable T-shirts and shorts.

Here are the tubas practicing the end of the halftime show.

After lunch (and a shower!) the Band performed in the Champs Sports Bowl Parade of Bands. This parade featured two bands; the UW Marching Band and the Florida State Marching Chiefs. This photo is of the UW Marching Band.

When the parade ended, the "battle of the bands" began, and the UW Band performed first.

We played several crowd favorites including "On Wisconsin", "If You Want To Be A Badger", "Space Badger", and the "Chicken Dance".

The Florida State Marching Chiefs played next.

Once the "Battle of the Bands" was over, we got back on the buses and went to the Bowl-A-Palooza Fanfest Pep Rally and played for another crowd there.

UW Band to the Packer game

Sunday, October 19, 2008

The UW Band traveled to Green Bay to perform at the Packer/Colts game. We first went to the Packers indoor practice facility to rehearse our Pregame and Halftime shows.


After the rehearsal, the we changed into our uniforms and went to the stadium for the game. This photo shows the band doing "run-on" at the beginning of the pregame show.


Before halftime, the band lined up on the Colts sideline. While we were waiting, the Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning was sitting on the bench right in front of us. Several of the UW Band members were getting photos and I couldn't resist getting one too.


The band performed it's halftime show to an enthusaistic Packers crowd.


After the Packers won the game, the band lined up to go on the field for the 5th-Quarter. You can see that many of the fans stayed after the game to enjoy the 5th-Quarter.

During the 5th-Quarter, the band got to run around on the field and play, and the drum major and many of the trombones circled the "G" in the middle of the field during "Space Badger".

Mr. Stone and I got our photo taken on the "G" as well.

It was a fun trip, and I enjoyed getting to be a part of a Packer game again this year.

Go Pack!

MGHS Band at UW Band Day

September 6, 2008

Today the MGHS Band attended High School Band Day at the University of Wisconsin. They arrived while the UW Band was practicing. Then all of the high school bands rehearsed the four songs that they played during halftime. After the rehearsal, the UW Marching Band performed for the high school students.

Photos to follow soon!

UW Band at the Outback Bowl - Jan. 1

Tuesday, January 1 - Outback Bowl Game

We got up early today and left for the stadium by 7:30 am. Before we went into the stadium we played Pep Rallies for two groups of Badger Fans. Here are two photos of the band playing at the first one.

The second Pep Rally was more crowded, and there wasn't much room between the band and the fans.

In fact, the band was surrounded by fans.

We marched in our usual Pregame formation into the staduim.

Once we arrived, we had time to find our seats before Pregame. This is a picture of Mr. Stone and me in front of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer pirate ship in the stadium.

Because Wisconsin was the home team, the Tennessee Band performed first at both Pregame and Halftime.

This is Rachel, drum major of the Wisconsin Band starting the band onto the field for our Halftime show.

At Halftime, the Wisconisn Band performed a medley of songs from"West Side Story". This is the last formation of the halftime show looking from my ladder across the field to the home side of the stadium.

In this picture the UW Band is playing in the stands. Our seats overlooked one of the end zones.

Although it was a close game, the Badgers lost. However, EVERY Badger football game ends with the 5th-Quarter, and this game was no exception. For me, the 5th-Quarter is a time to enjoy being at the game, win or lose. My attitude probably stems from the fact that when I marched in the band in the late 1980's, our football team lost a lot. Back then, sometimes all we had to enjoy were our Pregame and Halftime performances and the 5th-Quarter. It's also really cool that Wisconsin fans stay to celebrate with the band after every game. Here, Mike Leckrone is leading band and the fans in one of our many traditional 5th-Quarter songs.

Badger fans stayed to dance and enjoy being in the warm weather in Florida.

At the end of the 5th-Quarter we formed up again and marched out of the stadium.
The trumpet player on the left in the front row is Doug Cowgill, a graduate of Monona Grove.

We went back to the hotel for showers and then bused to the airport to fly home. I took one last picture of the sun setting over the beach in front of our hotel. (When we arrived home, it was 5 degrees!)

UW Band at the Outback Bowl - Dec. 31

Monday, December 31

The band began the day with our LAST practice of 2007.

We next traveled to Busch Gardens for some free time to enjoy the park. I hung out with many of the other Field Assistants. We took a train around the park and saw lots of interesting animals, including my favorite - the rhinos!

We also walked around the park and saw the Clydesdale horses.

After enjoying our time at Busch Gardens we departed for today's performance, a parade through Ybor City and a Pep Rally at the end of the parade.

We played "On Wisconsin", "If You Want To Be A Badger", and "You've Said It All" on the parade route. There were lots of fans lining the streets and it was really exciting to be a part of the parade. At the end of the parade the band lined up to play another Pep Rally.

Director Mike Leckrone started the UW Band off with "On Wisconsin".

We alternated playing songs with the Tennessee Band. Their band was lead by their drum major. You can also see their baton twirlers in this photo.

After the Tennessee Band played, it was our turn again.

After going back and forth a few times, the Wisconsin Band ended with Mike Leckrone's version of the "1812 Overture".

We arrived back at the hotel around 9:00pm, ate dinner, and then the band cleaned their instruments so that they would look good at the bowl game.

We celebrated the New Year and then soon went to bed because we had to get up early the next day for the Outback Bowl.