ALUMNI RELATIONS

 ALUMNI BAND LEADERSHIP BOARD

One of the first things I did when I began my tenure as Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band was partner with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement to establish the Iowa Alumni Marching Band Leadership Board. Hundreds of alumni members of the Hawkeye Marching Band returned to Iowa City over the years to participate in Homecoming activities, but I saw great opportunity to establish a stronger connection between alumni and current students. Engaging the program’s alumni is crucial in fostering meaningful connections and mentorship between generations of marching Hawkeyes and stewarding the traditions of the program. I work closely with the board to set priorities and support them in their efforts to engage current and past members of the Hawkeye Marching Band.

The Alumni Band Leadership Board as an affinity group through the University of Iowa Center for Advancement (UICA). Board members represent different eras of the HMB, instruments, and professions, and they share a passion for strengthening relationships within Alumni Band and with the Hawkeye Marching Band. In addition to the longstanding traditions of Homecoming and basketball pep band performances, alumni engagement opportunities include networking panels with current HMB students, the “Down and Off” podcast hosted and produced by band alumni, regional pep bands led by band alumni (currently in Iowa City, Dubuque, and Des Moines), and the addition of an Iowa River Landing pep band after the Homecoming parade. They also host a Homecoming Kickoff Reception each year downtown in the Voxman Music Building. The Alumni Band is a member of the National Association of Alumni Bands. 

The Alumni Band continues to perform the entire pregame show, and is now joined by the current HMB for the “Iowa Fight Song” in a “Super Hawks” formation with over 500 musicians on the field to create a moving, new tradition.

The Alumni Band Leadership Board works to enhance the current Hawkeye Marching Band experience for all students in the program. They foster regular communication between band alumni, including updates through the "Roll Along" newsletter for Iowa Bands. The board works to facilitate relationships with fellow band alumni, create networking and mentorship opportunities between current students and alumni, provide performance opportunities for alums, preserve, share, and document traditions, bridge the experience from student to alumnus, and serve as positive advocates for the Hawkeye Marching Band and University of Iowa. 

The Board's current projects and initiatives include:

• Professional networking events hosted once-per-semester with alumni and current Hawkeye Marching Band students, each one focused on a specific career field (e.g. education, engineering, healthcare, etc.)

• The establishment of an Alumni Band Scholarship for a current member of the Hawkeye Marching Band

• Alumni Pep Band performances at Homecoming, for basketball games in December, and regional performances at I-Club events and game-watch parties

• Hosting a reception during Homecoming Week to welcome marching Hawkeyes back to campus

• Contributing to an ongoing archival project to collect and archive HMB artifacts including pictures, music, audio recordings, and other materials in collaboration with the School of Music librarian

ROLL ALONG: NEWS FROM IOWA BANDS

In 2019, I began producing a bi-annual e-newsletter, Roll Along: News from Iowa Bands. This email goes out to a large audience of Hawkeye Marching Band alumni, donors, students, families, and fans. The target audience, however, is HMB alumni (many of whom are also donors and parents of students). The newsletter has been a remarkable success, driving engagement that far outperforms industry standards. This success translates directly to improving students’ learning experiences, at generates higher level of engagement offline, which has also translated to increased funds to support the band. HMB alumni make up a significant percentage of HMB donors, and their engagement is vital to the band’s sucess.