The Falcon Marching Band 2017 season has been journey filled with hard work and excellent displays of musicianship and leadership. Some of the successes the FMB has enjoyed this season include an invite to be one of the exhibition bands at the 2017 Bands of America National Championships, and a shout out from Panic! At The Disco. Their theme for this past season was “The Road to Indi.”
Dr. Michael King, director of the FMB for the past three years, said only four to five bands get an invite to participate as an exhibition band each year in the Bands of America National Championships. King said, it was a great honor to be able to participate and that the FMB was invited early last winter.
King also said the FMB usually only makes a large trip once a year, and participates in larger University events. For example, this fall the FMB performed at a women’s basketball game. King said it gets very loud having the majority of the FMB in the Stroh Center.
King said they also had a group of students who participated on the FMB’s behalf in the Relay for Life.
Tyler Treacy, graduate student and leader in the FMB, said he had a lot of fun helping with marching and music this past season. This is Treacy’s first year working with the FMB and he said he was really happy with the non-elitist attitude of the FMB.
Treacy said, “The reason I like working with the Falcon Marching Band so much is that they’re really open to trying new things and exploring becoming better musicians while working as a family.”
Dr. King said the FMB owes a great amount of its success to its internal leadership. King said, “It was a really really fabulous season. Not to say that the other bands that I’ve had in my time here haven’t been good, but I feel like things are really starting to come together in the way the band is managed and lead from within by our student leaders.”
King said he has been directing the FMB for the last three years, and the graduating seniors are the last to have had his predecessor, Dr. Carol Hayward. King said this gives their final year special meaning to him.
One senior wished to share some words from her time in the FMB.
Kelly Weihl, senior in the FMB, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence”
