SUMBowl – What to Wear?
To all SUMB members:
We hope your finals and everything are going well. We are making good progress toward finishing the details of the trip, and I wanted to give you a heads up for what you will want to bring with you in terms of your sartorial needs.
As many of you have remarked, this Bowl is outside. In New York. In December. Now, NYC is thankfully not nearly as cold as Syracuse at this time of year, but it isn’t exactly tropical either. In terms of the game day, here’s what you can do to make yourself more comfortable:
- Wear many thin layers (better than one or two thick ones) under your uniform
- Wear two (or three?) pairs of white socks instead of one
We will provide you with a very cool navy blue knit skullcap (embroidered with “SUMB”; we’re calling it SUMHat) to wear under your shakos as well as in the stands. This will help keep your ears warm as you won’t ever need to take it off! Bring your SUMB caps with you just in case you get warm and want to take it off during the game.
Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, at considerable expense, have purchased enough hand warmers for you all to get two pairs. We will give those out to you the day of the game; they will make a big difference in keeping you warm, and you should not hesitate to use them. Many thanks to the brothers and sisters for this.
The day before the game, on the 29th, we are practicing (times are yet to be set, but it will be for at least a few hours, broken up). These practices will be outdoors. The same advice as above applies, but remember that you do need to move and we will be doing run-on at these practices. Since we aren’t wearing uniforms, you can wear whatever you need to be warm; again, remember that you will be expected to move and play (and move and play *well*). If you dress in layers, you can shed some as you warm up.
As for dress otherwise, remember that the SUMB “dresses to travel”. This means that we wear business attire when we arrive at and (usually) leave the Bowl site. Therefore, when you get on your bus, plane, or in your your car on the 28th to show up at the hotel, you will arrive in said business attire. This means:
- Men: Jackets and ties, no jeans or sneakers.
- Women: No jeans or sneakers; if you choose to wear a dress or skirt please keep good taste in mind.
The good news is that you can stay in these outfits that day because it looks like the band banquet will be on the evening of the 28th. After the Bowl on the 30th, we will return to the hotel you will change out of your uniform there. Given that this will be hectic you can wear whatever at this time.
Any other time, you can wear whatever you want; SU and SUMB apparel is always encouraged unless you’re going to act dumb.
That’s all for now; stay tuned for more specific travel itineraries soon. Things are coming together nicely!
SUMBowl in the SUMBronx
It’s official! SU and the SUMB will be participating the inaugural 2010 New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Official story here:
http://www.suathletics.com/news/2010/12/2/FB_1202105628.aspx
We will be updating this blog with details and travel information as things develop.
The Maine Event
SUMB members:
Here is the schedule of events leading up to the SU vs. Maine game on Saturday, 9/18:
Thursday, 9/16:
Rehearsal 7–9pm
Friday, 9/17:
No practice
Saturday, 9/18 (Game Day):
Dress Rehearsal 10a–12p
Report to Quad no later than 5pm; we will then do our traditional Quad activities and march to the Dome.
At exactly 18:58:30, we do run-on.
ESM Exhibition Extravaganza!
This Saturday, September, 11, the SUMB will hit the road and head over to East Syracuse-Minoa High School to perform a short exhibition at their annual band competition. The competition is a part of the New York State Field Band Conference and will feature many of the bands in the Central New York area. The SUMB takes the field at 8:45. Check us out!
For those readers who are in the band, here is the schedule of the evening:
7:00 pm:
Load buses outside of Dome, Depart immediately, arrive between 7:45 and 8:00
8:00-8:20:
Section warm ups
8:30:
Full band warm up
8:45:
Take the field!
Run On – Fanfare – Eat ‘Em Up – Fight Song/Down the Field – NY Medley
Drum cadence/March to first set of In The Stone
Earth Wind & Fire Show
Approximately 9:30:
Load buses and return to Dome
Remember that attire for the event is full uniform, including shakos and gloves. See you then!
The SUMB does the Pulse Parade
Last Saturday, the SUMB Leadership and Drumline played pied-piper (of sorts) and led the entire freshman class across downtown Syracuse from Armory Square to the Civic Center. At the end of the parade, the SUMB played a bunch of its traditional pep-rally tunes as the crowd filed into the Civic Center. As is custom, during Hey Baby, the Alto Saxophones serenaded an unsuspecting member of the audience.
Great job all around by all who attended the event!
Alto Saxophone Section Leaders sing to Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor at the Pulse Parade on Saturday, August 28, 2010.
Opening Weekend 2010 Performances
SUMB Members:
Thanks for your flexibility at Home to the Dome. Here is a rundown of our remaining Opening Weekend 2010 performances.
Friday, August 27, New Student Convocation:
9:40am – Be seated in Section 128/129 (there will be coffee and water available for you at the top of 128); we will then seat you and warm-up.
10:30am – New Student Convocation Begins.
Approximately 11:30am: Convocation ends. Move to visiting side of Dome and play Pregame and Quad tunes. After this is done, you are dismissed.
Saturday, August 28: Pulse Parade (for Leadership and Drumline only)
4:15pm – Load buses, depart after loading.
4:30pm – Arrive at Warehouse to store equipment.
4:45pm – Dinner.
7:00pm – Line up for Parade. We will return to campus at the conclusion of the Parade.
See everyone this weekend and again on Monday night, August 30, at 7pm in the Dome for our first regular rehearsal of the semester!
Eight Years and Counting
Anna Palsma, center, with co-Drum Majors Ashley Smith, left, and Sabrina Lochner, right. Anna graduated from SU in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Performance Honors
Your first performing opportunity: its 85 degrees and sunny; you’re in your full polyester uniform, shako (hat) included. The instrument you thought weighed no more than two pounds suddenly feels like its 200 pounds. You follow your section leader down to the football field to see a bunch of people playing music while moving to different spots on the field. When you start playing, you feel like your lungs have left your body – you can barely play three notes. You begin to think, why in the world do people do this?
Then the rush hits you. The first big moment in the show where the guard tosses their flags, the trumpets hit the notes an octave higher than they were intended to, the drumline breaks down, and the audience applauds. Now your lungs have seemed to fill with enough air and you dare anyone to tell you to stop playing or marching. The show has come to an end but you’re still on a high. After you march off the field your whole section comes together as you exchange high fives, hugs, screams, and chants. Then it hits you – why you love marching band so much. The rush you get on the field is incredible, but nothing compares to those faces of the people in your section that you bonded with throughout the rehearsals and band camps.
Well, that’s my story anyway, of how I came to love marching band. I’m Anna Palsma and I have taken part in marching band over the last eight years of my life – four years marching at Liverpool High School and four years with the Syracuse University Marching Band. I have served many different roles in each group including Drum Major of the SUMB for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. As I begin this new role of “alumni,” it is hard not to feel a sense of marching band withdrawal. Even though I have earned my degree in music education and will be continuing on with my master’s degree at the University of Florida, where I intend to work with the Gator Marching Band, nothing will ever compare to my experience as a member of the SUMB.
So why pour your blood, sweat, and tears into this musical endeavor? For me it was the people I saw at every rehearsal. The SUMB is a team. It’s a team with 100% participation. We have no bench (except for the torn ACLs, twisted ankles, and occasional asthma attacks). When one person is missing from rehearsal, it affects everyone on the field. Every single person has a place or a dot that matters. With the music that is performed, we have the potential to build excitement and create an atmosphere in which the audience is forced to show emotion. Take the Michael Jackson show from our 2009 season as an example. That music forced people to pay attention during half time and forced them to have fun. That’s the beauty of music – how it reaches people. I loved running music sectionals to communicate this idea of music reaching the audience. There was definitely a lot of sweat that went into those rehearsals. There were also plenty of tears involved over the last four years, most of which came about my senior year. Conducting the alma mater one last time at the spring scrimmage is something I will never forget. To me, it was the official passing of the baton to the 2010 drum majors. Ashley, Mary, and Sam are three people who will pour their blood, sweat, and tears into this program – I have no doubts. I challenge all you current members to do the same. You’ll be surprised at how well this season will turn out for you. Best of luck and as always, Go Orange!
Welcome to College
Justin Mathews, from Corning, NY, is a senior Policy Studies major with a minor in Management Studies. He is a Section Leader in the Baritone section.
My band director in high school would like to think I made the transition to college long before I ever set foot in a dorm, tasted my first bite of dining hall food, or endured one of the many icebreakers I would later become far too accustomed to. It was common for him to proclaim, “Welcome to college!” anytime someone found his grading policies unfair or his rehearsal schedules too rigorous.
In actuality, when my time at Syracuse finally began, I found college wasn’t exactly the nightmare my band director’s rhetoric had prepared me for. In fact, my first impression of college life was quite enjoyable. Three years later, I still attribute my easy transition into college to my involvement in the SUMB.
Despite the hundreds of pages of SU literature that had arrived in my mailbox all summer, college was, for the most part, still a mystery when I first moved in. As a result, I was excited, anxious, and scared all at the same time for what I would experience. When I first walked through the intimidating concrete concourse of the Carrier Dome to check in for Band Camp, I thought of my time as a freshman in high school. For that reason, I expected my first few encounters to be either 1) treated as strictly business, or 2) severely discredited for the fact that I was just a freshman (aka rookie, amateur, etc.).
Lucky for me, this wasn’t the case. The first person I met turned out to be one of the most influential people in my transition to college life. As soon as he approached me, he held out his hand and said, “Justin? I’m Kevin, your baritone section leader. It’s nice to meet you.” While it was clear that he could only have recognized me from my Facebook picture, his cheerfulness and sincerity set the tone for the rest of the week. From that point on, everyone I met was friendly and helpful.
By the time I began carrying my belongings into my dorm, the sophomore clarinet player that volunteered to help me had already shared with me the knowledge of a campus insider. She taught me how to use the Dome’s air-lock doors, warned me of the wind tunnels that form in the hallways of Lawrinson Hall, and informed me of Irene, the extremely friendly card swiper at Sadler Dining Hall.
For me, there couldn’t have been a better way to meet new friends than Band Camp. The many hours I spent working closely with a group of people that shared similar interests and a common goal proved to be an ideal environment for making friends.
When Opening Weekend finally arrived, I found that being in the SUMB had placed me at an advantage over other freshmen. In addition to having avoided endless lines of cars and unbearable waits for the elevator, I had made friends and acquired a familiarity with campus of someone who had been living there for months. Just the same, I was already involved in something that I was proud to be part of – a feat that took other freshmen weeks, months, and even years to accomplish.
Looking back on three years at Syracuse, the benefits of my involvement in the SUMB have lasted much longer than that first week on campus. Since then, the SUMB is where I’ve met my best friends and made some of my fondest memories. We performed at a Buffalo Bills game in Toronto, received multiple standing ovations for our performance of a Michael Jackson Tribute show, earned the “game ball” following the football team’s defeat of Maine, and much more.
Year after year, I’ve made the decision to return to the SUMB for many reasons. The biggest of these are the excellent performances that make rehearsals worthwhile, the camaraderie that fosters enjoyable personal and working relationships, and the strong traditions that make the SUMB an experience unlike any other.
That said, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to anyone who has just made the decision to join the SUMB and assure you that you will find your time in our family both fun and fulfilling.
Marching Band Knows No “Off-season”
If you’re from Central New York, you know how the saying goes: “There are only two seasons here – winter, and construction” (anyone who has tried to drive on 81-North lately will completely agree). Personally, I also know only two seasons: marching band season, and getting-ready-for-marching-band season.
While my dinkles sit in my closet, quietly gathering dust during what some may call “the off-season,” my brain is constantly in marching band-mode. As a second-year drum major for the SUMB, I use the summer to get a jump start on everything we’ll be doing this Fall 2010 season, from band camp teaching techniques to music for our Earth, Wind and Fire halftime show.
My mom and I during one of the SUMB's 2009 Quad Show performances.
This fall, I’ll be a senior music education major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to augment my education by actually arranging music for the SUMB. Last summer, I arranged our Fall 2009 Brazilian Show, which we performed with Samba Laranja, Syracuse University’s own Brazilian Ensemble. This year, I’m stretching my arranging capabilities in another direction by writing the Earth, Wind and Fire halftime show (which we’ll be performing on September 18th and 25th). The show opens with In the Stone, followed by September. We close with my favorite – Boogie Wonderland – which I’m just finishing up now (Trumpets- you guys like to play really high notes, right?).
Aside from my personal role as part-time arranger, I’m also working with the other drum majors this summer on material for the SUMB Band Camp. Every year around July, Section Leaders receive the official SUMB Leadership Handbook, which contains procedures for teaching every marching fundamental, as well as instruction on how to efficiently read and set drill, communicate with other Section Leaders, and more. It’s the drum majors who write and revise this handbook. This year, we are emphasizing assessment procedure – what to look for when assessing rookies’ mastery of a marching fundamental, and how to correct any errors that are observed.
We’ve also been brainstorming ideas for the schedule and content of Leadership Camp (the two days preceding Band Camp, where we essentially teach the Section Leaders how to teach rookies). These ideas will be finalized when we meet with the marching band staff the week prior to Leadership Camp. I’ve also been teaching Sam and Mary (our two new drum majors!) some of the traditional choreography we use when conducting the pre-game show, and as soon as scores and MIDI-files of our halftime shows are finished, we will begin the arduous process of analyzing, conducting and memorizing each show.
Recently, I’ve also been helping to put together the SUMBlog, and am thrilled to write one of the first student posts! I am looking forward to another season of all the SUMB has to offer: high quality musicianship, precise marching maneuvers and that intangible sense of camaraderie that makes the SUMB distinct from any other organization on campus. I have no doubt that Fall 2010 will be a bittersweet semester, as I conduct my last games as a drum major and prepare to say good-bye to the organization that has become an inextricable piece of my college experience. Until then, however, I still have plenty of work to do to ensure that 2010 will see the best SUMB yet!
Musically,
Ashley L Smith
Drum Major, 2009 – 2010
Ashley can be reached via email at alsmit05@syr.edu.
Why Does a Band Need a Blog?
Welcome one and all to the SUMBlog (clever, yes?), the official blog of The Pride of The Orange: The Syracuse University Marching Band! Though it might seem odd for a college band to have a blog, there are a lot of good reasons for it. Here, then, is all you need to know about the SUMBlog and what you as a band member, prospective band, member, alumnus, family member, or fan can expect, presented in FAQ format, because hey, it’s the Internet.
SUMBlog? Why call it that?
For starters, it’s just too cute not to, and the director really enjoys this lame kind of humor. Actually, it’s a very easy URL to remember. In fact, you should bookmark it or add it to your RSS reader now.
What will be on the SUMBlog?
All manner of things, really. Check About the SUMB on the banner to learn some basics about the SUMB. Learn about the director here. If you want to know when and where you can catch the SUMB both at the Dome and elsewhere you can check here. The main body of SUMBlog will feature entries from the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the SUMB. Posts will range from the functional (announcements, reminders, etc.), to the more personal, such as perspectives from band members of all ages and roles to give a glimpse into the vibrant, eclectic, and wonderful community that is the SUMB. Once things get rolling we hope for at least a few new posts each week.
The SUMB is on Twitter?
Indeed it is! The official Twitter feed of the SUMB is SU_MarchingBand (oddly enough, “SUMB” was already taken). Follow us now! The Twitter feed will have up-to-the-minute information about the SUMB (especially announcements for members) and it will announce new blog posts when they are posted.
Can I comment on blog posts?
Sure, but SUMB members should keep in mind that our code of conduct while in uniform will apply to the comments on SUMBlog. Any inappropriate material will not even make it to the page, and if it does, it will be deleted immediately.
I’m a member of the SUMB, alumnus of the SUMB, or a family member of someone in the SUMB and I want to write something for SUMBlog. How can I do that?
Great! Contact Prof. Mertz.
I have a suggestion or a deeply felt grievance about the SUMBlog. Who can I tell?
Great! Contact Prof. Mertz.
Why is all this even necessary?
The SUMB is one of the finest performing ensembles on the SU campus and in the region. Its members are a diverse group of committed young men and women and this is a chance to simultaneously give a new, deeper insight into the workings of this great college band and make its operations just a little bit more efficient.
The SUMB is great and I totally want to join when I get to SU. How do I make that happen?
Contact Fran Moore, Administrative Assistant of SU Bands immediately either by clicking here or at (315) 443-2194.
What other musical offerings are available at SU?
Good question! SU Bands has a website to help get you started.
Thanks for checking out the SUMBlog! Be sure to check back for updates, pictures, and videos of the SUMB. Go Orange!
