A Letter to UNL Band Parents

Dear UNL Band Parent,

Welcome to the UNL Band Family! Your student has passed the first-round of auditions and is poised to begin the second-round, potentially becoming part of an organization surrounded by rich traditions developed over our 145-year history. As members of the Big Ten Conference, the oldest in Division I collegiate athletics, we are also part of a greater organization that reveres its Bands like no other.

For the student that gains membership, they can expect to work very hard, to have some of the greatest experiences of their lifetime creating life-long memories, and to be part of the legacy of one of the nation’s premier University Bands. As inferred in the previous paragraph, the Cornhusker Marching Band (CMB) truly is a family. Our annual 300-student membership creates and enjoys a unique and permanent bond. With over 60 majors represented within the Band, it’s one of the most academically diverse organizations on our campus. The CMB is a wonderful gateway into the campus community. Further, we take great pride in the overall academic performance of our students. Though we represent only about 1% of the total campus population, it’s not unusual for our members to comprise up to 10% of the University’s top scholars. Our median GPA exceeds 3.5 on a 4-point scale, and we routinely have around 15 students carrying a 4.0. Even with our demanding schedule, our students consistently achieve in their chosen academic areas, many with multiple majors and minors. I’ve heard it said that the Marching Band is a snapshot of the best of your University.

Each year we face the unfortunate reality that more students are interested in being a part of the CMB than we can accommodate. Sadly, there are some who will not be selected for this year’s Band. Our roster limit of 300 students is firm. It is derived from a combination of factors including: fielding an ensemble that can make an impact in a 90,000 seat stadium balanced with available seating space, travel expenses, available instruments, uniform inventory, etc. We also take care to have the most effective instrumentation possible, thus all sections are competitive. As a result, at times we must turn away otherwise qualified students. The CMB is comprised of the best of the best of their high school bands and though predominately from Nebraska, we typically have students from 20 or more states. In our auditions, we’re not separating the good from the bad, but rather discerning between levels of good, excellent and superior. This can be tough for students to accept, especially those who have only been at the top of their activity up to this point.

I feel strongly that college is a time of transition for students from having their parents be their advocates to speaking and doing for themselves. We do not take the selection process lightly, and it is difficult for us all. We do our best to select those who will fulfill our needs while having the best chance for personal success. If your student is not selected for whatever reason, please do not contact us asking us to explain our decision. Due to the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (or FERPA), we are prohibited from entering into such discussions without written consent from the student submitted in advance to the University Registrar. Instead, your role as a parent in these situations is to support your student and encourage them to participate in one or more of the many other performance opportunities offered by the Glenn Korff School of Music. Also, it’s not unusual for students who don’t find their name on the roster in their first attempt to make it in the following year. Having gone through the process once and gained a year’s worth of growth and improvement can make the difference. Please encourage them to try again.

College can be a stressful time full of new challenges. Many students struggle to adjust. One in four will suffer some kind of mental health issues during their collegiate career, and twice as many will have at least some trouble coping or just feel overwhelmed. Many students are reluctant to seek help due to perceived weakness or stigma associated with these feelings. If your student is having trouble, please know that there is help available at Counseling and Psychological Services. We have a close partnership with this office, and they’ve helped us through some very tough times. There is no charge for this service, and students have an unlimited number of visits as part of their student fees, so urge them to seek help if needed. Emergency help is available 24/7.

We also work closely with the University Health Center to address the physical demands of the contemporary Marching Band: general conditioning, hydration and nutrition, UV protection, hearing protection (earplugs courtesy of Etymotic Research are provided to first-year students), foot care, etc. We provide a fitness program created by an exercise physiologist specifically for marching bands and incorporate its dynamic stretching regimen into our rehearsals. Encourage your students to take advantage of these vital services and to let us know if they need help.

We do our best to publish our schedule as early as possible and keep it up to date. Even with our best efforts, sometimes changes are unavoidable. It is imperative that your student read and understand our ENTIRE schedule and make allowances towards a goal of 100% attendance. ALL performances are important and there will be some outside of the Football schedule (these can have a tendency to take people by surprise.) We are at our best only when ALL 300 of us are participating. All this said, we realize there will be some conflicts and we do our best to accommodate. Please have your student let us know as early as possible about these, and avoid planning family activities that conflict with our performance schedule.

We typically don’t get information about post-season games until very late. Competition for the Big Ten Conference Championship often goes to the last week of the season, and we won’t get official bowl information until after that game (the first weekend in December.) Even then, it takes a while to make the necessary arrangements. Calls to our office inquiring about travel information we don’t yet have slows down that process even more. We publish the Big Ten affiliated Bowl Games in our Course Syllabus to aid in advance planning over the holidays, and the post-season travel schedule will be announced as soon as it becomes available. Until then, try to avoid making assumptions or acting on rumors. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

If you’re new to Nebraska football, you might not know that the Huskers have sold out every game in Memorial Stadium since November of 1962. Tickets are hard to come by, and we have no influence whatsoever on obtaining them for parents and friends. If you’re interested in tickets, try contacting the University Ticket Office, or look on secondary markets (such as stubhub.com.) You are welcome to join us for our game day dress rehearsals, which are free and open to the public. We publish schedules of all of our game week activities on our Web Site.

Unlike many high school Bands, college Bands typically do not have parent booster organizations. Kappa Kappa Psi, a National Honorary Band Fraternity, fulfils many of these needs for us. The mission of this student organization is to serve and promote college bands while fostering musicianship and leadership within its members.  Our Chapter provides many services for the Band including: organizing social events, helping the Band with game-day readiness, organizing our annual Band Banquet, and selling Band-themed merchandise to our members, family and friends. Though it is a Fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi is coeducational and open to all qualifying Band students. You can learn more about Kappa Kappa Psi at their Web Site.

Again, welcome to our Band family and thank you for your support of your student’s participation in music. We’re well aware of the financial burdens, encouragement and long hours involved in our activity. The rewards however, are immeasurable, and we appreciate all you’ve done! If you have questions, please visit our Web Site, it’s a great first place to look for information. You can also ‘like’ and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks, and GO BIG RED!!!

Professor Anthony M. Falcone
Associate Director of Bands
Director, Cornhusker Marching Band