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The Marching Mavericks band is definitely going to miss fall Saturdays at tree-lined Caniglia Field, where it rooted on the UNO football team and strutted its own stuff at halftime.
But drum major Courtney Baker said the spirited group also is excited about the increased exposure this fall performing at band competitions, music festivals and football games throughout the region, including a halftime show before as many as 25,000 fans at an Omaha Nighthawks game.
“I think it's a great change that will still be lots of fun,” said the 20-year-old Millard West graduate. “I think overall we have a positive outlook on this.”
Yes, the University of Nebraska at Omaha band will play on. Campus officials this week are preparing to announce the Marching Mavericks' new role now that the band will no longer be showcased at UNO football games.
UNO in March dropped football as part of a step up to NCAA Division I. Originally there was some concern that the football team's demise could mean the end of the band, too.
But the more UNO music department leaders worked on a new vision for the band, the more excited they became about opportunities for new traditions.
The band figures to have more performances, before a larger total audience, and to see an increased role as “musical ambassadors” for the university.
“I think it has the potential to be very positive for our program,” said UNO marching band director Courtney Snyder. “We anticipate a great fall marching season.”
For years, the UNO band's falls have been built around six to eight performances at Maverick football games. With the need to turn around a new show every other week or so, there was a constant push to learn new material.
Plans for this fall call for the band to put together only two shows, but to make them more complex and artistically demanding.
Practices, held at 7:30 a.m., will be scaled back from five days a week to three, which might create opportunities for some students who wouldn't otherwise have time to play.
And rather than doing almost all their marching before the sometimes sparse home crowds at Caniglia, the band will be high-stepping out.
Under tentative plans, the band will march at halftime during one high school game in Millard, another in Council Bluffs and during a Nighthawks game at TD Ameritrade Park.
It will perform in competitions and festivals in Lincoln, Papillion and Iowa.
And in another change, UNO will host its own high school marching band festival at Caniglia on Sept. 17. It's something that has long been talked about on campus, but the demands of football season left no time.
“Community engagement is so important at UNO,” said Melissa Berke, head of UNO's music department. “I think the marching band is really going to be able to make that come to life.''
Another possibility is the return of a live pep band to Maverick hockey games. As a cost-cutting measure, the athletic department has not had a live band at games for years. The band is waiting for athletics' response to its latest proposal.
UNO's marching band last fall had 80 members, drawing students from all academic disciplines on campus. Snyder's goal in the face of the changes is to build those numbers to up around 100.
Band members this spring have been getting out to area high schools to promote the opportunities available in the fall. All band members receive partial scholarships from the university.
They get one other perk, too: good parking spots. That goes with the territory at UNO when you're getting up at dawn to practice.
“I think our students were nervous about this at first,” Snyder said. “But once I was able to talk to them about the goals, they got real excited about our future.''
Contact the writer:
444-1130, henry.cordes@owh.com
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