New Friends Play Silvers, Old Friends Play Golds

With two performances under our belts, we are so excited to welcome over 500 alumni to take the field with the 156th Spartan Marching Band!

Alumni Band is an experience that brings together generations of performers who have shared the same field at different times for one unforgettable performance. Every year, alumni band weekend is something that all members, both current and past, look forward to.

One of the unique aspects of performing with the alumni band is how it can allow for generations of the same family to create music together. Third-year color guard member Rhianna Ungerman knows incredibly well. Her parents met in the SMB, with her dad being a former mellophone, and her mom was also a part of the color guard. Her brother was also in the SMB, where he played the tenor saxophone. Being surrounded by the SMB, getting to perform with her family is “a different kind of proud, accomplished feeling. It’s an experience shared among us that’s always so lively and exciting each year.” Similarly, “seeing [her] parents reminisce, relive, and retell some of their favorite stories over the years and connecting with old friends and roommates makes me excited to come back when I’m an alum.”

Another thing that makes the alumni band so memorable is how many generations of performers come together. In the color guard, we perform The Series for each other. Without fail, I am fascinated by just how much has changed, yet how much it has stayed the same. This is a nearly-perfect analogy for the SMB as a whole. No matter how many years go by, so many of the hallmarks that make the SMB the organization it is still remain.

Together, the SMB and the alumni band will perform a show that was partially designed by Tom Izzo. Songs such as “The Rubberband Man” by the Spinners, “Hall of Fame” by The Script and will.i.am, and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson will be played by nearly 800 individuals in Spartan Stadium. The anticipation for this performance is incredibly high, and we cannot wait to officially welcome all of our alumni back home to Spartan Stadium!