UM Marching Band Day Welcomes Montana Youth into Griz Country

An image of a member of the Grizzly Marching Band walking by a Griz sign.

Every year, the Grizzly Marching Band welcomes young musicians from across the state to join them on the field. (UM Photos by Marley Barboeisel)

By Abigail Lauten-Scrivner, UM News Service

MISSOULA – This weekend at the Grizzly football game, a special group of visitors joined the 91次元 marching band on the field – many experiencing for the first time the life-changing moment of playing to a stadium that regularly exceeds 25,000.

They were Montana middle and high school students participating in Band Day, hosted by UM’s Grizzly Marching Band. Students journey from across Big Sky Country to take part in the University’s unmatched gameday experience in Washington-Grizzly Stadium, becoming honorary members of the college marching band.

“It’s an opportunity for area high school or even middle school students to come and spend the day with the marching band,” said Grizzly Marching Band Director Dr. Kevin Griggs. “They perform with us and find out what a gameday is like. They start building some great memories.” 

An image of high school and UM marching band members on the field.
Young musicians join UM marching band members in Washington-Grizzly Stadium

Both individual students and entire school bands can participate in the experience free of cost, in addition to being provided lunch and a T-shirt to wear onto the field. Upward of 100 young musicians regularly take part in Band Day. Most are from western Montana, but others journey from as far as Wolf Point in the upper north-east corner of the state.

Participating students are in for a rigorous itinerary. They convene at 8 a.m. sharp for check-in and information, and by 9 a.m. are rehearsing college-level drills for the half-time show that will be performed with the Grizzly Marching Band in a matter of hours. By the end of the day around 4 p.m., the young musicians have rehearsed, participated in the Griz Walk, done the pre-game show and kickoff, and played halftime.

 While many start the day nervous, Griggs said, excitement steadily builds as the students gain confidence and learn the ropes of gameday.

“They’re really excited to be part of something as big and exciting as Grizzly Gameday,” he said. “High school is just a different set of expectations. It’s just not the same as what we have on campus."

Hosting the younger students also boosts the energy among the Grizzly Marching Band and provides a mentorship opportunity to current members, many of whom previously participated in Band Day themselves. Forming bonds and building bright memories on campus inspires many participants to look toward UM when it’s time to choose a college.

“I think that it does make a difference,” Griggs said. “Any time you can get a student on campus, it helps them feel at home when they make their decision.”

That was the case for first-year music education student Hunter Bruso. Growing up in Darby, Bruso attended Band Day three times in high school and is now a percussionist in the Grizzly Marching Band.

Bruso’s small high school didn’t have a marching band, and football games typically capped out at a couple hundred people. Attending Band Day at UM for the first time was a daunting new experience.

“It was just so intense being on the field,” Bruso said, noting the overwhelming crowd size and noise compared to his high school. “I was anxious when I first got there, but once you get over that anxiety the internal energy boost you get inside sets off a chain of reaction.” 

Bruso plays with other marching band students on the field.
Bruso, furthest left, came to UM as a first year this semester after attending Band Day three times in high school.

By the end of the whirlwind day, Bruso was on his way to learning how a real marching band works, how to hold a synchronized formation and how it feels to play a role in energizing a crowd of tens of thousands.

By his third Band Day, Bruso was confident UM was the place for him.

“I realized, ‘I want to do this. This is something I’m looking forward to,’” Bruso said. “I really like the music school, I like the people around it, and I like the vibe.”

Bruso also was struck by the level of school pride at UM and how excited the crowd was to watch the band play. The vibrant community of Grizzly Marching Band members and fans was a big part of his decision in choosing UM. The unique synergy between the band and the home crowd has become a winning strategy for the Grizzlies, riling up the audience so much that the opposing team struggles to communicate plays.

“The ability to control the crowd and the energy, it’s just crazy,” Bruso said. “I saw their talent and how much fun everyone was having, and I wanted to be a part of that community.”

Now on the other side of Band Day as a member of the Grizzly Marching Band, Bruso is eager to welcome younger students and help make their experience as positive as his.

“I’m excited to get people to want to be in the marching band,” Bruso said. “As a person who came to the Griz days, I personally know the excitement, the anxiety and the anticipation.”

Grizzly Marching Band members and high school students on the field.
The Grizzly Marching Band is a major highlight of UM’s unmatched gameday experience.

Bruso encourages young students who are curious about Band Day but feeling nervous to just try it once. Participating one time is enough to broaden their experience, gain confidence and learn a bunch of new skills.

“If you’re thinking about coming to college here, the music days will give you a head start,” he said.

Reflecting on his path to the Grizzly Marching Band drumline, Bruso feels proud of the work he’s put in to get there. Wearing the uniform feels like a badge of honor.   

“I’m now a part of what I aspired to be,” he said. “It feels good, like I deserve to be here and worked to be here.”

To learn more about Band Day, visit the Grizzly Marching Band website.

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Contact: Dr. Kevin Griggs, Grizzly Marching Band director and associate director of bands, 406-370-8730, kevin.griggs@umontana.edu.