The Screaming Eagles Marching Band kicked off their performance season Sept. 6 at Eagle Fest, and most recently played for the University of Wisconsin La-Crosse’s first home football game on Saturday, Sept. 14. For the students, the band is a vibrant and energetic group that enhances the gameday experience. For the members, the band is a family.
Colin Miller, a music education student, originally wasn’t planning on being in the Screaming Eagles in the first place. Now, in his third year, he is a drum major.
“I wasn’t going to be in marching band my freshman year,” said Miller. “It was something that was kind of like, ‘man, it’s time-consuming.’ But, talking to my parents about it…I’m so glad I joined. I don’t regret any of it.”
“It’s a little bit like it’s my family here,” said McKenna Sherrod, a fourth-year music education student and drum major. “It’s how I met 90 percent of my best friends, and it also was a segue for me to rekindle my love for music. It’s important to me.”
Third-year Music Performance Student and Drum Major Jon Heck echoed Sherrod, he said, “I would definitely [call the band] family.”
Heck continued, “We came into this as…freshman, normally it’s like, ‘Woah, what is this thing?’ And you were able to come to band…you have a place, it’s an opportunity.”
There was plenty of opportunity at the end of last season when all three drum majors at the time would be leaving the band after the season’s conclusion. With a completely vacant conducting corps, it was time for a new group of leaders to step up.
The three new drum majors agreed that there are some things nothing could have prepared them for, one name came up when talking to all three of them: James Koeberl.
Koeberl, who tragically passed away in Jan. of this year, was a former UWL student and Screaming Eagles drum major. Beloved for his dedication and kindness, he has impacted the drum majors tremendously.
“Throughout the audition process and after we were selected, James and I talked every day about being drum major and what it was going to be like,” said Sherrod. “To some extent, yes, nothing could have prepared me…but I would have been a lot worse off if I didn’t have him to talk to.”
While Miller, Heck and Sherrod were all grateful for Koeberl and his help preparing them, everyone in the band was caught off guard by the first full day of marching band camp.
That day, a Monday in late August, the band faced challenges of extreme heat and humidity, causing a significant loss of practice time on the field, in addition to members needing some extra care.
“All of a sudden, it went from people being okay to being like, ‘We are not okay, we need to go inside,” said Heck. “[There were] a lot of feelings like, ‘What did we just do? How could we have avoided it?’”
The drum majors met to figure out how to change up the week to maximize practice time, while also keeping the band’s well-being the top priority. They ended up holding longer breaks and indoor rehearsals, outdoor rehearsals were held in the evening.
“We tried to set ourselves up for success,” said Miller.
The weather might not have gone as planned, but the drum majors had a special something in store that was well-received by the members: band camp awards, which included best marcher, a wild-card award that changed depending on the night and the coveted best section award. “Most of the days, we knew…it was pretty easy to pick the best section, just because everyone wanted it,” said Heck.
The energy and excitement during band camp has carried over into the school year. Just like how the band was enthusiastic about winning awards, they are even more eager to perform this year’s 70’s themed field show. Featuring the That 70’s Show theme song, “Carry on Wayward Son,” “Vehicle,” “After the Love is Gone,” “Frankenstein” and “Free Bird,” the show is one that can be enjoyed by anybody.
“A large portion of our crowd [are] parents/people who were alive in the 70’s or born in the 70’s, and what I want to convey is my love for them,” said Miller. “For this first football game…parents and students alike will all be there, and for the people who are consistently going to be there…this is for you.”
The marching band’s field show might be their most well-known performance, but some might be surprised to learn that the band gets around too. “I feel like a lot of people don’t realize we do more than just a field show,” said Sherrod. “We go out and do Elmaro [Vineyard fundraiser], Freedom Honor Flight, Youth in Music [Band Championships].”
The Youth in Music Band Championships is an annual high school marching band competition in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The first Youth in Music competition was held in 2005. This year, it will be on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Since 2016, it has been at U.S. Bank Stadium, home to the Minnesota Vikings. For some Screaming Eagles members, it will be their first time experiencing the competition. For others, it’s a return to a familiar field.
“I am so excited for Youth in Music because that is something that most of this band hasn’t experienced,” said Heck. “I remember that feeling of being on that field, three years ago, four years ago…now I’m back with a different band. We’re UWL, we’re [Screaming Eagles Marching Band], we get to have fun.”
The Screaming Eagles Marching Band looks to continue their season with performances at Elmaro Vineyard in Trempealeau on Sept. 22 and the Oktoberfest Maple Leaf parade on Sept. 28, all before their performance at UWL’s next home football game on Oct. 5.
