Marching Illini
School	University of Illinois
Location	Urbana-Champaign, IL
Conference	Big Ten
Founded	1907
Director	Dr. Peter Griffin
Members	350
Uniform	Navy blue pants and jacket, a white and navy shako hat with a navy plume and an orange "UI" logo in front, orange and white baldrics crossing the torso, an orange cape bearing the name "Illini" in white, white gloves and gauntlets, white spats, and black shoes

The Marching Illini (MI) is the marching band of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Marching Illini is a close-knit organization which annually includes approximately 350 University of Illinois students. Members of the Marching Illini represent virtually every college, discipline and major on the University's diverse Urbana-Champaign campus. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Corner of Main Quad The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, or simply Illinois), is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious campus in the University of Illinois system. ... The Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area, also known as Champaign-Urbana, is a region in east central Illinois. ... The Big Ten Conference is the United States oldest Division I college athletic conference. ... The hackle is a feather plume (most plumes are made of horsehair) that is attached to the headdress. ... A baldric is a wide, usually ornamental belt worn around the waist and over one shoulder that is typically used to carry weapons (such as swords). ... For other uses, see Cape (disambiguation). ... Pair of gauntlets, Germany, end of the 16th century Gauntlet is a name for several different styles of glove. ... Spats are a type of shoe accessory worn in the late 19th and early 20th Century. ... An American college marching band on the field (University of Texas) A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors, and who incorporate movement â€“ usually some type of marching â€“ with their musical performance. ... A Corner of Main Quad The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, or simply Illinois), is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious campus in the University of Illinois system. ...

Performances

The band primarily performs before, during, and after University of Illinois home football games. The band also performs an indoor concert at the Assembly Hall featuring special lighting effects, performances by individual sections, and slightly pithy comic routines. Other performances include a drill for the Illini Marching Festival, halftime performances at postseason bowl games, and an annual away performance at the home football game of another Big Ten school. The MI does not typically perform for parades other than the annual Homecoming parade and when marching to and from Memorial Stadium. The Assembly Hall The Assembly Hall The Assembly Hall The Assembly Hall is a large dome-shaped indoor arena located in Champaign, Illinois, and is part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. ... The Big Ten Conference is the United States oldest Division I college athletic conference. ... Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign, Illinois, on the campus of the University of Illinois. ...

Instrumentation

The Marching Illini Drumline at the postgame Concert

Instrumentation of the Marching Illini is based upon the composition of a typical concert band, but modified in several ways to support outdoor performance. Piccolos are used instead of flutes. Mellophones replace the horns and flugelhorns play the lowest trumpet parts. A larger-than-usual section of metal sousaphones adds a deeper low brass sound, not to mention visual interest. The band has a higher than usual proportion of low- and mid-range brass instruments (baritone, trombone, sousaphone, and mellophone) and the complete woodwind section that allows the band to play traditional concert band repertoire (unlike brass-only marching bands). An auxiliary flag corps and female dance squad (named "Illinettes") add a further visual element to the band's performances. Approximately 288 of the band's 300+ members perform on the football field during each show. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 684 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 684 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family and percussion instrument family. ... This article is about the instrument. ... The mellophone is a brass instrument that is typically used in place of the French horn in marching bands or drum and bugle corps. ... For other uses, see Horn. ... A standard 3-valved Bb flugelhorn. ... The trumpet is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... Sousaphone player in Washington Square, New York City The sousaphone is a type of tuba often used in a marching band. ...

Style

The band performs in a style common to other marching bands of the Big Ten collegiate athletic conference. While the band prides itself on developing innovations in the marching band field, their style is somewhat conservative when compared to other marching bands. The band moves between precise drill formations (unlike East Coast scramble bands) and usually remains in a symmetric arrangement about the 50-yard line in an abstract form (in contrast drum and bugle corps who typically have a much larger variety of formations). The drill style of the band is a necessity since the band performs an entirely new show for every home football game; thus the formations, while still considerably complex, must also be quickly learned by the ensemble. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Drum and bugle corps is a name used to describe two forms of marching units. ...

Organization

Director

Dr. Peter J. Griffin is the Director of the Marching Illini. He became the Assistant Director of Bands in 1994. Since that time, he has served as Coordinator of Band Festivals and Assistant Director of the Marching Illini. Upon the resignation of Director Tom Caneva in 2006, Griffin was chosen as an interim replacement. Griffin was named as the permanent director in December 2006.

Auditions

High school seniors planning to attend UI, transfer students, and current UI students are allowed to audition for the Marching Illini. Students must be accepted into the University before setting up an audition time. Since audition results are announced in early May, students must complete their audition by April 28th. Auditions continue through the summer for open positions only. If a student desires to audition on multiple instruments (for instance, alto and tenor saxophone) they may sign up for multiple time slots.

Some positions, such as Illinettes, Illini Drumline, flags, and drum majors, have earlier auditions. These positions are generally more competitive and may have a series of camps and auditions starting as early as January. The Illini Drumline during the postgame concert after the Syracuse game in September 2006 The Illini Drumline is the marching percussion section of the Marching Illini, the Marching Band at the University of Illinois. ...

Traditions

The Marching Illini in USA Formation during Patriotic Medley from the traditional pregame show

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Pregame Show

The traditional Marching Illini pregame show showcases many varieties of marching styles. The entire show, performed 17-24 minutes before the start of every home football game, consists of seven songs and is nearly 12 minutes in length. Designed for viewing from both sides of Memorial Stadium, the east side serves as the ‘home side’ of the two-sided pregame show. This is somewhat unusual since the press box and TV cameras are on the west side. With the move of the student section and the "Block-I" to the north end of the stadium, the Marching Illini have reoriented their final set for William Tell to face north at the end of the show to play directly to the new student section.

Revised Entrance #3

Revised Entrance #3, the pregame opener and calling card of the Marching Illini, combines an opening fanfare with a march version of the Illinois state song. Entrance #3 has not always been "revised," however, and its story is similar to many of the other traditional Illinois songs. Illinois  Listen to Illinois is the official state song of the state of Illinois in the United States. ...

Illinois Loyalty

Illinois Loyalty is the Illinois school song and was written by Thacher Howland Guild^[1] specifically for the university and was first performed March 3, 1906. Illinois Loyalty is the main fight song of the University of Illinois. ...

Oskee Wow Wow

Oskee Wow-Wow is used as the Illinois fight song since Illinois Loyalty is not as well suited for rousing a crowd during a game. The University is somewhat unique in this regard, as it is uncommon for a school to have a separate fight song and school song. Oskee Wow Wow is a fight song of the University of Illinois. ...

Hail to the Orange

The Illinois Alma Mater, Hail to the Orange is performed as part of Three in One at the end of each halftime performance. It is also sung a cappella in 4-part harmony by the Marching Illini before the band is dismissed at the end of the post-game concert following each home game. This song is based on the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity song "Hail to the Purple." A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. ... Sigma Alpha Epsilon (ΣΑΕ) is a secret letter, social college fraternity. ...

Facts & Figures

The Marching Illini at the 2004 Marching Festival

The Marching Illini was awarded the prestigious Louis Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy in 1983. In addition to Rose Bowl appearances, the Marching Illini has performed at the All-American, Peach, Liberty, Citrus, Hall of Fame, John Hancock, Holiday, MicronPC.com, and Sugar bowl games. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Wisconsin Band, known for its unique stop at the top high step, performs at the HHH Metrodome during a football game against arch-rival Minnesota. ...

In addition to its performances, until 1994, the University of Illinois Bands could claim the honor of holding the largest collection of original works and papers by John Philip Sousa. In 1994, these items were transferred from the possession of the Band to the University's archives, under the control of the University Library. These archives remain housed on the upper level of the Harding Band Building. Portrait of John Philip Sousa taken in 1900 John Philip Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known particularly for American military marches. ... Albert Austin Harding (1880 - December 3, 1958) was the first Director Of Bands at the University of Illinois. ...

Notes

1. ^ T.H. Guild's first name is commonly misspelled 'Thatcher' according to University of Illinois Archivist William J. Maher (e-mail communication of 24 August 2006).

External links

• Official Site
• Alumni Band Site