Marking Time

Marching Band Tunes in for Early Week

By Staff Photographer Stephanie S. Cordle Aug 27, 2018

University of Maryland Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band on Chapel Field

Photos by Stephanie S. Cordle

Trumpet-toting Terps didn’t exactly march 15 miles through a swamp, but they did hold their own boot camp last week.

The Mighty Sound of Maryland’s Early Week was an intensive introduction to the 265-member marching band’s season. They sweated out this August tradition under the leadership of Andrea Brown, the new associate director of bands and director of athletic bands.

Musicians, guard members and the dance team arrived on campus for the semester a week early to help them get adjusted to campus life, make friends and start learning the drills and music.

The rest of us just get to enjoy the soundtrack.

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Band members—who average 1,200 steps per show—work on the finer points of marching on the Chapel Field.

Jacob Cooper lines up with other sousaphone players on the first day of practice, Aug. 20, 2018. When all 15 are assembled, the Mighty Sound of Maryland has a mighty bassline.

For Andrea Brown, the university’s new associate director of bands and director of athletic bands, it’s one hour down, 59 to go in Early Week’s practice schedule.

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Campus & Community

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Music