From the Desk of The President

Dear UMBAA Family,

There is no greater indicator of the transition from summer to fall than the sights and sounds at the intersection of Hoover Avenue and South Division Street. The first notes of M Fanfare and The Victors, the Michigan Drumline rehearsing on the steps of Revelli Hall, and the first time the Block M folds out on Elbel Field are all wonderful reminders that another academic year, and another season of Michigan Football, are quickly approaching. Many of us no longer live in Ann Arbor, but we all have those same stirring feelings inside our souls (and for some of us, our knees!) when we reminisce about our own experiences in the Michigan Bands during our time as students.

Just as the Michigan Marching Band is preparing for a new season together, the UMBAA Board of Directors has been hard at work preparing for our various events and ensembles—the 2019 edition of Blast from the Past, Alumni Pep Band, and Alumni Concert Band, to name a few. The 2018-19 season was an incredible success, capped off by our 14th Annual UMBAA Golf Outing, which set new fundraising records for the event. We are continuing to work on new and exciting events to add to our schedule, and look forward to announcing those in the near future. Participation and interest in these events and ensembles continues to grow, a trend that we hope to see continuing in the 2019-20 season; if you have interest in joining, there is no time like the present!

Finally, our most important mission—supporting the Michigan Bands—continues to see growth with each passing year. In the past year, the UMBAA Board of Directors was able to increase the amount of scholarship dollars that were provided to Michigan Band students, and purchase a new bassoon for the Campus Bands program through our Concert Instrument Fund initiative. This is only possible because of the generous support that you, our membership, continues to provide through your volunteer efforts, financial support, and participation. A major goal for 2019-20 is to assist the Campus Bands program in beginning to replace its aging percussion equipment, once again through the use of our Concert Instrument Fund, and I hope you will join me in supporting that effort.

In closing, on behalf of myself and the UMBAA Board of Directors, we wish great health and happiness to you and your families, and hope that you will join us this fall as active participants in this great fellowship of alumni of the Michigan Bands.

Yuba, and Go Blue!

Eric Miller