Maryville College expanding band program
July 6, 2022
After more than 30 years, Maryville College is starting the process of putting its band program back on Honaker Field.
This fall, Maryville College will officially launch a pep band program featuring 30 student instrumentalists who will perform in the stands during home football games, select home basketball games and other events on and off campus. The expansion of the band program is the first step of a plan to eventually transition to a full marching band.
“Interest in the band program has increased during the last several years, and I believe that having a presence at athletic events and other campus spirit-building activities is the next step for the program,” said Dr. Eric Simpson, associate professor of music and director of bands at Maryville College. “We are excited to get started and look forward to being a part of campus life on a whole new level! Having a band back in the stands at games is really going to improve the game-day experience. We’ve got great athletes on the court/field competing at incredibly high levels, and our pep band is only going to serve to further engage our fans.”
The expanded Tartanband, which Simpson originally started in 2016 as a student instrumental ensemble, is open to both music majors and non-music majors who have an interest in playing their instrument as part of the MC community.
“It doesn’t matter if you just played your instrument in the stands at your high school, or studied with a private instructor for years – there is a place for you in the MC Tartanband,” Simpson said. “Band provides a wonderful sense of community for its participants; we have a saying, ‘you will have many friends in your life, but you will never have friends like the ones that you make music with.’ The sense of belonging, togetherness, and even affection that comes from being a part of a music group is very much a part of the reason that we are taking this ‘next step’ at Maryville College. The band program has wonderful days ahead.”
Students will receive academic credit for their participation, and scholarships are available for participants.
The College has provided initial funding to purchase several instruments, music and apparel, and a fundraising initiative to support the band program is underway. Approximately $140,000 of the $175,000 goal has been raised, and there are plans to raise an additional $100,000 to establish an endowment for the program.
Music has long been an important part of campus life at Maryville College. In the College’s early years, students participated in ensembles, including an orchestra, a stringed orchestra, choral groups, bands and quartets. Participation for college credit began when the Fine Arts Department was established in 1936. Archival documents prior to 1936 mention bands performing at MC athletic events, and there was a marching band during the 1936-37 academic year, with Ralph Colbert as director. The marching band became known as the Highlander Band in the 1950s, and members wore uniforms that included kilts. For years, the Highlander Band performed at home football games and during Homecoming events until the band dissolved in the late 1980s.
Today, Maryville College’s Division of Fine Arts boasts a variety of student and community music ensembles that perform on campus, locally, nationally and even internationally. These include the following choral and instrumental ensembles: Maryville College Concert Choir, Maryville College Orchestra, Maryville College Community Chorus, MC3Band, Jazz Band, Off Kilter, Lads & Lassies, and Maryville College Youth Choirs.
Administrators say it makes sense to grow the band program, given Maryville College’s ideal location, strong music program and state-of-the art music facilities.
“East Tennessee abounds with musicians and music-lovers,” Maryville College President Dr. Bryan Coker said to attendees during the College’s Founder’s Day event last October. “With impressive music programs in our local high schools and with our incredible Clayton Center for the Arts, we can – and will – draw more of these students here to study and to perform.”
For more information about contributing to the band program, please contact Diana Canacaris, director of major gifts, at 865-981-8198 or diana.canacaris@maryvillecollege.edu. For information about joining the band, please contact Maryville College’s Office of Admissions at 865-981-8092 or admissions@maryvillecollege.edu.