Garrett Olsansky

EN 101-019

Ms. Beers

25 October 2019

Profile: Million Dollar Band

The University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band is one of the most recognizable college

marching programs in the country. The marching band consists of four hundred students of the

university, doing their part as members of the wind, percussion, color guard, and Crimsonette

sections. Being home to so many men and women, this band is well appreciated by many people

of the university and around the country, from little kids on game day, all the way to Coach Nick

Saban’s wife, Miss Terry Saban. Whether it’s playing cheers at the steps of the Amelia Gayle

Gorgas Library or singing the Alma Mater at the end of a football game, the Million Dollar Band

is always a key part of the University of Alabama’s gameday culture.

A typical game day for the Million Dollar Band is very long. It starts out in a two-hour

morning rehearsal. One thing that always hold true about morning rehearsals is that there will

always be an audience, no matter how early it is. Whether it is family of the musicians or just

fans looking for some pre-game entertainment, there is always a crowd watching the band

rehearse. This is an important thing for the musicians, as it gives a little motivational boost

knowing there is a long day ahead. It is also important for the fans, giving them a glimpse at all

of the hard work that goes into being a member of the group. What these fans don’t see,

however, is all the time and energy that is being put into the program during the week. Matt

Meadows, five-year alum and current Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Million Dollar Band,
notes that the most difficult part about being in college marching band is “the time commitment

[because they] rehearse five days a week for an hour and a half, [and is especially hard] as it gets

later in the school year when the school work starts to pile up and it starts to become hard to give

up that time” (Personal Interview). Marching band at UA is a class that meets five days a week

for about two hours, not including pep rallies or game days. In the same statement though, he

acknowledges that “the great thing is you have a lot of people around you that support it, so it

ends up counteracting it”. Being a part of a group where everyone is so invested in being the best

that they can be can create a type of bond that can’t be replicated. Lots of time is put into the

marching program to make sure the best product is being put out on the field during game days.

Not only is marching band a huge time commitment, but it also takes a lot of mental

awareness and focus. One thing non-marching band people will never understand is how difficult

it truly is. The amount of skill it takes to play intricate music in sync with everybody else while

spread across a whole football field and moving all around the field without being able to look

where you’re going is incredible. The current half-time show for the Million Dollar Band is a

tribute to the Beatles, and who doesn’t know the Beatles? This is extremely important for the

musicians to consider, as they know the music has to be perfect while being aware that thousands

of people will be listening and singing along to classic songs such as “Hey Jude”, “A Hard Day’s

Night”, and “Let It Be”. People share videos of the band performing all over the internet, so

making sure the performance is musically and visually appealing is always a top priority for the

ensemble.

One of the most exciting moments for not only the members of the band, but the fans as

well is the Million Dollar Band’s pregame performance. This interactive performance consists of
multiple parts, including Yea Alabama (the school’s fight song) and the National Anthem, as

well as a few team cheers and Tusk. The pregame sequence is one that is very enjoyable for the

musicians, but there is a lot of work and focus that needs to be put in by everyone for it to be at

its best. The beginning of pregame showcases the playing of Yea Alabama and one of the hardest

things in marching band: marching straight lines across the field. The difficulty comes from a

few things, including how spread out everybody in one line is, and the need for strong peripheral

vision. This move, along with the Big Bama Spell-out, is focused on many times during rehearsal

to ensure that it looks as clean as it can. The Big Bama Spell-out is of the most interactive parts

of the band’s pregame performance. During this move, there is an uproar from the fans, from the

student section to the nose-bleeds, as they join the band in chanting “B”, “A”, “M”, and “A”.

This leads into the national anthem, which is always a special moment in the stands. The

audience sings along with the band as they play the beautiful arrangement of the Star Spangled

Banner, creating such a special feeling in the stadium. If fans get lucky, there will even be a

flyover at the end of the song, which will typically lead to an even bigger roar of applause as

there was before. The band finishes out pregame with Tusk, while forming into the school’s

mascot on the field. The energy through this performance is very high, as Bryant Denny Stadium

gets hyped up in anticipation for the entrance of the university's high-level football team. Before

the pregame sequence is over, the band welcomes the Crimson Time onto the field with one

more run of the fight song, “Yea Alabama”. Fans go crazy and sing along to what is probably

one of the most recognizable fight songs of all time.

Other than game days, there are many other events that the Million Dollar Band takes

part in too. One of the best memories that Matt Meadows has from being a part of the band was
performing at the Bands of America Grand Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bands of America

is the National Championship of high school marching bands. Matt recalls “playing in front of

hundreds and hundreds of band kids who are all in it for the same thing [he was]” (Personal

Interview). Being in a place where music is valued so much is an incredible space to perform in,

which is why Matt, and the other members, will always hold it very close to his heart. Along

with taking trips to places like Indianapolis, the Million Dollar Band recently found out they

were selected to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. It is not

easy to get into this parade; it takes years of blood, sweat, and tears for any marching band to be

considered, and the Million Dollar Band has done just that. This parade is one of the biggest, if

not the biggest, celebrations in America. It is a great honor to be selected for an event like this, as

the band will get to perform alongside many celebrities and entertainers. The viewership is

incredible too, with​ “more than 50 million viewers across the country and more than 3.5 million

spectators that line up along the streets of New York City each year” (ua.edu). Needless to say,

there will be a large number of people watching as the band marches through one of the biggest

cities in the nation. The Million Dollar Band will starts working up to this event at the beginning

of the Fall 2020 semester, as they begin their season with the goal of being the best marching

band they can be.

 Works Cited

Olsansky, Garrett, and Matt Meadows. Personal Interview. “Million Dollar Band Experience.” 30 Oct. 2019.

“Million Dollar Band to Perform in 2020 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.” The University of

Alabama, 21 Sept. 2019,

www.ua.edu/news/2019/09/million-dollar-band-to-perform-in-2020-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/.