Pride of Arizona as drum major. Howard, who also earned a master’s degree at the UA, spent about eight years as a band director at two Southern Arizona high schools (Sunnyside and Rio Rico). She returned to the UA two years ago and last year served as the associate director of athletic bands. The Pride’s main stadium show this fall will feature the music of Daft Punk, including the smash “Get Lucky” and other songs from the French duo’s Grammy Awardwinning “Random Access Memories” album. Previous seasons have featured innovative and groove-intensive arrangements by Rees of hits by Radiohead and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Looking forward, Howard says she’s most excited about UA Band Day on Oct. 25, which will bring to
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campus upwards of 40 high school bands from throughout Arizona and New Mexico. “I love watching the high school students react to performing in Arizona Stadium, which has the best acoustics of any stadium in the state, and to the Pride of Arizona’s performance,” she says. “Our kids, who take seriously their unofficial jobs as recruiters, leave everything on the field that day.” Marching band is a course offered through the School of Music. It’s not limited to music majors, and any student may join. The approximately 250 members participate in “classroom” time on the practice field and devote additional hours before, during and after each home football game. She says the course is taken largely for the honor and pleasure of playing before tens of thousands of people each week.
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Former bandleader Jack Lee wrote the music and lyrics for “Bear Down Arizona,” which became the school’s fight song. He composed it in 1952 on a flight back to the Midwest after the interview that landed him the bandleader job.
Photo by Gregor Orbino
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