The Marching Illini is the marching band of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign . The Marching Illini is an organization which annually includes approximately 400 students enrolled in the University of Illinois, and Parkland College . It was founded in 1867 and primarily performs at Illini football games as well as other events around campus.
63-630: The band is a part of the College of Fine and Applied Arts and Illini Athletics , and has diverse member participation from most colleges, disciplines and majors on the university's campus. The first marching band unit of record at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was during the first year of classes in the fall of 1868. This was a group that consisted of a tenor drum, bass drum and fife. In January 1869, these three members were joined by several brass players who brought instruments from home. In 1870,
126-588: A Minor in Urban Planning, as well as joint master's degree options, including with Law, Architecture, and Business Administration. This department is rated nationally among the top fifteen programs. It offers a BLA, MLA, and PhD program. 40°6′12.1″N 88°13′44.7″W / 40.103361°N 88.229083°W / 40.103361; -88.229083 Foellinger Auditorium The Foellinger Auditorium , located at 709 S. Mathews Avenue in Urbana, Illinois , on
189-467: A copper dome with a smaller glass oculus , and 2,500 seats, as well as a south wing which would be the home for the School of Music. Blackall reduced the overall size of the building, had the dome constructed out of sheet metal, and eliminated the backstage areas, although he arranged the design in such a way as to allow the future addition of a backstage. Despite the funding shortages, construction of what
252-657: A few embellishments. The new uniforms were similar in style to those the band members had seen Sousa's Band wearing in Chicago at the Columbian Exposition. Mark Hindsley arrived in Illinois in 1934 as assistant to Harding, was recruited to enlist as a music officer in the Army Air Corps in 1942. While Hindsley (and many of the male students) were gone, the band began to admit women into the concert band program. In 1950, Hindsley
315-520: A graduate degree from the University of Illinois. As a graduate student, Houser instructed with the Marching Illini as a Graduate Assistant, frequently conducting from the backfield podium during performances. Houser attended the University of Florida as an undergraduate and has been involved with the nationally renowned Smith-Walbridge Clinics for drum majors and marching bands with Director Emeritus of
378-615: A march version of the Illinois state song . The band moves into dual U of I logos, and then transform into four arcs – two arcs facing each sideline. Sousaphones and percussion are centered between the arches, while the auxiliaries flank both sides of the band. “Patriotic Medley” follows, and the winds adjust to an outline of the United States, while the percussion form the state of Illinois with one cymbal player strategically placed in Champaign. At
441-688: A military demonstration was held. The visitors then walked behind the band to University Hall for speeches by Speaker of the House James Shaw, Regent John Milton Gregory and Governor Shelby Moore Cullom plus other entertainments. At the end of the day the band escorted the group back to the train station. In 1893 the Military Band was invited to perform for two weeks at the World′s Columbian Exposition (world′s fair) in Chicago. Conducted by student leaders Charles Elder and Richard Sharpe,
504-461: A part of the effort to fix the acoustical problem. The Lorado Taft sculpture Alma Mater , which now stands outside Altgeld Hall , was originally placed outside the south end of the Auditorium, where two fragments of the sculptor's Fountain of Creation are now located. The Auditorium was renovated in 1915, 1937, 1951 and 1970. The alterations to the interior in 1915 were intended to help
567-471: A series of camps and auditions starting as early as January. (Pre-2021) The traditional Marching Illini pregame show showcases many varieties of marching styles, and is designed to showcase the band's pride in the school, state, and country. The entire show, performed 17–24 minutes before the start of every home football game, consists of seven songs and is nearly 12 minutes in length. The pregame show remains consistent for each game and does not change unlike
630-410: A site was chosen for the new building. Blackall later said about the location: Our University of Illinois will focus about the Auditorium. This building is located upon the only commanding site of the entire grounds, at the crest of the slight rise towards the south from Green Street, where it will form the center of the growth for many years to come, so that ultimately this structure which now seems in
693-419: A surrogate band of 300 photographic cardboard cutouts of all the band members was set up in the band section. Music videos recorded by the band were played on the stadium scoreboard screen. The band did perform outdoors during the pandemic with safety protocols in place, including masks, bell covers, staying 6 feet apart, and limited rehearsal times. A small, senior group of Marching Illini members played during
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#1732869207380756-709: A tribute to traditional Illinois marches and songs and to the Marching Illini as part of the Twilight Concert series. Guest conductors were MI directors Gary Smith, Thomas Caneva and Barry L. Houser along with former band faculty family members Robert Hindsley, William Kisinger and Mark Duker. Former band member David C. Shaul was the announcer. The Illinois pieces played were: The Marching Illini returned to Dublin, Ireland in March, 2022 as part of their tradition of playing in Ireland every four years since 1992. The Marching Illini
819-401: A way too far to the south, will be surrounded on all sides by large and developed schools. Blackall developed a design which was estimated to cost $ 200,000 to build. Unfortunately the state legislature only authorized $ 100,000 which necessitated Blackall making some drastic changes in his design, which originally called for an auditorium that would cover 30,000 square feet (2,800 m ), have
882-601: Is a multi-disciplinary art school at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign . On October 3, 1921, a proposal was made by the University Senate to organize the Department of Architecture, the Division of Landscape Architecture, the School of Music and the Department of Art and Design into a College of Fine Arts. A committee, made up of faculty members, was appointed in 1928 to make recommendations, which were approved by
945-424: Is essentially a circle with a 120-foot diameter covering 17,000 square feet, with a large vestibule on the north side, and 396 lights in its copper dome. Originally dedicated to the composer Edward MacDowell , the building was rededicated on April 26, 1985, in honor of Helene Foellinger, whose gift to the university enabled the facility to undergo a major renovation. The idea for an Auditorium began in 1905 with
1008-495: Is loosely patterned after Native American ceremonial fancy dance. The dance consists of two main parts, the downfield dance and the solo dance. The regalia worn by the Chief was purchased from Sioux Chief Frank Fools Crow in 1983; it is topped by a headdress of turkey feathers (in place of endangered eagle feathers). There have been 34 men who have portrayed the Chief, and one woman who appeared as Princess Illiniwek. The musical portion of
1071-461: Is somewhat conservative when compared to other marching bands. The band move among precise drill formations (unlike East Coast scramble bands ) and typically remain in a symmetric arrangement about the 50-yard line in abstract patterns (contrast with drum and bugle corps , who ordinarily feature a much greater breadth of formations). The drill style of the band is a necessity since the band performs an entirely new show for every home football game; thus
1134-593: The 100th celebration of the Altgeld chimes on Oct. 30. The band primarily performs before, during, and after University of Illinois home football games. The band also performs an indoor concert at the Assembly Hall featuring special lighting effects, performances by individual sections, and slightly pithy comic routines. Other performances include a drill for the Illini Marching Festival, halftime performance for
1197-477: The Auditorium's manager, around 17,000 students use the facility for class and another 5,000 to 10,000 attend various events each week. The auditorium has a camera atop it which captures live video of the Main Quad , which can be accessed on the Illinois website. Directly in front of the building, at the bottom of the stairs, there in a semi-circular forecourt area. Due to the architecture, when standing directly in
1260-491: The Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, halftime performances at postseason bowl games, and an annual away performance at the home football game of another Big Ten school. The MI does not typically perform for parades other than marching to and from the stadium for home games, the annual Homecoming parade, and when marching to and from Foellinger Auditorium where they play several outdoor concerts for University events. In addition
1323-579: The Department of Urban Planning became its own academic unit. The department established the PhD in Regional Planning in 1983. The Department of Urban and Regional Planning is one of the planning programs in the U.S., and it is one of very few programs that offers three degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning, a Master of Urban Planning, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Regional Planning. It also offers
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#17328692073801386-578: The ILLINI letter by letter as it marches back down the field. Another important piece of the Three-In-One, Chief Illiniwek was a part of the tradition since 1926. The Chief appeared at the home football game against Pennsylvania that year, dancing to the newly-written “March of the Illini” before going to midfield to meet a Pennsylvania band member dressed up as a Quaker, and smoke a peace pipe. Chief Illiniwek’s dance
1449-649: The Krannert Art Museum; the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; and Sinfonia da Camera, the university's resident chamber orchestra. The college offers exhibitions, concerts, performances, lectures, master classes, and conferences in all areas of the performing and visual arts and for the designed and built environment. The University of Illinois has a history in the training of urban and regional planners, dating back to 1913 when Charles Mulford Robinson
1512-567: The Marching Illini Gary E. Smith. Houser now serves as Director and Head Clinician with Smith-Walbridge. Houser's immediate predecessor was Dr. Peter J. Griffin. He became the Assistant Director of Bands in 1994. During his tenure at Illinois, he served as Coordinator of Band Festivals and Assistant Director of the Marching Illini. Upon the resignation of Director Tom Caneva in 2006, Griffin was chosen as an interim replacement. Griffin
1575-565: The Marching Illini continues to perform the Three in One at halftime of football games. Recently, there have been calls to remove the music of the Three in One completely from performances. Stephen Kaufman, a professor at the University of Illinois and a longtime opponent of Chief Illiniwek, brought the issue up at a faculty meeting in October 2015. He asked Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson to take action and stop
1638-489: The Marching Illini from performing the Three in One at future events because of its link to Chief Illiniwek. Kaufman also threatened to approach the NCAA about the situation if no further action was taken. Wilson refused to take action on the matter. "Revised Entrance #3", originally based on the ″Governor′s March″ (1935) by Col. Armin F. Hand, the pregame opener and calling card of the Marching Illini, combines an opening fanfare with
1701-571: The Marching Illini have performed at the 1992, 1995, 1998, 2008, 2014, 2018, and 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and the 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music at the University of Illinois houses a collection of University Band recordings. The audio recordings consists of reel-to-reel tapes of performances and recording sessions from 1940 to 1987. On Saturday August 28, 2021,
1764-518: The Marching Illini is based upon the composition of a typical concert band , but modified in several ways to support outdoor performance. Piccolos are used instead of flutes. Mellophones replace the French horns. A larger-than-usual section of metal sousaphones adds a deeper low brass sound, not to mention visual interest. The band has a higher-than-usual proportion of low- and mid-range brass instruments (baritone, trombone, sousaphone, and mellophone) and
1827-591: The Marching Illini. Students must be accepted into the university before setting up an audition time. Since audition results are announced in early May, students must complete their audition by April 28. Auditions continue through the summer for open positions only. If a student desires to audition on multiple instruments (for instance, alto and tenor saxophone) they may sign up for multiple time slots. Some positions, such as Illinettes, Illini Drumline, Marching Illini Colorguard, and drum majors, have earlier auditions. These positions are generally more competitive and may have
1890-680: The Orange , also written in 1910 by Hill and Green is performed as part of Three in One at the end of each halftime performance. It is sung a cappella in 4-part harmony by the Marching Illini before the band is dismissed at the end of the post-game concert following each home game. This song is also used as the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity song "Hail to the Purple." On 19 June 2014 the University Summer Band conducted by Linda Moorhouse played
1953-534: The Orange″ was written by Harold V. Hill with words by Howard R. Green in 1910. The three pieces were eventually combined into a medley and given the title, “Three-In-One.” The “Three-In-One” drill and music are an important part of the University’s heritage. Chief Illiniwek was retired by the University of Illinois in 2007. The Chief last danced to the Three in One on February 21, 2007 at a men's basketball game. However,
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2016-661: The Senate on February 2, 1930. On March 12, 1931, the Board of Trustees established the college for the "cultivation of esthetic taste on the part of the student body at large ... and development of general artistic appreciation." The first dean was appointed in 1932. Today, the college includes the Schools of Architecture , Art + Design, and Music; the Departments of Dance, Landscape Architecture, Theatre, and Urban + Regional Planning; Japan House ;
2079-516: The Three-In-One consists of three distinct Illinois pieces: “Pride of the Illini,” “March of the Illini,” and “Hail to the Orange.” “Pride of the Illini,” written by Karl King with words by Ray Dvorak expressly for the Illinois Bands, was published in 1928. Harry Alford’s “March of the Illini” was also published in 1928, but was used during Chief Illinwek’s performance from the beginning in 1926. ″Hail to
2142-577: The University of Illinois Bands could claim the honor of holding the largest collection of original works and papers by John Philip Sousa , until 1994 when these items were transferred from the possession of the band to the university's archives, under the control of the University Library. These archives remain housed on the upper level of the Harding Band Building. The Marching Illini can also lay claim to several firsts, which are listed on
2205-414: The band debuted a hip hop remixed version of their traditional blues riffed "Low Brass" entitled "Illini Anthem" performed by Rap Artist Jarrel Young and produced by University of Illinois School of Music Professor Lamont Holden, also known as TheLetterLBeats which broke ground as the first rap song to officially represent a Big Ten, FBS and/or state collegiate institution as a fight song. Instrumentation of
2268-467: The band played concerts twice daily in the Illinois Building 9 June to 24 June. Soloists were William Sandford, euphonium; Charles Elder, clarinet; William Steele, cornet. New navy blue uniforms were purchased for the Military Band in 1894 with funds raised by the band and contributions from alumni. Until that time the band had worn the same gray uniforms as the military battalion with the addition of
2331-432: The band's official website. These include: In 2019, band members began using eFlip, a device that attaches to their instrument and holds a smartphone or a tablet that will display sheet music instead of the sheet music stands they've used in the past. This will save time and money -- about $ 30,000 to $ 35,000 a year. University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts The College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA)
2394-706: The brass band in Champaign. The festivities of the day included a visit by members of the Illinois General Assembly whose special train from Springfield was met at the Wabash depot in Tolono by the band and university officials. An Illinois Central train took them to the Doane House in Champaign. After lunch, the military battalion and band escorted the visitors from the Doane House to the Drill Hall on Springfield Avenue where
2457-465: The building and separating the stairwells from the lobby. By 1970, many campus planners were suggesting that the now worn-out Auditorium be destroyed. However, thanks to a $ 3 million gift in 1983 from newspaper publisher Helene Foellinger (Class of 1932) of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel , the auditorium was instead renovated again, built and refinished to Blackall's original design under
2520-460: The building's serious acoustical problem. The renovation in 1937 included a major seat replacement project, which reduced the seating capacity from 2,500 to 1,936 seats. The renovation also added dressing rooms and the interior dome ceiling was lowered to help eliminate the echo. Also, some decorative elements were removed. In 1951, changes were made to bring the building into compliance with fire codes. These included adding fire doors throughout
2583-454: The campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , is a concert hall and the university's largest lecture hall. It is the southernmost building on the main quad. Its size and its dome make it one of the university's most recognizable buildings. The building was completed in 1907 and was designed by Clarence H. Blackall , a noted theatre designer, in the Beaux-Arts style . The building
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2646-454: The climatic point of “God Bless America,” a dramatic high chair 4-count turn to the home stands accompanies a downward cascade in the music, and the crowd invariably applauds. After a short mark-time, the formation changes to a large rectangle. During “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the rectangle compresses into a circle, pentagon, and finally a star, where the band halts and finishes the medley with
2709-548: The closing phrases of “America The Beautiful.” Illinois Loyalty is the Illinois school song and was written by Thacher Howland Guild specifically for the university. It was first performed by the University Military Band in concert on March 3, 1906. As the only band at the university in 1906 the Military Band functioned as a marching, ceremonial and concert band. Oskee Wow-Wow was written in 1910 by two students, Harold V. Hill (music) and Howard R. Green (words), and
2772-502: The complete woodwind section that allows the band to play traditional concert band repertoire (unlike all-brass marching bands). An auxiliary color guard and female dance squad (dubbed the "Illinettes") contribute another visual element to the band's performances. The band performs in a style common to other marching bands of the Big Ten collegiate athletic conference. While the band prides itself on developing innovations in marching, its style
2835-519: The dedication of University Hall on 10 December 1873. This building, which was demolished in 1938, was home to the bands for many years until 1928 and was seen in the background of several band photos of the 1890s. The Cornet Band played an important role in the Decennial (Tenth) Anniversary Celebration of the founding of the university observed on 10 March 1877. In that year the band of 14 players had its second outside instructor, Herbert Mulliken, leader of
2898-467: The early 1920s, making it the oldest part of the Three-In-One. The marching drill for this formation originally consisted of a march down the field in a “Block I” formation, and a marching into the ILLINI formation once the band had marched back downfield. The present-day version of the Marching ILLINI is similar to the original, but is highlighted by an intricate countermarch that allows the band to form
2961-513: The end of the show to play directly to the new student section. (2021-Present) The new arrangement for pregame consists now of 8 songs and is nearly 15 minutes in length. The band begins their pre-game performance by marching from the Illini Armory Building to the stadium where they now come out of the tunnel beneath the scoreboard. This change was made so band wouldn't be seen until the very start of its performance. The new song added to
3024-517: The first note erupts in the stadium. During the Pregame Show, the Marching Illini forms the outline of the United States of America and the five point star. Designed for viewing from both sides of Memorial Stadium, the west side serves as the ‘home side’ of the two-sided pregame show. With the move of the student section and the "Block-I" to the north end of the stadium, the Marching Illini have reoriented their final set for William Tell to face north at
3087-590: The formations, while considerably complex, must be efficiently memorized by the ensemble. Professor Barry L. Houser was named as Visiting Assistant Director of Bands and Conductor of Athletics Bands (including Director of the Marching Illini and Basketball Band) in July 2011. Professor Houser served as Director of the Marching Panthers and Basketball Band at Eastern Illinois University while also serving as Acting Director of Bands at EIU from 2008 to 2011 after receiving
3150-404: The halftime shows. Band members "peel" onto the field from both end zones populating the field from the end zone to the 50 yard line. To keep distance in between members, each student will hit the yard line at their assigned number - 1,3,5, or 7. While the stadium can't hear it, members scream out 1,3, 5, 7 each time they hit the yard line. Once all students were place, horns snapped to attention and
3213-404: The hall was acoustically imperfect, with what President James called "A fearful echo." Fixing the hall's sound was assigned to the professors of the university's Physics Department, in particular Floyd Rowe Watson, who knew very little about acoustics, but spent six years solving the problem, after which he was a recognized authority of the subject. Remodeling of the interior in 1915 and 1937 were
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#17328692073803276-417: The noted composer Edward MacDowell . Blackall was not pleased about the changes necessitated by the budget shortfall. He complained to university architect James McLaren White in 1923: "My best wish for that building would be to have it go up in smoke some night, and somebody would have the chance to rebuild it right." Several weeks before the dedication of the building was scheduled, Blackall learned that
3339-479: The pregame performance is titled "Oskee Fanfare" and is the first piece played after running out of the tunnel. On Sep 4, 2021, at the UTSA vs UIUC football game, The Marching Illini debuted their new uniforms. The Three-In-One is a tradition forged in the early years of the band’s history from three distinct pieces of the University’s heritage. The Marching “ILLINI” formation was created by A.A. Harding and his assistants in
3402-472: The supervision of architect Walker Johnson, who utilized Blackall's original plans and drawings, as well as tinted lithographs. Wings and a backstage area were added – a total of 6,000 square feet – a new wooden stage floor was installed, seating was replaced, and the sheet metal dome was replaced with a copper one with a 4.5 foot pineapple and 396 embedded lights. In addition the stage lighting and audio system were improved. A rededication ceremony
3465-551: The university purchased a set of brass instruments and that same year sixteen band members petitioned the administration for a teacher. I.W. Colberg, a music teacher in Urbana, was hired to provide music lessons and marching drills for two years until the spring of 1873. As part of the Military Department, the band provided music for battalion drills, chapel exercises and ceremonies. The University Cornet Band (brass band) played for
3528-596: The university's president, Edmund Janes James, who wanted to build a "noble monument" dedicated to the art of music. He wrote: "I am interested in having this the greatest hall of the kind in the Mississippi Valley". The university's trustees chose noted theatre designer and UI alumnus (Class of 1877) Clarence H. Blackall – who was responsible for the Wilbur and Colonial Theatres in Boston, among many others – and
3591-414: Was appointed Professor of Civic Design in the university's Landscape Architecture Division. At that time, only the University of Illinois and Harvard University offered courses in urban planning . In 1945 the university authorized a master's degree in urban planning, and in 1953 an undergraduate degree was established. Both programs were offered in the Department of Landscape Architecture until 1965, when
3654-452: Was copyrighted in 1911. It was intended as an entry for a skit contest. Oskee Wow-Wow is an invented phrase similar to other college cheers and yells of that period. The song is used as the Illinois fight song since Illinois Loyalty is not well-suited for rousing a crowd during a game. The university is somewhat unusual in this regard, as it is uncommon for a school to have a separate fight song and school song. The Illinois Alma Mater, Hail to
3717-405: Was held on April 26, 1985, when the name of the building was changed to "Foellinger Auditorium". As part of the renovation, the seating capacity was reduced to 1,750. Of these, 915 are on the main floor, and 835 are in the balcony. Foellinger Auditorium is currently used as a large lecture hall. The facility is also used for guest speakers, performances, concerts, and other events. According to
3780-530: Was named as the permanent director in December 2006 and served in that position until May 2011, when he took the position of Chair of the Music Department at Elmhurst College . All members of the Marching Illini band are selected by a music and marching audition. High school seniors planning to attend UI, transfer students, Parkland (community) College students, and current UI students are allowed to audition for
3843-468: Was officially promoted to Director of Bands. Hindsley is also the person credited with coining the name “Marching Illini,” previous to this, the band was simply called "Football Band.". In fall 2020, the band did not play live performances for football in Memorial Stadium because of COVID-19 virus restrictions, and struggled to hold rehearsals online due to latency issues over Zoom. In Memorial Stadium,
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#17328692073803906-419: Was originally called simply "the Auditorium" began and ended in 1907. It was constructed on a granite foundation of brick and Indiana limestone. Despite the deviations from Blackall's original plan, upon the building's completion and its two-day dedication on November 4 and 5, 1907, it was capable of holding 2,500 students, more than the entire student body at the time. The building was originally dedicated to
3969-564: Was the second band to ever be awarded the prestigious Louis Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy in 1983, after only the Michigan Marching Band . In addition to Rose Bowl appearances, the Marching Illini has performed at the All-American, Peach, Liberty, Citrus, Hall of Fame, John Hancock, Holiday, MicronPC.com, Texas, Sugar, Kraft Fight Hunger, Heart of Dallas, Redbox, and Reliaquest Bowl games. In addition to its performances,
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