The University of Central Missouri Marching Mules has a tradition of accepting members of all majors. While many of its members are music education or music technology majors, the vast majority are pursuing different academic paths.
These students are found in various positions throughout the band, from section leaders to players. They join for a variety of reasons. Many participate as a way to meet people with similar interests. Many others take part because they enjoyed marching in high school. One of the non-music majors, Front Ensemble Section Leader Brook Elliott, a junior, says she joined partially as a stress-reliever from her statistics major.
“I did it in high school and statistics can be stressful. Math can be stressful. Math can suck. And I use music as my stress-reliever and my escape from it,” Elliott said.
most football games. (Photo by Braeden Sholes)
Non-music majors also enjoy taking part in the different parts of marching band. Alongside the performing and practicing, band members have fun in the stands cheering for the UCM Mules football team every home game. For junior Olivia Bodenstad, a trombone section leader and digital media productions major, cheering is one of the best parts.
“[My favorite part is] football games,” Bodenstad said. “Football games are awesome. We all get to go nuts, and nobody cares because we’re all doing it together.”
Many non-music majors also see being a Marching Mule as a way to engage in activities they would not be able to do otherwise. Through marching band, these students get a chance to travel, discover new friend groups outside of their major and form bonds with people across campus.
Some non-music majors also use marching band as a chance to practice the skills they learn through their majors. Junior Noah Neil is one such example. Neil, a digital media production major, is the social media manager for the Marching Mules. Through the marching band, Neil gets to put the skills they learned through their major to the test.
“My major is what allows me to really understand how to take good photos and videos and edit them together,” Neil said. “I do a lot of things as social media manager, but one of the things I take the most pride in is the videos that I make for Tiktok and Instagram and such, and editing those, and the videography behind it, and some of the cool photos I get, and all those are things I learned in my class.”
In the end, however, all of the marching mules’ reasons for being in the band came down to one: It is a fun activity and group in which to belong.
“If marching band wasn’t fun, why would you do it?” Elliott asked. “It’s hot, it’s sweaty, but it’s worth it, because there’s a great sense of community. And it is fun. It’s a nice stress reliever. It’s just a good, good experience to be in.”
