MSU Alumni Band 2025 Fall Reunion

Please use this site to:

• Pay annual membership dues
• Register and pay for the September 12 & 13 Fall Reunion
• Register for the golf outing
• RSVP for the Friday night reception
• Purchase a shirt for the reunion
• Purchase a lunch for the reunion
• Sign up for the October 10th Homecoming Parade
• Make a donation to the Bloomquist, Whitwell, Falcone, and Thoma scholarships

This reunion is always a very special event - please read through the details carefully below before you register, and then select the correct ticket(s). Answers to common questions are below. When submitting information, please use proper capitalization!

Listed below are the types of tickets and when they will be available:

Available until August 23rd @ 11:30pm:

• Registration & Dues
• Boxed Lunches
• Reserve a Borrowed Instrument
• All T-Shirt Options

Available until September 4th @ 11:30pm:

• Golf Outing
• Friday Night Reception

Available from August 23rd @ 11:30pm until September 8th @ 11:30pm:

• Late Registration & Dues (will not get charted in halftime show + $5 late fee)
• Late T-Shirt (100% cotton short sleeve option only + $5 late fee)

Available until September 13th @ 11:30pm:

• Dues Only
• Homecoming Parade
• All Donations

Eventbrite charges fees on all paid tickets and add-ons. The magnitude of the fee will vary from ticket to ticket based on its price, but put simply they charge 6.6% of the ticket price plus a flat $1.79 for each ticket and add-on that is sold (donations and free tickets are exempt from fees). This year, the Alumni Board will continue to cover the ticket fees for all on-time registrations! If you have any more questions about how these fees work, email us at [email protected]. If you want to help offset the cost of the fees, please consider donating to one of the scholarship funds during check-out!

Please review the Alumni Band Code of Conduct at this link:

Note that before you check-out you will be required to verify that you've read and will comply with the Code of Conduct.

This year we will be using GroupSpot as our day-of communication tool. Last year, we were unable to effectively communicate a last-minute change to our step-off time for Series, and we hope to spread the word faster this year by using this amazing app! Please stay tuned and watch for an email with more info on how to join our group in GroupSpot once it is created.

The Fall Reunion cannot happen without volunteers. Please consider donating some of your time to help the event run smoothly. See the link below to view the volunteer roles needed for the reunion weekend and select the position(s) you want to help with. Thank you in advance to those that will be helping to make this reunion a success!

Friday (September 12):

• 9:00am Golf outing
• Time TBD Music rehearsal & partial business meeting
• Time TBD Reception

Saturday (September 13):

• 7:30 - 9:00am Check-in and social time with refreshments (Dem Hall)
• 9:30 - 11:15am Combined Alumni Band and SMB marching rehearsal
• 11:15 - 11:45am Business meeting - board member vote, special recognition & prizes
• 11:45 -1:45pm Lunch
• 2:00pm Call time - Adams Field
• 2:10pm Step-Off to the Stadium
• 3:30pm Kickoff
• Halftime performance

Our annual golf outing, which began in 1999, will be on Friday, September 12th at Oak Lane Golf Course. It will be a scramble format and begin at 9:00am. Put together your own foursome, or we can pair you with other golfers. Please use the appropriate ticket in the registration process for the golf outing. You may also contact coordinator Keith Peters at [email protected] or (248) 854-2363.

Friday evening we will have music rehearsal - it is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged! Stay tuned for updates on where the rehearsal will take place and when it will start.

Friday evening we will be hosting a reception for all alumni to enjoy! MSUFCU is providing lots of space for us to gather on the 2nd floor of their newest location at 311 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823 - it's only a 15 minute walk from Dem Hall and avoids the hassle of trying to find a parking spot nearby. There is no cost to get in the door and there will be a cash bar! There will also be free hors d'oeuvres to snack on. Please help us estimate how much food we need by RVSP'ing during registration. Stay tuned for an updated start/end time.

The required check-in will be Saturday from 7:30am-9:00am at Dem Hall. You must check-in and pick up the necessary items that will allow you to enter the stadium, receive a lunch (if ordered), etc. Make sure to join us for the Saturday morning refreshments! Please note - if you are not pre-registered on time you will not be charted for the halftime show. Late registrations after August 23rd can only stand and play on the field and will have to march at the back of the parade block for Series.

Following check-in and morning refreshments will be a halftime marching rehearsal from 9:30-11:15am. Be prepared for a fast-paced rehearsal - your music should be marked and ready to go! There will be current SMB students participating and ready to help.

Note: You must be part of the marching rehearsal if you plan to march halftime in the stadium.

Following the halftime marching rehearsal our Alumni Band President, Tim Draeger, will host the annual General Business meeting as required by our By-Laws. This meeting will include notes from our Board members, a Treasurer's report, and a few guest speakers - make sure you're there to hear their entertaining remarks!

If you have any questions or comments, we encourage you to contact us at [email protected].

Lunch is scheduled from 11:45am-1:45pm. The Alumni Band will be distributing boxed lunches in front of Dem Hall following the general business meeting. Boxed lunches can be purchased in the Add-On section during checkout if you would like one. Please look closely at each ticket, as there are different lunch types. Each lunch includes a sub sandwich, chips, a cookie, and a drink. You are allowed to order multiple lunches if you are ordering them for family/friends to eat as a group!

Assemble at Adams Field for the march to the stadium. Everyone who is registered for the reunion (pre-registered or late) is welcome to march the Series to the stadium. Call time is 2:00pm.

Series will start at Adams field and follow our normal route to the Tunnel Gate on the north side of Spartan Stadium. After Stomp-Down is called, we will walk south and around the west side of the stadium to Gate D - you will be required to show your wristband and to follow all stadium protocols to enter! After entering Gate D, we will walk through the concourse to the ramps for sections 14 & 15 - please use both ramps!

Stay tuned for updated seating information. See last year's seating chart below:

Kickoff time is 3:30pm. Please watch local news reports and other informational sources to confirm the time. As things change, we will alter our schedule as needed and get information out as quickly as possible. We can't control game time (or the weather), but we will adapt and adjust!

MUSIC & CHARTS

The Spartan Marching Band will join us for the halftime performance honoring Coach Tom Izzo. So far, the only tune that we have confirmed is Rubberband Man. Stay tuned for more updates to music/drill as we receive them!

We will assemble on the field with the Spartan Marching Band for a post-game concert. Afterwards we will set up in parade block formation outside of the stadium for our march back to Dem Hall.

On Saturday, the University lots will open at 7:00am, which should give Alumni Band members plenty of time before the 7:30am check-in. Please plan accordingly! See this link for more information: Game Day Parking. If you don't wish to park on campus, the City of East Lansing (across Grand River) also has options available.

At the top of this page is a button for "tickets" that you can select. Fill out each ticket as completely as possible - depending on your involvement at the reunion. Each ticket is for a specific function or payment. Please make sure you look at each ticket for the item you wish to receive and/or participate in. If you are coming to the reunion, both annual dues and registration are required . You must be pre-registered through this site on or before August 23rd to be able to march the halftime drill at the game! You will only be able to enter the field to stand and play for the last halftime number if you register after August 23rd.

New Graduates: If you have graduated since last year's Fall Reunion, you can use the promo code Grad2425 to get $25 off at check-out - aka free dues for your 1st year! This can only be used once per person, and we will be checking your graduation year to verify the purchase.

There are a number of questions with required responses. This is to make sure you are charted correctly for the game, and to make sure we have the proper contact information. Please make sure your email is current, and that you can receive attachments!

We prefer that you pay by credit card, but you also have the option to send in a check (see "other payment options" below the credit card choices). EventBrite will generate an electronic ticket for you. There is no need to bring this with you to the reunion.

Please make arrangements to borrow an instrument if you do not have one or cannot travel with your instrument. Only a select quantity of instruments are available through the Spartan Marching Band, and there is a nominal rental fee for the use of it. You can reserve an instrument by selecting the ticket during the check-out process - up to the quantity that are available! If no instruments are available when you register, then all of those that were available have already been reserved.

Similar to last year, we will be partnering with Integrity One Payments, MSUFCU's recommended vendor for secure credit card processing, to place $50 holds on credit cards during the pickup process. We will remove this hold after the SMB's Instrument Team has verified that the instrument was returned free of damage.

You can review this year's contract here:

Notes:

• Available instruments include Eb trumpets, baritones, mellophones, and tubas.
• Instruments will ONLY be availble on Saturday, Sept. 13th this year.

• Percussionists, Big Ten Flags, and Color Guard should check with their point-person or contact regarding equipment - you DO NOT have to select the instrument ticket. You will be able to pick up equipment from the respective section rooms.

The Department of Athletics and the College of Music have asked us to maintain the uniformity of our dress for all performances (games, parades, etc.). THIS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED! Please wear your Michigan State Alumni Band Shirt (pictured below) on Gameday. If you do not already own one, we have several t-shirt options available to purchase during check-out in the add-ons section. The 100% cotton, SportTek, short sleeve, and long sleeve versions are all acceptable for our uniform. If you purchase one or more t-shirts, they will be available for pick-up during the Saturday morning check-in. If the weather is cooler, you're welcome to wear other clothes under the Alumni Band t-shirt and your marching band jacket as long as they follow MSU's color scheme (i.e. blacks, whites, greens, greys, etc.). Everyone must also wear black pants or black shorts for marching/performance.

The Michigan State 2024 Homecoming festivities are October 10-11. The Alumni Band will again be participating in the Homecoming Parade on Friday evening, October 10th, and all Alumni Band members are welcome to participate. The parade will begin at 6:00pm from the Hannah Community Center on Abbot Road in East Lansing, and wind its way through the city and on to campus. You do not have to march! A flatbed trailer will be used with seats provided for the Alumni Band - sit while you play! You may also walk alongside the trailer while playing. Select the Homecoming Parade ticket to participate in this always fun event. Free and open to all members. Participants will be provided additional information as the date approaches. For more information, contact Special Events Coordinator Gary Marx at [email protected].

The Alumni Band encourages your support of scholarships and projects. Please consider donating to one or more of the following (use the tickets while registering):

• The John Whitwell Band Scholarship Fund - awarded annually each spring to a student in honor of director emeritus John Whitwell.
• The Ken Bloomquist Scholarship Fund - awarded annually each spring to a student in honor of director emeritus Ken Bloomquist.
• The SMB Jackets Sponsorship Fund - in support of all freshmen in the Spartan Marching Band - to award the coveted jacket to each freshman at minimal cost to them. This scholarship is not available during the registration process this year as it is extremely well funded. Please consider donating to one of the other funds/scholarships in its place!
• The Leonard Falcone Endowed Music Scholarship Fund - provides a scholarship for full time undergraduate and graduate music majors. Awardees are selected by the Director of Bands.
• MSU Bands - Donations to this fund help secure guest artists, conductors, and composers; travel for the Wind Ensemble to peer-reviewed regional and national conferences; funds to commission new works and to subsidize recording opportunities for the Wind Ensemble; and special scholarships for students to participate in University Bands.
• The Augie Thoma Scholarship Fund - NEW - awarded annually each spring to a student in honor of August (Augie) Thoma.

To contribute to the scholarships and projects listed above, you may use the tickets at the beginning of the page. All of the contributions are tax-deductible! Your printed ticket can serve as your receipt for tax purposes. If you would like a receipt directly from the MSU Alumni Band, or if your gift is over $250.00 (the IRS requires a receipt), please contact us and we'll send it to you.

You may also make a donation directly through University Advancement (on-line donation). To do that, visit the following link: https://www.givingto.msu.edu/gift/, and on that page, under "Search for Fund", type in:

• AE069 for the Bloomquist Scholarship
• AE06072 for the Whitwell Scholarship
• AE060706 for the SMB band jackets (Knas Family Band Jacket Endowment)
• AE0603 for the Falcone Endowed Music Scholarship Fund
• AE0601 for the MSU Bands fund
• AE06056 for the Augie Thoma Scholarship

Thank you!

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Info: Oak Lane Golf Course 800 N. Main Street
Webberville, MI 48892

Info: Time TBD, Dem Field

Info: Time TBD, will follow the music rehearsal. Free to get in, cash bar. 2nd floor of MSUFCU at Abbot & Albert: 311 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823

Info: Dem Hall Ballroom

Info: Dem Hall Arena

Info: Munn Practice Field

Info: Munn Practice Field

Info: Dem Field. Lunch box pickup will be in the Ballroom.

Info: All attendees must be at Adams Field by 2pm.

Info: Go State Beat The Panthers!

Info: Instrument drop-off will start 15 minutes after returning to Dem following the game and run for the next 30 minutes.

Info: 819 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823. Contact Gary Marx at [email protected] with questions.

Host or Publisher MSU Alumni Band