Marching Hundred wins top award for university bands

After a long football season with 1-1/2-hour-long practices five days a week, plus whole Saturdays taken away by game days, the IU Marching Hundred's efforts have paid off.\nThe marching band received the 2007 Louis Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy, the nation's top award for college and university marching bands, this December at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.\nThe trophy, given by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, is "pretty much the highest collegiate marching band award there is," senior baritone player Kyle King said.\nThe actual trophy ceremony will be held at halftime at next year's homecoming game, said Dave Woodley, director of athletic bands at IU.\nSenior Andrea Kopp, who plays piccolo in the band, said the award is comparable to college football's Heisman Trophy.\n"The award is presented to a group that has shown a long history of innovation, both music and marching drills, and also musical performances," Woodley said. \nAll college marching band directors vote on the award, and the top four bands submit videotapes and recordings, Woodley said. A committee then picks the Sudler winner from the top four.\n"They try to base the award on many years of excellence in both marching and music," Woodley said. "I think that over the past couple years the band has gotten a little bit bigger and a little bit better, and I think that the committee members recognize that."\nThis year's approximately 250 members earned the award -- which will be displayed in the Department of Bands in the Jacobs School of Music -- because their efforts and hard work lived up to their 110 years of tradition, King said.\nIn addition to the musicians, King recognized the directors and graduate assistants', saying that without their efforts the achievement would not have happened. \nKopp also attributed the award to the success of the football team. The team finished with a 5-7 record..\n"We are there to support the football team, and the more good plays and first downs that our football team makes, the more chances we get to play," she said. "I think that because our football team made great strides this year, the band was also able to be highlighted." \nBesides highlighting the bands' talent, Woodley said the award also may improve recruitment. While the band is competitive, especially in the drum line and woodwind sections, it always needs a large brass section.\nHe said many freshmen are turned away from the band because they think it is only for music majors, when really nearly all of the band members are not music majors.\nNeither King nor Kopp were music majors, and both agreed being in the band was a great experience.\n"It's such a great honor to get such a prestigious award, and I'm glad I'm leaving the marching band on a good note," Kopp said. \nWoodley said that once a school wins the Sudler trophy, it can't win it again. Twenty-six universities, including eight Big Ten schools, have received the award since it was founded in 1982. \n"This award goes to every single student who has every marched in the band," Woodley said.