As a member of the UW Marching Band I find it necessary to clarify and denounce the falsities Howard Bregman placed on Professor Michael Leckrone (better known to band members as Mike) in his recent article. Mike has always emphasized that the band is a team, there are no individuals. He puts his heart and soul into the marching band and I know how much he means to each and every one of its members.
Bregman claimed that Mike did not recognize the seniors on their final performance. Bregman attended Friday night's concert, however Saturday night, not Friday, is the night of the final Varsity Band Concert. On Saturday, the band plays a song dedicated to the seniors (Elsa's Procession) and asks them to stand to be recognized for their dedication. The band also stood to be recognized just before the end of the concert on both Friday and Saturday night, perhaps Bregman failed to notice in his concentration on Mike.
As for Assistant Director, Ernest Jennings, he is just that, an Assistant, and a very good one. The band, Mike included, appreciates the behind-the-scenes work Jennings does and how quickly he has adapted to our fast-paced organization. We have an entire banquet set aside for the purpose of acknowledging the assistant directors and field assistants who dedicate themselves to the tradition of the Wisconsin Band. Bregman should not assume that he knows everything about a subject he is very unfamiliar with.
The films included in our performances were made to lighten the mood of the concert because unlike the Michigan and OSU bands, we know how to have fun while working hard. The opening video was a humorous introduction which gave the band members a break from their entrance. The second video only included Mike in a 3 second clip where he was depicted as the \bad guy"" of the feature. Mike pushes us to work hard when we are on the field, and when you are the one he is yelling at, he can seem like a scary person. The clip played on this idea, making it humorous to the band members as well as to the audience. The feature, focused on the percussionists, not Mike.
At the end of the performance the band has a traditional sequence of songs. Mike reflects on the year and years past, but recognizes that next year is a year of opportunities. Our inclusion of our nation's flag is never disrespectful. There is always a lot going on in the last five minutes of the concert, including the suspension of Mike in the air. It is our finale and does it not have the right to be grand?
Bregman's quote ""Let's not forget whose band this is"" probably was spoken by Leckrone, but I promise you, it was only in humor. When one knows so little about such an honorable, dedicated man, who so many people adore, one would do best to refrain from twisting words.
Not only does Bregman misinterpret the words of a humorous man, and fail to appreciate the tradition of our spring concerts, he neglects to understand our performances during fall semester. Our half-time performances change each week. We perform musicals like Les Misé rables, The Phantom of the Opera, and this year's West Side Story. We perform rock shows from past and present artists and a fun show for the final performance of the season. Our formations change, but our style remains intense. Our drum major is the leader between the sections of the band and Mike. He/she confers with Mike about what the band needs and how the season is going. A true leader does not need the fame and glory an audience seeks or the pompous, ornate use of batons like most marching bands. Our drum major leads the band in practices and on the field. If anyone came to a practice, they could see what I as a band member know.
We have a slogan in the band, ""Eat A Rock,"" which can only be understood when you have experienced what the Wisconsin Marching Band is about. Our intensity to do our best, as a team, and our ability to forget physical pain for the rush of game day are only a few pieces to what this phrase means. I doubt Bregman would have any conception of what I refer to.
Mike is a remarkable and talented man. I could not imagine being in band without him, not just because he is our director, but because he is our friend and supporter. He believes in us and pushes us to our limits. Many people in our society have forgotten what a real hard days work is. Trust me, Mike reminds us.
Michael Leckrone's dedication and love for the Wisconsin Marching Band is shown through his many years on and off the field. He is there for his students, but knows how to push them to do their best. He always says, ""if it was easy, anybody could do it."" There are few people in the world who could rise to his level of achievement as a director and few who have so many people look to him in adoration. The Wisconsin Marching Band would not be the same without Mike. Yes, someday Jennings will make a wonderful director, but he has very large shoes to fill because Mike is the heart that fuels the soul of the Wisconsin Marching Band.
