Merrimack College Marching Marching Band’s Fall 2024 Exciting Events

The Merrimack College Band had a very exciting Fall semester, including their first international trip.

This fall semester brought many new and exciting opportunities for the Merrimack College Band. They started the semester off strong in August with Band Camp to prepare for the upcoming season. Students on the leadership team moved in earlier than the rest of the band to participate in different leadership workshops, such as team bonding exercises and learning how to build a strong foundation for the rest of the band. Once the rest of the band arrived, all started working on the fundamentals of marching, learning the halftime show music, along with the drill. Senior George Sachs-Walor shares, “I was really excited to play music from my favorite band U2, as a part of my senior marching show.” While a lot of Band Camp is about learning and working hard, it is also a time for the current and new students to get to know each other.

On September 7, the band traveled to the University of Connecticut vs. Merrimack College football game at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. There they performed their halftime show, as well as got to interact with members of the UCONN Marching Band. Director of Bands, Paul Geresy, explains the importance: “Performing at UCONN was an incredible opportunity for our students. It gave them a chance to share their hard work on a larger stage, connect with another collegiate band, and represent Merrimack with pride. It’s experiences like these that showcase the growth and camaraderie within our group.”

Marching Band Performs at Homecoming 2024
Marching Band Performs at Homecoming 2024

Next was Homecoming on September 28. This was one of many high points of their season. At Homecoming, they had opportunities to perform at Macktoberfest, different tailgating lots, and of course the halftime show. Homecoming is often one of the larger events with a vast amount of attendees. Andrew Cote, Assistant Director of Bands and Music Program Director, shares the details behind the creation of this year’s Marching Band show: “Shipping Up to Belfast, was in honor of our first international performance as a band. All of the music was by artists from Ireland and Northern Ireland, with the exception of Shipping up to Boston—the show’s closer—to represent us as Americans heading overseas.” The halftime show songs were “Zombie” by the Cranberries (Belfast), “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 (Ireland), and “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol (Belfast).”

The biggest event of their season was the Band’s first international trip to Ireland from November 26 to December 2. This invitation came about just a little over two years ago and has been in the works since. Catia Melo explains, “Paul told us my freshman year that one of his goals for this band was to go to Europe. To be part of that experience in just four years was amazing.” The trip was to Northern Ireland over the week of Thanksgiving to support Merrimack Men’s hockey in the Friendship Four Tournament. While in Belfast, the Band participated in several different educational opportunities such as tours of the city and surrounding areas with presentations about the culture and background of Ireland. Additionally, they toured a few iconic locations such as the Crumlin Road Gaol, Guinness Storehouse and Brewery, as well as visited St. Mary’s University College.

At St. Mary’s, they received lessons in traditional Irish music, dancing, and traditional Irish language. They also had the chance to talk with students who attend the University both from Ireland and students from the U.S. studying abroad program. To further promote the Band, unique performance opportunities were secured in Ireland. In Carrickfergus they performed for school kids from Sunnylands Primary School, members of the community, and distinguished members of the Irish government. The drumline also had the opportunity to parade into the arena ahead of the opening game with the mayor of Belfast and school kids from around the area. Senior Aidan Gibbs shared, “This was my last semester here at Merrimack and this season was filled with so many amazing opportunities, from traveling to UCONN, homecoming and the trip to Ireland. I am so grateful for this group and the opportunities it gave me.”

The international trip was not only open to current students of the band, but for recent graduates as well, with four members of the class of 2024 joining the trip. Overall, this was a very exciting trip for all members of the group with Jen Loalbo, ‘26 sharing, “This trip was a once in a lifetime experience and I’m so thankful that I was able to be a part of it.”

Geresy sums up the Band’s experience: “This semester was a landmark moment for the Merrimack College Band. From exciting performances at homecoming and UCONN to the transformative trip to Ireland, our students demonstrated remarkable dedication and talent. Witnessing their growth as musicians and leaders has been inspiring, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished together.”

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