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Dear alumni and friends, and prospective students of the Razorback Bands,

It’s a great time to be a part of the University of Arkansas Bands! The Razorback Marching Band enjoyed a fun football season that included sell-out crowds, exciting home victories, and a win against Penn State at the Outback Bowl in Tampa, FL. The Hogwild Band is enjoying exciting games with record crowds in Bud Walton Arena as they prepare for post-season tournaments. As the five concert bands continue to prepare for spring concerts, we are seeing strong attendance at our scholarship audition days.

If you know of any prospective band students who are planning to attend the University of Arkansas this fall, please let us know or urge them to contact us for information about the band program. We are fortunate to be able to provide substantial scholarship support to all students in the band program, regardless of major. In fact the fall 2022 semester will be our ninth consecutive year of providing financial support to every academically eligible student in the marching band.

Save the date for our annual Razorback Band Pignic and Preview on the evening of Friday, August 19 at the band's practice facility across the street from Baum Stadium. This annual event has become very popular with band alumni and parents of current students. Families are all welcome to attend this informal evening to watch a Razorback Band rehearsal and see the first pregame and halftime run-throughs of the 2022 season. More information will be provided in our June newsletter.

Best wishes for a great spring and as always, GO HOGS!

Chris Knighten

Director of Bands

Outback Bowl Recap

The Arkansas Razorbacks wrapped up a successful 2021 football season in late November, ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in a decade. Their eight victories earned an invitation to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida on New Year's Day, and preparations for the trip began in early December. After a well-deserved Christmas Break, the Best in Sight and Sound began the long journey to the Sunshine State. While there the band enjoyed hosted a number of events showcasing both the Razorback Marching Band and Penn State Blue Band.

Almost as soon as the RMB rolled into town on Thursday morning, they headed to rehearsal at local Calvary Christian HS. After three hours of pre-game and halftime prep, the band traveled back to the hotel, changed into their pep rally gear, and headed down to the sands of the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort. The fans gathered there heard Arkansas Fight, Swing March, William Tell, and, of course, Rock and Roll, which prompted Head Coach Sam Pittman to express his appreciation in a tweet out to his 118 thousand followers. Thursday night the band was in celebration mode, enjoying the first bowl-trip band banquet since the Belk Bowl in 2016.

On Friday morning the band enjoyed riding roller coasters at Busch Gardens before meeting up with the Penn State Blue Band in a Battle of the Bands that afternoon. That evening the Outback Bowl hosted the Band Blast in the Ybor City Historic District. The RMB marched down 7th street through a raucous crowd of both Hog and Nittany Lion fans, and then traded tunes yet again with the Blue Band.

Saturday was New Year's Day and game day! After a short pep rally for the Hogwalk the band made their way into the stadium where they performed a modified version of the traditional pregame. For halftime the RMB entertained fans with a tribute to R&B legend Stevie Wonder with some of his greatest hits, including Sir Duke, Isn’t She Lovely, and Signed, Sealed, Delivered. With the game wrapped up in a 24-10 Razorback victory, the band headed home, excited to start thinking about fall 2022.

Looking back on the trip, RMB director Dr. Benjamin Lorenzo said, “The cities of Clearwater and Tampa really did a great job of embracing the Outback Bowl’s visiting bands and fan bases. The events were well-attended with Hog fans supporting us at each stop. We enjoyed being a part of such an exciting atmosphere and loved performing for all those who made the trip.”

University of Arkansas Bands Celebrates Black History Month

The University of Arkansas Bands celebrated black history month with a series of posts across its social media platforms. Ryan Versey, social media coordinator for the University of Arkansas Bands, spearheaded the effort. “We reached out to several RMB alumni, and they loved the idea,” Versey said. “We knew this would be a great opportunity to tell their stories, so we worked their information into the designs and scheduled them to be posted.” The response from the posts was overwhelmingly positive, and Versey noted how social media can be used to make connections across generations of RMB alumni. “It was an honor to speak with these alums and be a part of this celebration.”

Alumni Spotlight - Matt Bunch

Senior Director of IT Information Security/Cyber, Tyson Foods

Where are you from originally?

Paragould, Arkansas – Greene County Tech High-School

What years were you in band?

1995-1999

Which degrees did you earn?

BS in Computer Systems Engineering and a Master’s in Information Systems

Why did you decide to be a part of a band program while in college?

I loved being in band during high school. I chose to go to the U of A because it offered the chance for me to study computer engineering and also participate in a great band program. I auditioned for W. Dale Warren, and he offered me a spot and a non-music major right after the audition.

What are some of your favorite memories of being in the Razorback Band?

There are too many memories to mention. My favorites are being in Kappa Kappa Psi, serving the band, and all the travel opportunities. I went to Denver, Boise, Ireland, New York, Atlanta and many others. I got to participate in both men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and experience landing at the wrong airport returning from the NIT tournament. Marching into War Memorial Stadium as a freshman before a night game was something I’ll never forget.

How did being a part of the band program influence life after college?

It taught me the value of contributing to something bigger than yourself and the importance of pursuing things you love outside of your studies or career. When I hire new staff, I always look for people who prioritized being involved with a variety of activities rather than just focusing on academics. The friendships and connections I made while in the band are still important in my life. I run into people regularly both professionally and personally that I first met when we were band members together.

University of Arkansas Bands

103 Lewis E. Epley, Jr. Band Building | Fayetteville, AR 72701

(888) ARK-ALUM

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