Dear Notre Dame Band Family,
Band 178 has hit the ground running this academic year! The season started with Coreientation and Band Camp the week before classes started on August 22. Then we were immediately off to Ireland on the 23rd for the first football game of the season against Navy! We spent an amazing three days on the Emerald Isle before our return to campus (and to reality!). The band had a great opportunity on the trip to explore Dublin and experience Irish culture, and our trip culminated in a big win for the Fighting Irish in Ireland. See the Ireland photos on page 1 of the Fall 2023 Notre Dame Band News.
The very next weekend saw a historic game for Notre Dame as we hosted TSU, the first time a Historically Black College or University played at Notre Dame Stadium. The first true home game of the season, it was also the first time many of our students got to see an HBCU show-style band perform. It marked another big win for the Irish and an even bigger historical moment for the University. More photos are on page 2 of the Notre Dame Band News.
The band has been hard at work learning and performing halftime shows this season, playing some of our favorite Irish standard tunes as well as many of the summer’s biggest hits. With only three more home games left in the second half of the season, we’re excited to perform the rest of our halftime shows and to end the season on a high note at a Bowl Game.
The marching band hasn’t been the only group having fun this semester as our concert and jazz ensembles are now fully up and running, and varsity band season is right around the corner. Our concert and jazz bands have performances at the end of the semester, listed on page 3 of the Notre Dame Band News. Hockey band starts the first weekend of October, and the men’s and women’s basketball seasons will begin with two exhibition games around Halloween.
As the two newest members of the Notre Dame Band staff, we have jumped right into all things ND over the last couple of months—from university history to band traditions and good old fashioned section rivalries (band soccer starts soon, still debating which team to root for…). It’s been a busy start to the year, but working with our students and seeing how much this band means to them has truly been an amazing experience so far. It is so clear to us that the Notre Dame Band family is truly special, and we are so honored to be a small part of it.
On behalf of the entire Notre Dame Band staff, faculty, and students, we cannot thank you enough for your continued support of our program. It certainly takes dedication to get to 178 years, and we wouldn’t be able to do the things we do without each and every one of you.
This season has only just begun, but we’re so excited to see what the future has in store for us. Thank you again, and Go Irish!
Best,
