When your student joins the Minuteman Marching Band, they’re becoming part of something much bigger than a halftime show. They’re joining a tradition that spans more than 150 years—a community built on leadership, musicianship, service, and lifelong friendships. Before long, you’ll understand why generations of members proudly call themselves bandos.
For many families, that connection spans generations. Every year, the UMMB welcomes second-generation bandos whose parents—and sometimes even grandparents—once marched the same pregame shows, learned the same traditions, and built the same lifelong friendships. For these families, the UMMB isn’t simply a college activity. It’s part of the family’s story.
The UMass Band Alumni Network website offers a window into that remarkable legacy. With more than 250 articles celebrating band history and alumni achievements, along with over 50 pages dedicated to the history, traditions, trivia, and ephemera of the UMMB, the site serves as a living archive of what makes the Power and Class of New England so special. Whether you’re curious about the band’s earliest days, Old Chapel, memorable performances, or the traditions your student is experiencing today, there’s always another story waiting to be discovered.
The UMass Band Alumni Network is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to preserving the history of the UMMB while supporting its future. Through alumni engagement, historical preservation, and fundraising, the Network helps ensure that future generations of bandos enjoy the same transformative experience that alumni have cherished for decades.
One of the Network’s proudest moments is leading fundraising for the George N. Parks Minuteman Marching Band Building, helping provide today’s students with a home worthy of one of the nation’s premier collegiate marching bands. Alumni and friends’ generosity has also established eight endowed scholarships, creating permanent financial support for UMMB students for generations to come.
While the website was created primarily for alumni and members of the UMass Band Alumni Network, parents often find themselves just as captivated. As you watch your student create memories of their own, we invite you to explore the remarkable story they’ve become part of. We think you’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for the traditions they’re carrying forward—and for the thousands of bandos who continue to ensure that the Power and Class of New England lives on.