Every organization develops its own language. The UMass Minuteman Marching Band is no exception. Over generations, members have shared traditions, stories, and expressions that immediately identify someone as part of the family. Few, however, have had the staying power of a simple word that began as band slang:
Bando.
For decades, “bando” has been used by marching band members across the country as a term for a member of a marching band. To band members, the meaning is obvious. To everyone else, it often requires an explanation.
Following the passing of legendary UMass Band Director George N. Parks, alumna Katie McLeod wrote a tribute for the Boston Globe reflecting on the impact Parks had on generations of students. In the piece, she used the word naturally and without explanation:
“We bandos experienced that feeling time and time again…”
The word caught the attention of editors at Merriam-Webster and was ultimately included among the dictionary’s recognized new words and slang entries.
For members of the UMass Band family, the story carries an additional connection.
Longtime Merriam-Webster editor and lexicographer Peter Sokolowski is himself a UMass Band alumnus. Over the course of his distinguished career, Sokolowski has become one of the most recognizable voices associated with Merriam-Webster, appearing regularly in national media and helping explain how language evolves and earns its place in the dictionary.
The inclusion of “bando” serves as a reminder that language often grows from communities. Words emerge, spread, take on meaning, and occasionally find their way into the broader culture. In this case, a term familiar to generations of marching band members found a place in one of the nation’s most respected dictionaries.
For band alumni, it is also a fitting tribute to the community George Parks helped build. The word captures something that is difficult to define but instantly recognizable to those who lived it: the shared experience of rehearsals, road trips, halftime performances, friendships, and traditions that connect generations of Minuteman Band members.
Not every word makes it into the dictionary.
Then again, not every band creates a culture strong enough to produce one.
Aha, bandos. You’re in.
