Hail!  Minnesota

       We sing our alma mater at the conclusion of every performance, rehearsal, and meeting.  We sing to honor the traditions of our past and to welcome the members of the future.  I have sung Hail Minn hundreds of times; at every stadium in the Big Ten; at a few weddings; and solemnly at one funeral.  I have never heard it performed the same way twice.  Our song is a living, breathing entity, and it reflects our emotions of the moment and morphs over the course of the season.  The first few days of spat camp sound pretty similar, when we still have the four part music in front of us, after that we end up fitting our individual sounds into the group.  Many people can sing the melody line, but by the end of the season the original four part harmony has become a 300 part harmony.  Try singing in new spots within the group, the sound is different in every section; vets have melded combinations of the original parts into their own personalized versions to suit their voices; rookies might still be a little unsure and try to simply match the people next to them.  Regardless of our individual choral shortcomings, the sum of our efforts works.  Standing in front of everyone on November 8, 2003 conducting Hail! Minnesota in Northrop lobby stands as the most powerful of my memories from band.  It's important to remember that as our time in the band passes and eventually comes to an end, there is a new class of young men and women who will grow to replace us as the caretakers of tradition.  They will continue to pass on those traditions as we have passed them on.  When we are gone, it is the singing of Hail! Minnesota that will reconnect us to the place that was our home and to the group of people that has become our family.

         -  Joseph A. DeLisi Jr.

TENORS!  Thank you for a great last year!  Cherish this time because, sappy as it sounds, it really does go by quickly.  These last four years have meant the world to me.  Band lets you be part of something that not many people get to experience.  Waiting in the tunnel, expanding the M to a cheering crowd, standing on the stage of Northrop.  Being part of the tradition.  Being part of something deep.  Remember, you take away from this experience what you put in.  Keep your hearts light, your spirits happy, your guns out, and your knees up!

Rookies: Congratulations on making the best decision of your lives!  That goes double for all you converts.  You guys are the future of the section.  It’s up to you to set the tone for how the next few years are gonna be.  Keep it fun and silly, but also keep it hard-core.  The tenors have the chutzpa and the attitude to be one of the best sections in the band again.  It’s up to you to reclaim that title.

Vets:  You stuck through some hard times, and are the better for it.  Remember, band is all about attitude.  It’s a time about fun and friends, and it’s also a time for hard work.  We accomplish something here, even if it does go unnoticed by most of the campus.  It’s something important, never forget that.  Next year you will all be Third Years!  It happens fast, doesn’t it?  You will be the older, wiser vets who’ve done it all before.  Help guide the new rookies, help the new vets get their footing, and stand behind the new leaders. 

Leaders:  Whoever you are.  We’ve tried to teach you this year, and prepare you for what’s to come.  And of course there are areas where you will always have questions.  Ask us.  Ask for help.  Remember, it is an honor to be a leader.  Respect the keys!  More than anyone, you guys will determine what the next few years are like.  You will determine how much the rookies love it, and what they take away from it.  Try to lead by example.  They will follow you, so it’s up to you to choose what they should follow.

JoeD:  Thank you.  Thank you.  I owe you everything.  You made me love it in the beginning.  And you reminded me of that up until the end.   You have been the rock of this section and of the band for years.  And as much crap as we gave you all year, we couldn’t have done it without you.  Tenors – recognize this!  Recognize that we were lucky to have worked with this man, and that your band experience is what it is because of him.  Thank you. 

                              -Joanna Klitzke