UT Arlington
Marching Band 2008

Welcome to the University of Texas Arlington Marching Band!

Known as "The Ambassadors of the University," the University of Texas at Arlington Marching Band is one of the only college marching bands in the nation to exist without a football team, designed to serve both our music education students and non-majors for a musical, instructional and social experience.

For over 20 years, the UTA Marching Band has pioneered a new path in musical and visual excellence, striving to provide audiences with state-of-the-art presentations.

The band performs annually for crowds numbering 100,000 and is consistently featured in exhibition at local, state, Regional UIL and Bands of America Super Regional contests, as well as high school festivals and professional football games.

In 2001, the band performed in exhibition at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Championship, held in Indianapolis, Indiana. The student musicians in the band represent the majority of academic disciplines and majors within the University.

Excellence and excitement are the cornerstones for the UTA Marching Band's tradition of success. Our goal is to diversify the educational and performance opportunities for our ensemble members on a local, national, and international level.

Our Story

Many people are unaware that UTA boasts one of the only marching bands to exist in the country without a football team. Therefore, we'd like to share our story of perseverance.
Our story begins in 1985, when the Board of Regents and the Athletic Program mutually decided to no longer financially support a football program. Shortly after, the music department, along with the support of the university administration, decided that, for the sake of the music education program, as well as the continued exposure of the university outside Arlington, the marching band would continue to exist. This decision would make the UTA Marching Band one of the only marching bands in the country to exist at a university where there is not a football program.
Over twenty years later, the band is alive and strong, performing every fall in front of capacity crowds, continuing to give more performances than the majority of other college bands throughout the nation.
The band continues to push the envelope for excellence among contemporary marching bands with their technically demanding, fast-paced drill moves and high intensity music.
Without a football program to rely on for exposure, the success of this ensemble has rested solely on the integrity of the almost 200 students and faculty who put in countless hours of rehearsal time in order to put on an exciting state-of-the-art production for audiences to enjoy wherever they perform. It takes maximum effort on everyone's part to keep a marching band alive without a football team, but these students have shown that they're up to the challenge for the last 20 years.

2008 Marching Band Staff and Student Leadership

Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Marching Band
Mr. Matthew Luttrell

Director of Marching Percussion/Assistant Director of the Marching Band
Mr. Jim Yakas

Director of Bands
Dr. Douglas Stotter

Graduate Teaching Assistant
Henry Kappler

Color Guard Instructor
TBA

Marching Tech
Marvin Warren
Amanda Dixon
Megan Hunt
Tim Rider

Drum Majors
Crystal Gerrard
Joelle Van Curan

Flute
Hannah Spangler
Clarinet
Caitlyn Melton
Chrissy Tebbens
Saxophone
Katherine Prather
Gentry Ragsdale
Trumpet
Nicholas Powell
Chris Sample
Horn
Jacqueline Ruddick
Trombone
Chris Paden
Tuba/Euphonium
Chris Alsip
Josh Lawyer-Jefferson

More information?

Click here to request more information about joining the marching band.