Down and Off

Down & Off is back with a look ahead to Homecoming on October 31st! John & Tim sit down with Homecoming Chair and Musical Director Jeff Sebille to talk about what folks can expect for Homecoming 2026.

Jeff gives a brief history of the Alumni Band, talks about the Thursday Reception, the Friday Parade & post-parade activities, and game day on Saturday! All the things necessary to Take Back the Field in front of a roaring crowd. 

Recording of Hey Jude hosted on the Our Iowa Heritage Dr. Tom Davis page.

More links from State of the HMB 146

• Behind the Scenes with the Hawkeye Marching Band (From the UIowa Center for Advancement)
• Alumni Leadership Board (August 2026 Newsletter)
• An Alumnus' Music Man Connection Sparks Hawkeye Marching Band Support
• Music Alumna Still Playing the Iowa Fight Song at 91

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Music recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band, off the 2003 album "Roll Along!" and the 2007 album "Get Ready For the Boom" and Hawkeye Marching Band social media.

It's Hell Week! And that means Down & Off kicks off Season 7 with the 4th annual State of the HMB! John and Tim welcome Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band Dr. Eric Bush and Associate Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band Dr. Nick Miller. 

Dr. Bush & Dr. Miller give a rundown on how big HMB 146 is, the leaders within the band, the slate of shows for the year (Lord of the Rings, oh my!), the schedule for the year, and the state of collegiate marching bands in the changing landscape of athletics in the NIL era. They also take time to shoutout the many wonderful people who make the HMB possible.

• Behind the Scenes with the Hawkeye Marching Band (From the UIowa Center for Advancement)
• Alumni Leadership Board (March 2026 Newsletter)
• An Alumnus' Music Man Connection Sparks Hawkeye Marching Band Support
• Music Alumna Still Playing the Iowa Fight Song at 91
• Scholarship & Fundraising 
• HMB Drumline x Brimstone - Arranged by Daniel Peterson

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Music recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band, off the 2003 album "Roll Along!" and the 2007 album "Get Ready For the Boom" and Hawkeye Marching Band YouTube channel & social media.

Down & Off ends the 2025-26 season with a great discussion with the wonderful Diana Reed! Diana was Golden Girl for the Hawkeye Marching Band for the 2002 through 2006 seasons. She shares memories of shows, trips, and journeys since then! How do Golden Girls make their shows? How did the audition process go? How many Drum Majors did she get to work with? 

Diana name drops Drum Major Pres Maxson, you can listen to the Pres episode or Laura Sievert episode for more memories from the era!  

If you want to learn more on the history of the Hawkeye Marching Band, check out Dr. Carter Biggers' doctoral dissertation or listen to him go over it on the Down & Off Podcast. Part 1 (1881-1937s), Part 2 (1937-1973, including Fred Ebbs & Tom Davis), or Part 3 (Morgan Jones through Kevin Kastens)

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Transition music recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band.

Down & Off is back with Dr. Drew Bonner! Dr. Bonner is called the "Musical Voice of the HMB" and is responsible for many arrangements and shows the Hawkeye Marching Band has performed in the last 8 years, from Wave on Wave in 2018 to HMB TV in 2019 to Wicked this past year and beyond. He is the current Staff Arranger and master of Special Projects, and he gets into what all that entails.

Jim Gaffigan - "Marching Band" clip

If you want to learn more on the history of the Hawkeye Marching Band, check out Dr. Carter Biggers' doctoral dissertation or listen to him go over it on the Down & Off Podcast. Part 1 (1881-1937s), Part 2 (1937-1973, including Fred Ebbs & Tom Davis), or Part 3 (Morgan Jones through Kevin Kastens)

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Transition music recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band.

Down & Off is BACK celebrating this year's Homecoming honored guests- Drum Majors, Golden Girls, & Silks. 

Today John and Tim sit down with 80s Drum Major (and Homecoming Musical Director) Jeff Sebille and 2010s Drum Major (and serving member of the US Armed Forces) Isaac Anderson.

Jeff tells John and Tim about his journey to becoming Drum Major and Director of Alumni Bands and Homecoming Chair, and speaks passionately about his memorable shows and performances in the Hawkeye Marching Band.

Isaac talks about his humbling journey from DCI to Drum Major, the folks that got him there, and the systems of the HMB.

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Instagram & Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Transition music performed & recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band.

It's Homecoming 2025 and John and Tim sit down with 70s Drum Major Dr. Tom Leslie to talk about his time under Dr. Tom Davis in the Hawkeye Marching Band. Dr. Leslie gives us an overview of his time in the band, as a twin drum major, with the first Lani Jo- the first Golden Girl, the legacy of Fred Ebbs, what the HMB taught him, and his journey to being a 40 year director at UNLV. Give it a listen to hear what the band was like before even the legendary Morgan Jones!

If you want to learn more on the history of the Hawkeye Marching Band, check out Dr. Carter Biggers' doctoral dissertation or listen to him go over it on the Down & Off Podcast. Part 1 (1881-1937s), Part 2 (1937-1973, including Fred Ebbs & Tom Davis), or Part 3 (Morgan Jones through Kevin Kastens)

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Transition music recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band.

Down & Off is back with a look ahead to Homecoming! John & Tim sit down with Homecoming Chair and Musical Director Jeff Sebille to talk about what folks can expect for Homecoming 2025.

Jeff gives a brief history of the Alumni Band, talks about the Thursday Reception, the Friday Parade & post-parade activities, and game day on Saturday! All the things necessary to Take Back the Field in front of a roaring crowd. 

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Music recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band, off the 2003 album "Roll Along!" and the 2007 album "Get Ready For the Boom" and Hawkeye Marching Band social media.

THANK YOU LOU!

In honor of the last game of the Legendary Golden Voice of the Hawkeye Marching Band Lou Crist, here is the interview Tim & John Brown did all the way back on Down & Off Episode 1 in November 2020!

Listen to Lou talk about his time in the HMB, his journey to becoming the Golden Voice, the band under the direction Fred Ebbs, Dr. Tom Davis, the many road & bowl trips, did you know Lou was a BARITONE?!, the origins of The Boom, and so much more.

IT'S BAND CAMP TIME! The Hawkeye Marching Band is gathering and getting ready for the upcoming season, and Tim and John sit down with the Associate Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band, Dr. Nick Miller, and the Director of the Hawkeye Marching Band and Associate Director of Bands, Dr. Eric Bush to see what the upcoming season has in store!

Topics include Student Leadership, Drum Major Brandon Alpers & Golden Girl Carissa Wolfe, HMB 145 membership #'s (nearly 300!), a preview of the 7 shows for the season, exhibition trip to Clarinda High School, honoring the Golden Voice of the Hawkeye Marching Band Lou Crist in his last game, the search to find the next Golden Voice, fundraising projects, Alumni Board committees, the Iowa Pep Band, College Football 2025, and more!

• Behind the Scenes with the Hawkeye Marching Band (From the UIowa Center for Advancement)
• Alumni Leadership Board (March 2025 Newsletter)
• Scholarship & Fundraising 
• HMB Drumline x Brimstone - Arranged by Daniel Peterson

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Music recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band, off the 2003 album "Roll Along!" and the 2007 album "Get Ready For the Boom" and Hawkeye Marching Band YouTube channel & social media.

Down & Off is back! Tim Clay is joined by John Barker, a trombone & sousaphone player that joined the Hawkeye Marching Band in 1989. John has agreed to join the Down & Off team and shares about his time in the band and his journey afterwards in the world of radio (and the other HMB, the Hungry March Band). 

Reminder for Homecoming! Registration closes on August 8th! Register Today! If you have any questions, reach out to the Center for Advancement by emailing [email protected] , and put “Alumni Band” in the subject heading.

Transition music goes back to the 70s & 80s, the first song being Hawkeye Fever from the 82 Rose Bowl vinyl, and the second song being a 1971 recording of The Series. Thanks to John's library, expect to hear more tunes from the days of vinyl! 

As always, send feedback to [email protected], "Like" the "Down and Off Podcast" page on Facebook, and follow the us on Twitter @DownAndOffPod. #OnIowa #GoHawks

Music recorded by the Hawkeye Marching Band, off the 2003 album "Roll Along!" and the 2007 album "Get Ready For the Boom" and Hawkeye Marching Band social media.