Marching with precision: Engineering students in the UW–Madison Marching Band

Aiden Schmitz, a senior studying computer engineering from Shakopee, MN, has returned for his fourth season as a part of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Marching Band. A member of the trombone section, Schmitz is not the only student from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) who marches for Bucky. In fact, there are 17 ECE students performing with the marching band this fall.

As Director of Athletic Bands since the spring of 2019, Dr. Corey Pompey has taken note of the high number of engineering students in the marching band, “Historically, the band does have a large population of engineering students every year. The engineering students have one of the largest representations from any college on campus.” According to Pompey, of the 306 current band members, 84 self-reported as engineering majors. That’s 27% of the band’s membership, a significant amount considering engineering majors, in recent years, make up less than 13%* of the UW–Madison student population.

When asked if he had noticed any difference between engineering majors and band members with other majors, Pompey answered, “I don’t know whether or not the engineering students approach band any differently from other students. From a pedagogical standpoint, we don’t treat them any differently. With that said, from time to time, I have observed that engineering students are sometimes more analytical than others when it comes to approaching drill and minutia such as precise foot placement, etc.”

Sophomore Jaron Ruland, an electrical engineering major from Eau Claire, WI, has been playing the bass drum in the band for two years and has noticed a relationship between musical performance and engineering, “I think there is absolutely a connection. I mean, there must be something that explains the prevalence of engineers in the band.” Ruland continued, “There are some similarities in the two subjects that I think might draw engineers to join the band. There’s lots of opportunity for collaboration in both engineering and music; making music and solving engineering problems are very detail-oriented activities; and creativity is the root of both music and engineering. From finding a moving interpretation of a piece of music to innovating new technology, it takes special ingenuity and inspiration.”

Schmitz reflected on the pressures of a rigorous course load and the time commitment of marching band, “I was slightly worried about balancing school with band, but not extremely so. I knew much of the band was STEM and that if they could find a way, so could I.” The senior continued, “It was difficult in the first two years, but I’ve personally found it harder as I became an upperclassman. The group projects in more advanced classes are harder to balance with band. The key for me was figuring out what was important to me and sticking to a routine.”

Ruland echoed those sentiments, “It’s definitely tough. It takes a lot of discipline and time management to memorize a new marching show every other week and still find the time to get enough studying done.”

“Success navigating band and one’s area of study really enhances time management skills,” Pompey shared. “There has to be some truth to it because former students often tell me that the extra musical skills learned in band helped them in their chosen careers.”

“Being in the tunnel for pregame or on the field for halftime makes me feel connected to the university and 100+ years of tradition. I know that I can’t get this feeling anywhere else, so I come back every year”, Schmitz reflected. “Engineers like to tackle challenges, and being in the band is challenging but very rewarding.”

Featured image: left to right, Prateek Tandon, Aiden Schmitz, Jaron Ruland, Andrew Miner, Kyle Stephenson. Credit: Allyson Crowley
Mid-article image: Jaron Ruland. Credit: Pathum Karunaratne/PxPhotography
*Calculated from Fall 2023 enrollment information

Kyle Stephenson, a senior studying computer engineering, was recently featured playing his snare drum in a wooded area in a tv ad for UW–Madison:

Band Together – UW–Madison’s television commercial

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