UTA’s Maverick Marching Band practices Sept. 17 at Maverick Stadium. The marching band’s 2025 show is called “The Hero’s Journey” and features music such as “Fly to Paradise” by Eric Whitacre.
The hero stood at the 50-yard line, flute slightly trembling in her hand.
She stepped forward — alone.
She took a few deep breaths to center herself and looked to the drum major, her bandmates and the color guard scattered across the field. Then she played the first note of her solo.
“This is the reflection period,” said Kate Ullrich, music education junior and flute soloist. “We’re coming to a moment of clarity, and just coming to my senses as hero and being like, ‘This is what I need to do, I have the strength to do it.’”
Ullrich and her fellow UTA bandmates have been hard at work preparing for their upcoming program, “The Hero’s Journey,” a blend of music, movement and formation which they perform during exhibitions at high school marching band competitions.
A marching band student plays a percussion instrument during the preview of the 2025 show music Sept. 12 at Brazos Park. A movement of the show uses music from “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
Megan Moore, music education junior and drum major, said she has witnessed the show’s evolution from the beginning at band camp, when people didn’t really know each other, to now rehearsing three, sometimes four, times a week.
“It’s just really cool to see everyone’s dedication and how much time people spend here with each other trying to get better,” Moore said.
Jacob Hamilton, music industry studies sophomore, tunes freshman Brent Penwarden’s drums during practice Sept. 17 at Maverick Stadium. Hamilton said the most important part of marching band is the community.
Estrella Ruiz, political science sophomore and mellophone player, said being in the band is physically and mentally demanding, but it’s achievable.
“There’s so many people that are helping you and supporting you throughout the whole process that it makes it really enjoyable,” Ruiz said.
That encouragement doesn’t come without effort. It’s forged in the heat of the Texas sun during the hustle and repetition of weekly rehearsals.
At a Thursday evening practice, the work was constant. Water breaks were brief. Band members hustled across the field, instruments and flags in hand. A voice over the speaker called out instructions as the band rehearsed the final part of its show.
Marching band students play contrabass bugles during practice Sept. 17 at Maverick Stadium. The organization has been at UTA for over 100 years.
At one point, members assigned an odd-numbered drill chart sang through the music while those with an even-numbered drill chart counted their steps to the next formation.
Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused during practice with everything happening around her, Ruiz said. But she reminds herself that slipping out of position could endanger her and those around her.
Her passion also helps her stay present in practice, she said.
“I enjoy what I do,” Ruiz said. “If I have a passion for something, why wouldn’t I pay attention to what I’m doing?”
Music education sophomore Haven Jackson twirls a flag during marching band practice Sept. 17 at Maverick Stadium. Jackson is a member of the color guard.
For others, the band is more personal — a place to feel seen and valued.
Elizabeth Polk, studio art sophomore and auxiliary percussionist, a position otherwise known as rack, said that college band feels different from high school. Back then, she was one of many in a large percussion section. Now, she feels her presence truly matters, as the only UTA band member who plays rack.
“There was this one time I ran into a professor and he’s like, ‘Well, I mean if you keep coming back, we’ll just write rack parts for you,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, that sounds cool, I’m down,’” she said.
The UTA Marching Band previews its 2025 show music Sept. 12 at Brazos Park. The marching band is open to students of all majors.
Beyond rehearsals and relationships, it all comes back to the story the band is telling. The band brings the hero’s journey to life — not just through drill formation and visuals, but through music that carries the audience through each phase.
Chris Evans, associate director of bands, said the show features selections from “Super Mario Bros. Opus,” from “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Raisuli Attacks” by Jerry Goldsmith and “Fly to Paradise” by Eric Whitacre.
The marching show starts upbeat, Evans said, before turning dark like an “inevitable clash with the bad guy.” From there, the music shifts toward inner resolve and ends in a final battle.
Music education senior Ges Leon adjusts the sound board during a marching band rehearsal Sept. 17 at Maverick Stadium. Leon said they balance and blend the audio electronics.
Through movement and equipment changes, the color guard adds visual layers to the show.
Rebekah Watson, operation and supply chain management sophomore and colorguard member, said the opener is lighthearted and ends with a Mario jump. For the ballad, the team uses swing flags, which are “nice and pretty,” she said.
The show ends with the conflict, Watson said, and the choreography reflects that: the color guard sweeps across the field in sharp, urgent patterns, tossing their flags in 45-degree angles that cut through the air at jagged angles, like a visual clash unfolding.
Marching band members hold hands and sing the UTA alma mater after practice Sept. 17 at Maverick Stadium. The band rehearses Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
After hours on the field Thursday evening, with the sunlight slowly fading away, the energy held. Members checked angles and made corrections between each rep as the metronome clicked steadily.
As the final note of her solo rang out, Ullrich stood steady, a brass quintet behind her – no longer playing the hero but becoming her.
“I have been empowered as a hero,” Ullrich said. “I’ve been a changed person – and now I’m going to get out there.”
@tay._.sansom