Pride of the Profs takes flight with on-field debut

A palpable energy emanated through Coach Richard Wackar Stadium. The source? Members of Rowan University's Pride of the Profs Marching band, revving up for their on-field debut. 

"I could just tell it was going to be good," recalls first-year student Emma Pivano of her first encounter with that spark: visiting the marching band table at a Rowan open house last year. Excited by what she said was undeniable energy, Pivano was there for the first day of band camp in late August, clarinet in hand, eager to be part of a new tradition. 

On Sept. 16, that tradition became reality when Pivano, alongside 120 of her new band mates made their way to the field at Rowan's football game. The bleachers, packed with students, friends, family and fans, watched on as the band debuted, "Rowan Through the Ages," its halftime show. A nod to the University's Centennial, the multi-movement performance spans 100 years of music, and includes a 1920s swing tune and the Motown hit "Dancing in the Streets." 

Made up of woodwinds, brass, front ensemble, colorguard and drumline with members representing all nine academic colleges and the Rowan College of South Jersey, the Pride of the Profs have quickly become one of the largest and most diverse student-run organizations on campus. 

From the ground up 
Following the generous donation from philanthropist John Martinson in 2022, Rowan's College of Performing Arts set out to build a new marching band program for the University. First, they brought in Director of Athletic Bands Megan Cooney, '11. Cooney, who is no stranger to building a collegiate marching band program from the ground up, joined Rowan from St. Ambrose University in Iowa where she established a pep and marching band program. Working against the clock and academic calendar, Cooney jumped in headfirst in her new role at her alma mater. 

With what her musicians describe as boundless energy and compassion, she worked through all the planning and logistics ⏤ from reserving practice space and placing instrument orders to helping design the band's uniform and recruiting professional staff, the student leadership team (SLT) and general members. In just eight months, more than 80 stuents registered. 

"Megan has prioritized and worked really hard to intentionally create this for the students," says Dr. Joseph Higgins, associate professor and Director of Bands. "She's built an environment where students are given a lot of responsibility and ownership." 

Cultivating community 
With members registered and a professional staff in place, next came a marching band tradition: band camp. The 16-person SLT, made up of field staff, section leaders and drum majors, arrived first in mid-August for a week-long leadership camp. The collaborative curriculum, developed by Cooney, with input from the SLT, centered around social and emotional learning, physical, mental, and academic wellness, cultivating community and strategies for handling emergenies and tricky social situations. According to Cooney, it's important to "front load" that information to set the leadership team up for success and, by extension, the rest of the band. 

From seminar-style leadership courses and discussions to technique and operations training, the SLT came together to learn how to be effective leaders and to bring students out of their shells. Higgins says alot of work went into creating a system for band members to inspire and help eachother grow. 

"It was great to spend time in that student leader bubble before the responsbility shifted," said music education major and drum major Julia Irizarry. "We went from learning to teaching and delivering information in a way that is accessible to everyone from different exerpeience levels and backgrounds." 

After completing pre-camp and facilitating early move-in for band members, the SLT brought the entire band together for the first time a week before classes began. Band camp consisted of what Cooney calls "three-a-days," with morning, afternoon and evening blocks of training and rehearsals. Mornings were spent setting and learning drill, while the group spent the afternoon indoors escaping the heat to memorize music. After learning to march, the group had dinner together at the Holly Pointe dining hall before reconvening again to review the day's lessons. Rehearsals concluded only when it got too dark to continue their work outside. 

"It was interesting how the entire band stayed energetic," said music education major and drum major Aaron Bonner of the 12-plus-hour days throughout band camp. "In my experience, the energy and excitement usually falls off halfway through, but everyone was super engaged and into it." 

Rehearsals that week were open to the public, but passersby likely wouldn't guess the group was just a few days old. Led by strong student leaders, they worked together with purpose to make the band stronger, allowing them to perform during the President's Welcome & Picnic after just three days of rehearsals. A historically hot day, the band navigated a significant challenge right out of the gate, pulling off a sound delay, marching a zipper merge and memorizing four pieces of music for a successful first public outing. 

The University community took notice. 

"When we walked onto Bunce green, just seeing everyone lined up and cheering, it was like, 'Wow, we finally made it,'" said health and exercise science major Kymora Scott, who plays second snare for the Pride of the Profs. 

The people's band
So, why marching band? The Pride of the Profs have various reasons. 

For Irizarry, Bonner and Aiden Baxter, the three drum majors and future music educators, it's the opportunity to teach and to lead, boosting their chops before starting their professional careers. 

For RCSJ student Roman Cella, saxophone section leader, it's the opportunity to get more involved on Rowan's main campus, but also his love of music. 
"Music has always been in the back of my mind and band camp really sealed the deal for me," says Cella, who plans to audition for Rowan's music education program this spring. 

For first-year student physics major EJ Schuman, a colorguard member, the marching band was the deciding factor in his college decision. "It's very inclusive and just a great way to build a community," says Schuman, who also enjoyed getting "the in" on campus before the semester started.  

For Scott, marching band combines her two passions, music and exercise. A junior, Scott chose Rowan for its academic program, thinking she'd have to sacrifice her love of marching to pursue her desired degree program. Her reaction to the new band? "Perfect! I know I made the right choice." 

Despire different goals and plans for the future, band member motivation is consistent across the board. school pride and love of music and marching arts. 

"Seeing all these people balancing different majors coming together to do this out of love makes it that much more impressive," says Irizarry. 

See the Pride of the Profs perform next on September 30 and at home football games this fall. Follow the band on Instagram @PrideoftheProfs and learn more about Rowan University bands here.