MMB Connections

Michigan welcomes back a few MMB alumni at the Eastern game this weekend.

Miller Asbill and John Zastoupil both served on last year's MMB staff while earning doctoral and master's degrees, respectively. Professor Asbill is Eastern's Director of University Bands, and Professor Zastoupil is the new Associate Director of Bands and the Director of the EMU Marching Band.

They are not alone; there are many other people with ties to the MMB and U-M School of Music working in prominent positions for notable band programs throughout the country:

• Ohio State: Dr. Jon Woods, 23-year director of "Tibbid Bittle," holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
• Penn State: Dr. O. Richard Bundy, director of the Blue Band, holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan.
• Michigan State: Kevin Sedatole, Director of Bands, served as the Michigan Marching Band director in the late '90s.
• Wisconsin: Bill Garvey, field assistant to the University of Wisconsin Marching Band, holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan.
• Minnesota: Director of Bands Jerry Luckhardt served on the University of Michigan faculty.

There are also connections in bands with which the MMB has recently performed:

• USC: Dr. Bartner, longtime director of the Trojan Marching Band, earned his B.A., M.A., and Ed.D. in Music Education from the University of Michigan, under the guidance of William D. Revelli
• Texas: Assistant (to the) Director of Bands at Texas, Dr. Damon Talley, holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan.

(NB: Conversely, Texas has pretty much served as a direct pipeline to U-M. IIRC, current MMB assistant director Scott Bersaglia, his predecessor Damon Talley, and former MMB directors Jamie Nix and Kevin Sedatole all were affiliated with the Texas bands at one point in their careers.)

There are undoubtedly more out there, but even this list provides further incontrovertible proof of our dominance over mankind's accomplishments, from marching bands to lunar travel. We're in ur faculteez, correcting ur step sizez.

The Michigan Difference...It's all about space

As a historian, I like anniversaries, and I want to celebrate a small but significant one in Michigan football blogdom...one of the greatest moments ever...I present to you

"Space, bitches. Space."

I loved this ad before. It was different from most university PSAs that run during college football games and I loved the use of the fight song. Then HSR correspondent Dave pointed us to this link, and well, it made it all the better. It also lead us to the glory that is Every Day Should Be Saturday, one of the single best college football blogs out there and living proof that we do not hate Florida fans!

Orson, Stranko, we thank you for giving our cadre of Michigan fans a catchphrase to know, use, and love, and for providing us with an exceptional read from an outsider.

Just one question: Can you make it into a shirt? And if not you guys, can we do it?

(P.S.: In looking back, learning that the command module is orbiting the earth the wrong way is a bit of a downer.)