Dear Notre Dame Band family,
I am writing to give an exciting recap of our 2025 fall semester band season! There were tons of different things going on, so let’s get you caught up on everything! Take a look at photos of the band and much more in the Winter Band News.
As always, the main focus of our band season in the fall was marching band. CORE band returned in mid-August to brush up on their skills, prep for band camp, and welcome all the new auditionees. After a couple days of COREientation, the auditionees started band camp, and after four days of hard work, everyone aced their auditions and the season began!
Band 180 started with a night game against the Aggies of Texas A&M. The Band performed a tribute show to late-legendary artists with a slate of I Get Around, Crazy Train, and Margaritaville. To go along with these great tunes, the band made some swaying palm trees and danced a train down the field. Even though the Purdue halftime was cut due to a weather delay, the band brought that show back for the Irish Wear Green game vs Boise State. The band performed a Bruno Mars themed show, with selections of Treasure, APT., and Uptown Funk.
The band prepped for their next game against the Wolfpack of NC State and put together probably the first ever Scandinavian Mystical Magical Dragon Show. Starting off with ABBA’s hit Mamma Mia, the band followed it up by re-creating Benson Boone’s iconic backflip on the field while playing Mystical Magical. To close the show out, the band formed a fire-breathing dragon on the field as we played music from How to Train Your Dragon. The Irish finished off their pre-fall break slate of games with a huge rivalry night game vs USC. The band pulled out all the stops (and their raincoats) and played the stadium rock classics Paradise City and Bohemian Rhapsody to motivate the Irish to an epic victory.
Returning from fall break, we experienced another night game vs Navy, this one with both rain and snow. In this annual salute to service game, the band performed Saturday in the Park, Veterans Day Salute, and The Stars and Stripes Forever. The Irish closed out the season vs Syracuse with a wintry show. First, we performed Let it Go while making snowflakes and a snowman. We then closed out with All I Want for Christmas is You while making a sleigh being pulled by a reindeer across the field. A 70-7 win for the Irish was a great way to send off our seniors!
Outside of the marching band, hockey and basketball started their seasons with bands there to support them at every home game! On November 23, the Sunday after the Syracuse game, Symphonic Band and Winds had their fall concert. The semester closed out on December 7, when University Band had their fall concert in the afternoon followed by the Jazz Bands and New Orleans Brass Band performing later that evening.
All in all, it has been an incredibly busy time with the Band of the Fighting Irish but we have been having so much fun every step of the way!
Again, you can see photos and more in the linked Winter Band News.
We thank you for all of your support and are so excited about what is to come next!
Go Irish, forever and always!
Yours in Notre Dame,
Camden Wozniak
Trombone Section Leader and Band Librarian
University of Notre Dame Band of the Fighting Irish