As a kid who grew up only a couple miles away from campus, attending the University of Utah was an easy choice. The U runs deep in my family — my father, my two older sisters and three of my grandparents attended the U. I was lucky enough to go to countless Utah football and basketball games as a kid, thanks to my grandparents having season tickets for both. This is where not only my love for the U started, but my love for sports as well.
Something else about my family is that music also runs deep, particularly on my dad’s side. Music was instilled in me from a young age — I took piano lessons for many years and in sixth grade, I started playing the trumpet. This was inspired by my dad, who grew up playing trombone and played in the U marching band for four years.
Naturally, he’s the one who gave me the idea to try out for the Marching Utes. I was hesitant at first since I had never marched before and I wasn’t very confident in my ability to play. Luckily I decided to go for it, and ended up making the team. As someone who loves music and sports, marching band is the perfect way to combine both into one passion. Unfortunately, due to COVID striking towards the end of my senior year of high school, it would be a year and a half before we had games to get ready for.
I made a bucket list of three football-related things I wanted to do during my time with the Marching Utes. This list was: 1) go to a Pac-12 Championship Game (and preferably win it too), 2) go to a Rose Bowl Game (and again, preferably win it) and 3) perform at ESPN’s College GameDay show. I remember the day of my first game in the band, I jokingly told my dad that the stadium was going to smell like roses. I later told my trumpet section friends the same thing when we were entering Rice-Eccles Stadium. I didn’t actually think I’d get to cross those first two things off the list in my first year.
The Utes ended up making it to the Pac-12 Championship Game, meaning that we got to travel to Las Vegas. Utah was matched up with Oregon, who we had just blown out in Rice-Eccles two weeks earlier. The Utes got off to another fast start in the championship game. Once it became clear that Oregon had no chance of coming back, I started telling everyone around me that it smelled like roses. Pretty soon, the entire band was saying it — all thanks to me, of course.
Traveling to and performing at the Rose Bowl Game was a dream come true for me. I watched so many Rose Bowls as a kid, and it always felt different than every other game on the calendar. It’s the oldest bowl game, and everything about it looked amazing. This game also marked the first time the U had ever made it to the Rose Bowl, which made it even more special. The magic of the Rose Bowl Game is 100% real. It’s a beautiful setting, especially as the sun sets over the mountains throughout the game. It also has a knack for producing wildly entertaining games. Despite the Utes losing in a heartbreaking fashion and many of us in the band coming back with COVID, the experience was one of my fondest memories. Getting to do it all again the following year was just icing on the cake.
I got to cross off the last thing on my bucket list this past fall when ESPN’s College GameDay show came to Salt Lake City for Utah’s game vs Oregon. I had been to GameDay in both 2015 and 2016 when they came here, and I knew how much energy the show brings to campus. Getting to perform at the show before the sun had even come up was so much fun.
If there’s one piece of advice I would give to an incoming freshman, it would be to find something on campus to get involved in. Find something outside of your studies that you love. Join the marching band if you play an instrument! The college experience is so much better when you have something to take your mind off of classes and friends to make memories with.
And as always, go Utes!
i.dunaway@dailyutahchronicle.com
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