Marching Mizzou
The Southeastern Conference has long been known for fielding many of the finest marching bands at the collegiate level, and the University of Missouri, one of the leading educational and research institutions in the world, is no exception. Marching Mizzou, also known as the “Big ‘M’ of the Midwest,” has grown over its 139-year history to be the most visible and largest ensemble in the School of Music. Although many of its core members are music majors, Marching Mizzou boasts an even higher number of students representing nearly every discipline across campus. On average 84% of the membership in Marching Mizzou consists of non-music majors, representing over 75 different majors, across nearly every college on campus.
Marching Mizzou advances into its second century with a time-honored tradition of excellence that combines quality musicianship, spirit, and pride to create their nationally renowned excitement that blends the great traditions of the University of Missouri with the exciting performance styles of today. With powerful music, creative and viral show designs, and a marching style that is clean, precise, quick moving, and entertaining, Marching Mizzou continues to captivate audiences of all ages at football games, parades, and performances both domestic and abroad, rightfully taking its place among the nation’s oldest and finest university band programs.
In addition to performances across Missouri and the United States, Marching Mizzou has performed at the 2012 and 2016 St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Dublin, Ireland. While in Ireland, Marching Mizzou also performed in the Limerick International Marching Band Festival and Competition where they were distinguished as the International Band Champions. Marching Mizzou planned to return to Ireland this March for both the 2020 St. Patrick's Festival Parade and Limerick International Marching Band Festival and Competition until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement, then cancellation of the trip in 2021. This past March 2024, Marching Mizzou returned to Ireland after earning yet another invitation to perform in the St. Patrick's Festival Parade in Dublin. After their performance in Dublin, Marching Mizzou was named "Best Overall Band" of the parade out of 14 bands from Ireland, France, and the United States.
In September of 2021, by invitation of Governor Mike Parson, Marching Mizzou represented the State of Missouri in the Bicentennial Inaugural Parade, showcasing 200 years of Missouri history in Jefferson City, MO. In April of 2021 Marching Mizzou earned an invitation to perform in the 96th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, New York in November of 2022, where we led the parade and was featured in the Opening Number alongside Lea Michele and the Cast of Funny Girl.
Marching Mizzou has been under the direction of Dr. Amy M. Knopps, Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands and Dr. Pete Zambito, Assistant Director of Athletic Bands since 2017. In the fall of 2020, we welcomed Dr. Christian Noon, Assistant Director of Bands to the School of Music and Marching Mizzou faculty. Under their leadership Marching Mizzou has grown in number since 2017 from 245 to 350 capacity members.
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Mini Mizzou
Mini Mizzou, comprised of some of the best students of Marching Mizzou, is a highly spirited ensemble that performs at two away SEC Football games per season and home SEC Volleyball matches, all Men’s and Women’s Basketball games, and tournaments. In addition to their numerous campus and community appearances, Mini Mizzou performs at various alumni functions and university extension activities throughout the United States as well as the Men's and Women's Basketball SEC Tournaments and NCAA Tournaments for Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, and Volleyball. Membership is open to all current members of Marching Mizzou by audition in the fall semester.
Audition Information
The audition process for Marching Mizzou was updated in January of 2022 to reflect increased enrollment and retention in the ensemble. Please see the current audition process below for all New Member Woodwind and Brass candidates.
Please note that students interested in majoring in music or music education are highly encouraged to audition for the School of Music during one of our Mizzou Music Days held on February 14, 17, and 27, 2025.
Auditions completed at one of the Mizzou Music Days also count as your audition for Marching Mizzou. If you complete a successful audition and are admitted to the University of Missouri School of Music, music education majors have acceptance priority because they are required to take the course as part of their degree program.
Early Acceptance – March 15, 2025 Deadline
All New Member Marching Mizzou Woodwind and Brass candidates must complete the Marching Mizzou Audition Application and submit an online audition by March 15, 2025, for early acceptance consideration into Marching Mizzou.
Your online audition must consist of an Mp3 audio file or unlisted YouTube link of the following audition requirements on the instrument for which you would like to perform in Marching Mizzou. For piccolo, mellophone, or sousaphone candidates, you can submit your online audition on flute, horn, and tuba, respectively.
- Full Bb Major or Chromatic scale consisting of your lowest successful note to your highest successful note and back down. You may articulate all notes, slur all, or choose an alternative articulation pattern.
- Two to four minutes of an etude, solo, or section of a solo that best demonstrates technique as well as your musical and lyrical performance capabilities. These two performance requirements can be from separate music sources or one.
Neither requirement must be memorized, and you are welcome to utilize your music so you can offer the best sample of your playing ability. Prior to playing, please state your name and high school (or the college you are transferring from to Mizzou.) Please send your audition materials to Brooke Danielsen, Coordinator of Large Ensembles at mubands@missouri.edu. You will receive notice via email that your audition material has been successfully received.
All online audition submissions will be evaluated by Dr. Amy M. Knopps, Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands, Dr. Christian Noon, Assistant Director of Bands, and/or Dr. Pete Zambito, Assistant Director of Athletic Bands. Notification of early acceptance will be communicated by Dr. Knopps, Director of Marching Mizzou, by April 1, 2025.
If a section reaches capacity enrollment, remaining online applicants will be put on a waitlist for consideration should a spot open within that section prior to July 15, 2025.
Final Acceptance – July 15, 2025 Deadline
After April 1, 2025, for any woodwind or brass section that has not reached capacity enrollment, we will continue to take online applications and auditions until July 15, 2025. Woodwind and brass candidates must complete the same audition process as listed previously under the Early Acceptance section.
All students accepted into Marching Mizzou are required to attend our Marching Mizzou Band Camp August 17-24, 2025, prior to the start of the fall semester and register for the course MUS_ENS 1841, Section 12: Instrumental Ensemble-Marching Mizzou. Early check-in for those living in residence halls will be arranged by Marching Mizzou. Additional details regarding our band camp and fall season are included in the first edition of our "Marching Mizzou Summer Newsletter" emailed to all accepted new members as well as returning members on June 1, 2025. Updates to our Marching Mizzou Summer Newsletter will be communicated throughout the summer until the start of our band camp in August.
Auditions for the 2025 Marching Mizzou Drumline will be completed via a required two-part audition process, first a video audition submission that must be completed by Monday, May 12, 2025, then an in-person audition process during our Marching Mizzou Mini Camp for Drumline held Saturday, June 7 – Sunday, June 8, 2025, on the campus of the University of Missouri. Final placement and official acceptance will take place at the conclusion of our Marching Mizzou Mini Camp for Drumline.
If you are interested in auditioning, please first complete the Marching Mizzou Audition Application. Audition materials should then be submitted via an unlisted YouTube link to Brooke Danielsen, Coordinator of Large Ensembles, at mubands@missouri.edu. No audition material will be accepted past May 12, 2025, so please plan to submit a successful audition video on or before that date. You will receive notice via email that your audition material has been successfully received.
Incoming and eligible current Mizzou students are invited to audition. Note that eligible returning members must re-audition for placement each year.
For your video audition, prepare the music included in the 2025 Marching Mizzou Drumline Audition Materials on your first choice of instrument for the line:
In your audition video, please carefully adhere to the following guidelines:
- Please put the camera on portrait view so we can see your hands and feet marking time (no sitting).
- Your performance can be on a pad or real drum. Real drum preferred.
- Make sure there is an audible metronome ON during your performance so we can hear and evaluate your timing.
- Memorization is not required but encouraged. If all other elements are equal, you will score higher if the materials are memorized.
- Cymbals and bass drum candidates should pick a part for the splits and use that part throughout. Please indicate verbally on the audition video which part you selected for the split.
- Tenor candidates, if you only have access to a 5-drum configuration, use that by consolidating both shot drum parts to a single shot.
- Cymbals should use the sound indicated. If no sound is listed, use the sound of your choice.
- If further clarification is needed, please contact Clif Walker.
If you are not called back on your first choice of instrument, we may consider you, depending on what we see and hear, for a different position within the Marching Mizzou Drumline. If you would like to be considered for a different instrument in the Marching Mizzou Drumline, we will let you know what to shift your focus to after we have evaluated all the audition submissions.
As you are planning your fall semester schedule, please build your academic and work schedules around our course times of Tuesday - Friday from 4:00PM - 6:00PM. The Marching Mizzou Drumline is most effective in rehearsal and performance when there are no conflicts with our rehearsal time and as a result, 100% attendance is required and no class conflicts are permitted.
All applicants are required to attend our Marching Mizzou Mini Camp for Drumline on Saturday, June 7 – Sunday, June 8, 2025, at the Marching Mizzou Practice Field in the Mizzou Sports Park on the campus of the University of Missouri, unless there is a conflict with your involvement with DCI. Applicants are expected to arrange their own housing while in Columbia for Mini Camp. Additionally, those accepted onto the 2025 Marching Mizzou Drumline are required to attend our Marching Mizzou Band Camp held Sunday, August 17 – Sunday, August 24, 2025, prior to the start of fall classes on Monday, August 25, 2025. Early check-in for those living in residence halls will be arranged by Marching Mizzou for Band Camp.
Additional details regarding our band camp and fall season are included in the first edition of our Marching Mizzou Summer Newsletter emailed to all members on June 1, 2025. Updates to our Marching Mizzou Summer Newsletter will be communicated throughout the summer until the start of our band camp in August. Students marching DCI will be excused from band camp until your involvement with DCI concludes and you can transition to campus.
If you have any questions about the audition material or participation in the Marching Mizzou Drumline, please contact Clif Walker, Director of Marching Mizzou Drumline.
Auditions for the 2025 Marching Mizzou Color Guard are tentatively scheduled for Sunday, April 27, 2025 from 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM in Columbia, Missouri. If you are interested in auditioning, you must complete the Marching Mizzou Audition Application by April 20, 2025.
The live audition process will consist of flag, movement, and weapons (optional) throughout the day. Applicants should be prepared to learn a flag routine for evaluation as well as demonstrate specific movement and equipment skills asked by the Marching Mizzou Color Guard Instructional Staff.
During the live audition we will provide flags for each applicant. However, any weapons you would like to audition with should be brought with you to the live audition. Note that the weapons portion of the audition is optional and will be utilized for those candidates also interested in spinning with our Ionic Winter Guard so we can begin to plan accordingly for those auditions and that season. Please bring with you any weapons you would be interested in spinning in the winter season.
Specific audition information will be communicated prior to auditions to those applicants who have completed the Marching Mizzou Audition Application.
At the conclusion of the live audition on April 27, 2025 (date tentative), applicants will be notified by the following Monday if they have been accepted as a member of our Marching Mizzou Color Guard. Successful applicants are required to attend our Marching Mizzou Mini Camp for Color Guard on Friday, July 11 – Sunday, July 13, 2025, on the campus of the University of Missouri, unless there is a conflict with your involvement with DCI. Applicants are expected to arrange their own housing while in Columbia for our Marching Mizzou Mini Camp for Color Guard.
All students accepted into Marching Mizzou are required to attend our Marching Mizzou Band Camp August 17-24, 2025, prior to the start of the fall semester and register for the course MUS_ENS 1841, Section 12: Instrumental Ensemble-Marching Mizzou. Early check-in for those living in residence halls will be arranged by Marching Mizzou. Additional details regarding our band camp and fall season are included in the Marching Mizzou Summer Newsletter emailed to all members on June 1, 2025. Updates to our Marching Mizzou Summer Newsletter will be communicated throughout the summer until the start of our band camp in August.
If you have any questions about the audition material or participation in the Marching Mizzou Color Guard, please contact Hannah Sinek, Director of Guards.
Named after the classical architecture of the six columns that stand on the University of Missouri campus, Ionic Winter Guard provides the opportunity to perform in an IA winter guard. Membership is open by audition to any Mizzou Color Guard member as well as any outside participants.
Ionic Winter Guard Auditions for the 2024-2025 season have now closed. Details for 2025-2026 auditions will be posted by August 2025.
If you have any questions about the audition material or participation in our Ionic Winter Guard, please contact Director of Guards Hannah Sinek at as8bc@health.missouri.edu.
Follow @mizzou_ionicguard on Instagram!
Feature Twirler auditions for the 2024 edition of Marching Mizzou are scheduled for Sunday, March 3, 2024. All interested candidates must submit application materials as specified on the 2024 Feature Twirler Audition Requirements by January 29, 2024, in order to be considered for an audition. Upon review of submitted applications, invitations for the March audition will be extended. If you have any questions about our audition process or participation in Marching Mizzou as a Feature Twirler please contact Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands, Dr. Amy M. Knopps at knoppsa@missouri.edu.
High School Marching Events
The University of Missouri Band Program traditionally hosts three annual marching band events each fall:
Champion of Champions - Participation in this field show competition allows marching bands the opportunity to compete in a prelims/finals format for the title of "Champion of Champions."
Marching Mizzou Band Day - Join high schools across the state for a massed band experience during half-time at a Mizzou Tigers football game on Faurot Field.
Homecoming Parade & Band Competition - Experience the excitement of MU Homecoming by participating in the annual Mizzou Homecoming Parade & Band Competition.
Please visit our High School Events page to find updates and applications for each of these events, along with other offerings for high school students.
As your academic year progresses, please let us know how we can be of service to you and your students. If you would like additional information about the University of Missouri, please visit music.missouri.edu. You and your students will be able to read about our outstanding wind and percussion faculty members, degree offerings, and performing ensembles.
Marching Mizzou Faculty
Events
No events scheduled at this time