Frost Band of the Hour to feature Kanye West arrangement
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon during fall semester, trumpets sounded and drums thumped to the tunes of UM alumna Gloria Estefan and her band, the Miami Sound Machine.
The intramural fields were not the go-to rehearsal space for Estefan and her entourage. It was the Frost Band of the Hour (FBOTH), the university’s celebrated marching band.
FBOTH created its 2016 football season halftime shows around Estefan’s discography, and Estefan attended the UM vs. Florida State University halftime show.
This fall, the band will be playing an arrangement of Kanye West songs. It’s an unlikely choice for a marching band, but Director of Athletic Bands Jay C. Rees said that’s exactly the point.
“You’re just reaching so many different kinds of people that we have an opportunity and, therefore, a responsibility to push the envelope,” said Rees, who is entering his fourth year as director.