Marching to the beat of new drums

This fall, thanks to gifts from alumni and friends of the Marching Virginians (MVs), the band’s drumline performed under bright lights and loud cheers at center field with all new drums, cymbals, stands, and hardware.

The funds were raised during Virginia Tech’s annual Giving Day event that took place Feb. 19-20, 2025. Giving Day is a 24-hour opportunity for the university community to show support for favorite departments, programs, and organizations.

“I was blown away that we raised almost $70,000 in 24 hours — I was speechless,” said Polly Middleton, director of athletic bands and assistant professor of practice in the School of Performing Arts. “We have an incredibly strong alumni network. They're very supportive of what the Marching Virginians do.”

Two alumni who participated in the Marching Virginians and who stepped forward to show their support on Giving Day were bass drummer Rich Woynicz ’86 and clarinetist Amy Woynicz ’86.

Like many alumni, the Woyniczes wanted their gift to impact the program — and the instruments — that brought them together through long hours of work and play.

Rich Woynicz and Amy Woynicz wrote in an email, “We like to donate to designated goals, such as new drums for the drumline or tubas for the tuba line. Our donations help the MVs provide the same great experiences we had some 45 years ago.”

Among the experiences they support is making sure band members can continually sharpen their skills with reliable equipment.

“With a week-long band camp, 14 weeks of practice Monday through Friday, and the nine games the MVs performed this year, these instruments easily see more than 300 hours of use per season, rain or shine,” said Hayden Milic, a drumline section leader and a senior studying aerospace engineering.

The constant use takes a toll on the drums, an instrument primarily made of wood. Rainy games slowly warp the wooden shells, rust rims and hardware, and tarnish cymbals.

By early 2025, band members and leadership alike knew it was time for new instruments to keep the heartbeat of the stadium going.

Assembling the new gear

After Giving Day, band members began to hear rumors about new drums. This fall, members of the drumline were ecstatic to finally put the pieces of the puzzle together.

“I can only describe it as Christmas morning — it was surreal,” Milic said. “It took several hours to unpack, assemble, tune, and fit everything, but my team was so ecstatic and full of life that it went by in the blink of an eye.”

Once the equipment was assembled, drummers added the finishing touches: donor names.

Donors who gave above a certain threshold had their names engraved on small plaques that were attached to the drums they funded or contributed to. When drummers catch a glimpse of a name on their new gear, they recall the generosity and support of the community.

“I had the privilege of meeting the donor for the quad drum I've been playing this semester,” Milic said. “To my surprise, she was never in the drumline to begin with. She just loved her time in the band, had great friends who played quads, and wanted to give back.”

Carrying on the tradition of community

For many Marching Virginians alumni, the band was a foundational part of their college careers. The memories they made together on and off the field formed connections strong enough to inspire decades of support.

“When I arrived on campus a week early to participate in band camp, I immediately became part of a great performing and social organization, and that helped my transition into a completely new environment being away from home,” said drummer Chris Nickerson ’80.

For Nickerson, who studied economics and statistics, the Marching Virginians provided the opportunity to create meaningful friendships with students of varying musical and academic backgrounds. The band represents the larger Virginia Tech community as it brings together students from every college and nearly every major.

“I have heard many stories from alumni during our alumni day performances that emphasize the impact the drumline has had on its members,” said Sophie Evans, a drumline section leader and senior student studying mechanical engineering. “When you love something, you want to make sure people after you love it just as much.”

There is a significant traditional component to the Marching Virginians. Many traditional charts, which are shorthand musical guides for the drum line, were written by students who were in the band as far back as the ’80s. When alumni come back to watch football games or play with the band during Marching Virginians Alumni Day every fall, they can recognize pieces they wrote that are still being played today.

“There's that feeling of familiarity — a feeling of coming home,” Middleton said. “We want to foster that relationship with them and make sure that we are still representing those traditions that they worked so hard to establish.”

The contributions made by donors for Giving Day allow current members to carry on the traditions of the Marching Virginians and leave a lasting legacy for future members.

“Getting these new drums allowed us to look, sound, and feel our best this semester,” Milic said. “They will continue to do so well after I graduate.”

If you’d like to support the Marching Virginians during Virginia Tech’s next Giving Day — or whatever program or unit you are passionate about — mark your calendars: the 24-hour event takes place from noon to noon Feb. 18-19. This year’s MVs goal: a new tuba line.

Written by Ashley Falat, a senior communications major