Urbana High School Band Boosters

Please help us welcome our new Tiger Marching Band percussion instructor, Aiden Endres! 🧡🎶

Originally from Minnesota, Aiden Endres is a percussionist and educator pursuing a Master of Music in Percussion Performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Active as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer, Aiden is passionate about contemporary music and collaboration.

Aiden serves as Section Percussionist and Assistant Timpanist with the Knox-Galesburg Symphony and performs with ensembles including the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia da Camera. He is the recipient of the Charles and Marleta Matheson Award in the 2024 UNI Emerging Artist Competition and serves as a Percussion Teaching Assistant at UIUC. His studies and festival experiences include work with Erich Rieppel, Sandbox Percussion, and the Nashville Marimba Sessions.

We'd also like to thank Peyton Black for her work as our TMB percussion instructor this past fall. Peyton will be leaving us to get her masters degree in Global Jazz at the Berklee College of Music. We will definitely miss her, but we congratulate her on her acceptance into this prestigious program and wish her the very best on this new adventure!

Last Chance!

CALLING ALL TMB & TMB ALUMNI: Sign Up to March with TMB in the 4th of July Parade by this Friday, June 5!

Sign Up Here: https://forms.gle/N54D8AQDmNvMVqiq8

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CALLING ALL TMB & TMB ALUMNI: Help Urbana Tiger Marching Band earn a $1000 grant and sign up to march with us in the 2026 Champaign County Freedom Celebration Parade! 🥁🎶🇺🇸

Please let us know if you are interested and able to participate in the parade. Rehearsals will take place on July 1, July 2, and July 3rd. You must attend at least 2 of the rehearsals. The parade is on Saturday, July 4 at a time to be announced. Spread the word!

Details:

▪️ Champaign County Freedom Celebration Parade
▪️ Saturday, July 4 | Time TBD
▪️ Rehearsals: July 1, July 2, July 3 (you must attend at least two)

Questions?

▪️ Ms. Peterik (TMB) - [email protected]
▪️ Mrs. Fernsberg (TMB) - [email protected]
▪️ Coach Kaplan (Color Guard) - [email protected]

RSVP Here or Scan the QR Code Below (only respond if attending): https://forms.gle/N54D8AQDmNvMVqiq8

📷 Robin Kravets

The Band Played On!

The Race St Combo was invited to perform at the Urbana Mayoral Ball last weekend. As the attendees passed through, they were treated to some cool jazz 😎 and walked away with a little extra swing in their steps 🎷.

The combo is a student-led ensemble, coordinated by Kavi Patel on keyboard 🎹, including Max Kooper on soprano sax 🎷, KeAndre Towns and Luke Foley on Alto sax 🎷, Colin Guth on trombone 🎼, Sydney Goeddel on bass 🎸, and Austin Ogolsky on percussion 🥁.

Combo seniors Kavi Patel and Max Kooper are moving on, so keep an ear out for returning and new tigers in next year's combo. 🧡🎼🐅🖤

Videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnqOghgyRsDxRETRQX1rE4uE14d71rGlc&si=klw8O8SscfPlUm8Y
Pics: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-PsZ48v

📷 & 🎥: Robin Kravets

Happy National Band Director Day! 🧡🎶

National Band Director Day is celebrated on May 20 each year, dedicated to honoring the hard work and dedication of band directors across the nation. Established to recognize the essential role these educators play in shaping students’ musical journeys, the day encourages communities to appreciate their band directors’ contributions beyond just teaching music.

Today we celebrate our outstanding band directors in Urbana School District #116. From left to right: Ms. Altaner, Mr. Hicks, Mr. Arche, Ms. Fernsberg, and Ms. Peterik. A special thank you to Ms. DeBauche for all of her time and support while Mr. Hicks is in recovery!

PC: Robin Kravets

➡️❤️ Mark your calendars for the 2026 Battle of the Bands Blood Drive from July 13-July 19! Make sure when you donate, you say you're donating for Urbana Tigers! If we get at least 20 donors, we will receive a Lifesavings Grant for the marching band.

Details:
🩸🎶 Mark you calendars for the donation dates of July 13-19 at the ImpactLife Donation Center located at 1408 W. University in Urbana. Tell them you’re supporting the Urbana Tiger Marching Band!
🩸🎶 Schedule your donation at the QR code below or call 1-800-747-5401. Each school that brings in 20 donors will receive the Lifesavings Grant to support their band program.
🩸🎶 Come give blood with ImpactLife for your choice of an e-gift card, bonus ImpactLife Rewards points, or a donation to charity.
🩸🎶 Donating blood takes about an hour and the difference it makes can last a lifetime!

Follow this link for more info and schedule your appointment here: bloodcenter.org/band

A special shout out to TMB Trumpeter Josiah Cato - you are and always will be a valued member of our Urbana Band family! 🐅🎺🧡

“It’s something unpredictable, but in the end, it’s right. I hope you had the time of your life.” – Green Day

The band banquet brings together all of the UHS bands to celebrate an amazing year of music with tons of recognitions and awards 🏆🏅.

But the hardest part is saying good bye to all of the seniors. They are moving on to build their futures, but bringing with them the soul of a musician 🎶 and the 🧡 of a 🐅.

Congratulations to all of our cherished seniors across Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, Race Street Combo, Tiger Marching Band & UHS Guard (many whom are not featured in the photo): Alex, Andrea, Beatrice, Benjamin, Brock, Cecelia, Eliana, Emanuel, JJ, Josiah, Kailee, Kaya, Kavi, Lavie, Max, Miles, Rissa, Sam, Saul, Theodore, and Zach!

Band is the wonderful experience it is because of Stacey Peterik, Christi Fernsberg, Darren Hicks and Karen DeBauche. Thanks for all of the time and dedication and for nurturing a love of music in our kids.