UMass Colorguard History
The UMass colorguard began in 1974 and has been performing along side the UMMB ever since. The UMMB and Colorguard perform at halftime and during post-game at all home football games and frequently travels to away games. The band has also performed at Bands of America in 1993, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2011.
University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band
The Minuteman Marching Band has long been a source of great pride for the University of Massachusetts and the surrounding region. Under the leadership of director Dr. Timothy Todd Anderson, associate director Thomas P. Hannum, and assistant director Chris McHugh Sirard, the Minuteman Marching Band has emerged as one of the nation's outstanding band programs. At home football games, the "Power and Class" performs its traditional Post Game show for hundreds of enthusiastic, dedicated fans who don't leave the stadium until the last note.
Over 380 students experience the excitement of college marching band at UMass. The Minuteman Band has performed for Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies in 1981, 1985, and 2001. In 1993, 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2011, the band performed at Bands of America Grand Nationals. In 1998, the Minuteman Marching Band received the most prestigious honor bestowed upon college bands, the Louis C. Sudler Trophy, which is awarded in recognition of "the highest of musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas, and which has made important contributions to the advancement of the performance standards of college marching bands over a period of several years."
Chris McHugh Sirard
Chris is the caption head of the UMass Colorguard the assistant director of the UMass Marching Band. She started colorguard at age 11 at Melrose High School. She attended DMA and was drum major for Melrose High School. Chris joined the UMMB in 1988, was captain in 1989, and graduated in 1990 with BA in Communications. Chris was the instructor of the UMMBCG from 1990-1995. She moved away to South Carolina for her husband to get his PhD where she taught the University of South Carolina Colorguard from 1997-1999. Chris went back to school for music at USC as a voice major and got a Bachelor's and Master's in Music Ed with a concentration in Early Childhood Music Development. She moved back to Amherst in 2013 where she got involved with the guard again. Chris is so happy to be back!
Kristi Ochs
Kristi is the coach of the UMass Twirlers, and of the Belchertown Twirlers. Kristi is a state, regional and national twirling champion. She was the featured twirler not only at Belchertown High School but also at the University of Akron in Ohio. Kristi has a bachelor's degree in Child Development and is currently a preschool teacher at Head Start.
Teaching Staff
Our other staff include our weapon tech Rachel Morris, our flag tech Justin Srodulski, and Anna Konde our dance tech.
Our staff’s teaching ability, combined with our traditions of hard work and dedication, allow us to produce a quality of performance unmatched by most other collegiate colorguards. We rehearse daily under some of the best colorguard instructors. Our work ethic is a result of their inspiration and drive. Our program is designed to be one of effort, progress, and performance.