Univ. of Michigan Band Blares LGBTQ+ Support in Halftime Show

[left-of-center2012]

The University of Michigan marching band celebrated the school's LGBTQ+ students, staff, and supporters on Saturday with a homecoming halftime show dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the university’s Spectrum Center — a space at the school that supports, advocates, and educates around LGBTQ+ topics.

Music from the performance included hits from Diana Ross, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Kim Petras, Andrew Gold, Sister Sledge, and Cyndi Lauper.

John Pasquale, a professor of conducting and the director of the university’s marching band, told The Advocate that he wanted to make a public statement in support of his students and in support of the Spectrum Center.

“I was proud to do it,” Pasquale said. “We just, as a community, came together and there it is.” “I was proud to do it,” Pasquale said. “We just, as a community, came together and there it is.”

https://www.advocate.com/news/2021/9/28/univ-michigan-band-blares-lgbtq-support-stunning-halftime-show

[multigraincracker]

1. I use to follow a Division II college

in Ohio. The pep band only knew 2 songs and one of them was Vehicle by The Ides of March.

Hmmm.

[Crowman2009]

2. No Sylvester?!?

C'mon!

[left-of-center2012]

3. .

[Crowman2009]

4. ha-ha! I guess he was before your time.

Although I'm not sure how a marching band would be able to play Patrick Cowley's synthesizer composition, especially on this song:

[left-of-center2012]

5. "I guess he was before your time"

I'm 75.

Not sure what your post has to do with the OP?

[Crowman2009]

6. Well since this has to do with LGBTQ+ music, what better way than to play a song from one of the...

...first openly gay artists to have a Top 40 hit. Several Top 40 hits to be a exact, and a boatload of Dance Club Song hits to go with that as well.

I would recommend Jobriath, but he's a bit more obscure and is usually only known among glam rock enthusiasts such as myself.

[left-of-center2012]

7. Maybe not before my time, but ...

I never heard of 'Patrick Cowley's synthesizer composition'.

Different tastes in music, I guess.
I still recall walking into a bar in West Hollywood around 2002 and they were blasting out
"Where the Boys Are" (a 1961 hit)

[Crowman2009]

8. Oh Patrick Cowley is the Synthesizer/keyboard player behind many of Sylvesters songs.

Then there are also his backup singers Two Tons of Fun who later became the Weather Girls. But won't go into too much detail.

I like to read about the details of a song, sort of like taking apart a device to see what makes it tick.

[left-of-center2012]

9. Never heard of any of them

[Crowman2009]

10. I guess we run in different circles. LOL

But anyway, here's a fun fact! In Ann Arbor, where U of Mich. is located. The very first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to political office was Kathy Kozachenko to a city council seat. This was a few years before Harvey Milk. I'm surprised they haven't named the Spectrum center after her yet.