For the first time in Panther Marching Band history, members performed  live on stage.

To help raise money for PMB’s London trip, Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center filled with the sound of music Monday night. 

PMB frequently records a CD of their music played for halftime and pregame shows in the GBPAC. 

Dan Galyen, director of marching and symphonic bands at the University of Northern Iowa, came up with a new idea this year. 

According to Galyen, hosting a live concert performance with the PMB had been a long-time wish of his. Given the fundraising opportunity, Galyen took it. 

“I thought it would be fun if our CD was a live CD,” Galyen said.

Galyen modeled the concert concept of fundraising from the UNI Varsity Men’s Glee Club, which hosts a Christmas variety show every December. 

 “It’s a really good way to get money and then to showcase what we do outside of having people come to football games,” said Rachel Rocha, senior elementary major and PMB member.

The process of raising money hasn’t been free of obstacles, said Galyen. While members of the Cedar Falls community supporting the band have given money to lower the cost of the trip, extra costs made fundraising even more important.

Unexpected costs were discovered upon realizing students must be bussed to a major airport to make the trip, said Galyen.

The band had to overcome additional obstacles when planning the concert, as well. 

“One thing that we were not expecting is the level of volume in the Great Hall,” Galyen said. “We ran into an issue this week because it was just too loud in there.” 

The band’s noise level was at an unsafe degree for audiences to sit on the ground floor of the Great Hall. Galyen decided the audience would be seated in the second and third levels of the GBPAC. 

The indoor concert experience was different for several students but some found the experience to be worthwhile. 

“It’s a first,” Rocha said. “Even though I’ve been here all four years, we’ve never had a concert experience . . . it has been very strange, different, but it’s kind of exciting at the same time.”