Homecoming adds challenge, means more to Cornhusker Marching Band

LINCOLN - For the Cornhusker Marching Band, few events are more meaningful than homecoming.

Band director Tony Falcone has been at the University for 24 years, and has directed the Cornhusker Marching Band for 21 years. He’s seen his fair share of homecomings, and says they’re always special, but they come with a different set of challenges than a normal game day.

“It’s different because we prepare a different kind of show, we want something entertaining, but we also have to set up a shorter show because we have the share the halftime with the homecoming court,” Falcone. “We always try to perform for the student section for homecoming and get great response there.”

When it comes to planning the show for a homecoming routine, the goal for the band is…

“To make a show that fits in with the homecoming theme which, this year, is Husker throwback,” Falcone said. “This idea actually came from one of our students, they said ‘Well what if we do like a middle school dance?’”

So, the band ran with it… During their performance, the band worked in typical high school dances like the cupid shuffle and a slow dance. With about one-third of the band being new members every football season, Falcone explained that another challenge with homecoming is getting the younger members ready for how the show operates.

“This will be the first time they’ll be performing for the student section, and I talked with them about that a bit because when we start making our way to that corner of the field, there’s a buzz that starts and then when we play we get a great reception,” Falcone said.