The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta by chatting with Michigan band member Madeline Rosenbaum about playing alto sax and her predictions for this weekend.
You grew up in a suburb of Chicago called Kildeer: what made you choose Michigan? It is related to my family history. I grew up in a Big 10-heavy household where my mom went to Purdue and my dad went to Michigan, so I knew that I wanted that kind of experience. Those 2 schools happened to be my top-2 choices, but what put it over the edge was Michigan’s marching band and history program.
You are majoring in History/Spanish and minoring in Music: how did you choose those subjects? Ever since I was a kid I have really enjoyed history: I was a big reader and it was almost like a big story to me. I also considered psychology and I took a class as a freshman but decide it was just not for me. I had studied Spanish growing up and felt that I wanted to continue with it. I got to do a semester in Spain and figured I would just make it a major. In addition to the marching band, I also do the concert band.
You are a senior: what is the post-graduation plan? I have a couple of plans. This summer I will have an internship with a company outside of DC that invests in national defense technology security, which will be an exciting opportunity. The marching band will take a trip to Europe as well, but after that I am keeping my options open.
You are part of the Alto Saxophone section: how long have you been playing that instrument, and what is your favorite song to play? I have been playing alto since 4th grade. I remember them bringing all the kids into the band room to try out 3 instruments. I could not make any noise come out of the flute or clarinet…but I was able to play a beautiful C-sharp with the sax. As far as songs, 1 of my favorites with the marching band is an arrangement of “Potential Breakup Song” by Aly & AJ, and in concert band it is “Give us this Day” by David Maslanka.
You enjoy watching all Michigan sports: what is your favorite sports memory from your time in Ann Arbor? I really hit the jackpot in terms of sports during the past 4 years because there are PLENTY to choose from! My freshman year was the 1st time in many years that our football team beat Ohio State, and we did so in the snow. Last year at the Rose Bowl the entire day was amazing: from participating in the parade in the morning to getting a thrilling win over Alabama that evening.
2 of your hobbies are traveling/reading: do you have any travel/book recommendations for our travelers/readers? I recommend going to 1 of my favorite European cities: Prague. I went there several years ago, and everyone was very friendly and there was great food/history. I am reading a good book right now called “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver that is inspired by the Charles Dickens book “David Copperfield”. It won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and I am halfway through it.
The team finished the regular season with 3 straight losses but have bounced back to win 3 games in the Big 10 tourney and 2 games in the NCAA tourney: what has changed over the past 2 weeks? I think they got a little rest, which is important because the Big 10 season is so tough. Starting off very well against Purdue gave them a lot of momentum: they only had 6 turnovers during the entire game. Dusty May is a fantastic tourney coach and knows how to prepare for teams with a quick turnaround.
Did you get to go to Indianapolis and/or Denver for any of the games above, and how exciting was it? I was able to go to Indianapolis for the Big 10 tourney and it was great! I remember talking to my parents: I thought we would win…but since my mom is a Purdue alum she was doing some smack-talk! We kept winning and winning and by the end of the semifinal win over Maryland I had no voice left. It was also great to see that more and more fans showed up as we kept winning more and more games.
Does the band have anything extra-special planned for this week? We will play the team out to their bus on Friday night. Most of us have never been to Atlanta so some of us are visiting the Georgia Tech campus and I was at the Georgia Aquarium.
Any predictions for this weekend in Atlanta, and what would it mean if you end up facing Michigan State on Sunday for a spot in the Final 4? I have been thinking about that all week…and I think it would be awesome. We almost played them in the Big 10 title game. Auburn will be tough: Johni Broome is 1 of the best (if not the best) players in college and all their guards are great against drop-coverage. If we face Michigan State after losing to them twice in the regular season it would be the dream scenario!
