09/03/2026
NOVEMBER 21
The Spirit of UVA: March On with the Cavalier Marching Band! (hybrid)
Join In-Person or Virtually, Free, and Open to All
Wrap up the 2026 football season with Elliott Tackitt, the Director of the Cavalier Marching Band. He will share a detailed look at the home opener’s halftime show, V is for Victory, which includes songs by Imagine Dragons, DJ Khaled, Coldplay, Survivor, and more. He will reveal a behind-the-scenes view of how the band learns its marching formations, music, and choreography and highlight some of the technology used in their rehearsals. Tackitt will also share more about the band’s demographics, academic interests, and the robust leadership structure that empowers students to hone important skills that carry forward into their careers.
Elliott Tackitt, Assistant Director of Music, Director of the Cavalier Marching Band, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Elliott is in his sixth year as Director of Bands and the Director of the Cavalier Marching Band here at the University of Virginia. He leads a team of 4 directors who, together, oversee four ensembles—the Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Basketball Band, and the Marching Band—which engages over 300 students annually with approximately 70 events each school year.
He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Michigan in 2019, his Master of Music in Wind Conducting at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2008, and his Bachelor of Music in trombone performance and Bachelor of Music in Education at the University of Michigan in 2006. He has previously taught at the University of Michigan, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University, following a brief tenure as a band director at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas. His wife, Amy, works at the Karsh Institute for Democracy. When not working on Grounds, he’s likely in his garage working on a woodworking project or walking their two dogs, Teddy and Maizie.
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