SMCC grad part of Notre Dame marching band, orchestra

Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News
·4 min read

MONROE — Luke Foster didn’t expect to be in a marching band.

“I didn’t have a super strong inclination. I never planned on joining a marching band,” said Foster, a freshman at Indiana’s University of Notre Dame and a 2023 graduate of St. Mary Catholic Central High School. “My parents (Monroe’s Carlton and Jean Foster) encouraged me. My mom said, ‘Go to band camp.’”

So, he went to camp.

Foster found he loved the band community and auditioned for the 350-member Notre Dame marching band. About half who tried out for fall semester were accepted, including Foster and one of his friends from Grosse Ile.

Luke Foster of Monroe, a member of the University of Notre Dame marching band, prepares for a gameday march-out to the stadium. He is shown playing the marching bells.
Luke Foster of Monroe, a member of the University of Notre Dame marching band, prepares for a gameday march-out to the stadium. He is shown playing the marching bells.

“It’s easily the best decision I’ve made,” Foster said. “I never thought four to five months ago I’d be in the marching band. It’s a very special experience. I’m very grateful to spend the next few years with them.”

Then, he joined the Notre Dame orchestra.

“I have friends on the drumline in the orchestra. They mentioned needing a percussionist for an upcoming show. I joined them there and stuck with them,” Foster said.

Foster had a busy fall semester and Christmas break with the two ensembles. This weekend he returns to Notre Dame, where he’ll continue playing in the orchestra and also be part of a band that plays at hockey games.

Luke Foster is shown in the afternoon drummers circle for the University of Notre Dame's marching band.
Luke Foster is shown in the afternoon drummers circle for the University of Notre Dame's marching band.

Foster grew up playing the piano. He was a state qualifier for a piano solo ensemble competition while at SMCCC.

“I’ve been playing basically my whole life. It started as a hobby and by age 11 or 12, it turned into a profession. People asked me to play around the holidays at parties. I played at school Masses nearly every week. I played at weddings, restaurants (like Amaya’s and the SandBar Grille) and at church services (including Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Temperance),” Foster said.

While Notre Dame’s ensembles don’t have pianos, they have similar instruments.

“The marching bells are laid out exactly like a piano keyboard. It’s easy to translate,” Foster said. He also plays glockenspiel and xylophone in the band.

Luke Foster prepares to march through the tunnel for a pregame performance.
Luke Foster prepares to march through the tunnel for a pregame performance.

“They are one of the few (college bands) to have those,” Foster said. “The xylophone is laid out like a piano keyboard.”

In the orchestra, Foster also plays glockenspiel and xylophone as well as “random auxiliary percussion: cymbals, triangle, tambourine,” he said.

The fall was especially busy for Foster. Rehearsals were held most nights of the week, and the marching band played at all six home Notre Dame football games. But the band doesn’t just play at the games.

“The marching band plays at every home game, including a bunch of different events. The drumline has midnight drummers circle in front of the dome. That’s a great tradition at Notre Dame for fans,” Foster said. “We rehearse in the morning. We have a concert on the steps and play school songs and half-time music for fans. Then we march out to the stadium and play in the stands. We play at the half-time show. Then we parade back. That’s a typical game day.”

Right after Christmas, Foster left for a five-city tour with the orchestra and the glee club.

Luke Foster is pictured before a recent orchestra performance in New York City.
Luke Foster is pictured before a recent orchestra performance in New York City.

The Notre Dame Glee Club goes on a Christmas tour most year. This year it brought along the 100-member orchestra. The ensembles performed in five cities: Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York. The venues ranged from a high school gym to one of Philadelphia’s main concert halls.

Luke Foster is shown marching during a football game halftime performance at the University of Notre Dame.
Luke Foster is shown marching during a football game halftime performance at the University of Notre Dame.

“I always wanted to go to New York City. It was an experience I’ll never forget,” Foster said. “It was nice to branch out and go to places I otherwise I wouldn’t go.”

At SMCC, Foster was class president senior year and president of Student Prevention Leadership Team and National Honor Society. He was on the varsity track and cross-country teams and was the Class of 2023 co-valedictorian. He’s studying chemical engineering at Notre Dame.

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“I really enjoyed chemistry class in high school. It was really hard, but I kind of took very naturally to it and really enjoyed it,” he said. “I also enjoyed math, physics, classes like that. Engineering seemed the perfect fit.”

— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: SMCC grad part of Notre Dame marching band, orchestra