Hi, my name is Chris Mastrocola. I play in the drum line. I couldn’t be happier with the choice that I made to come to Sacred Heart University. The campus is beautiful and faculty is outstanding. When I first visited the campus I immediately felt welcomed. I’m still undecided on what my major will be, although I’m leaning towards Media Studies. The main reason I came to Sacred Heart was to play in the band, and to see what my options are so that I find something to do with my life! The first time I saw the band perform I was astounded. It was at a woman's basketball game and the pep band was performing. The band is highly energetic, plays great, and never stops cheering for the team. Now that I’m a part of the Sacred Heart Community I feel great! If you love music then come to Sacred heart University. The Sacred Heart Community is very welcoming and wants you to succeed. By joining the band you’ll have a lot of great new friends that are here to help and support you. Join the Band!
-Chris Mastrocola
-Undecided
-Bronx, NY


Hey! My name is Mark Lee and I play trumpet and mallets for the Sacred Heart band program. I am a sophomore and am still undecided about my major. I love Sacred Heart because it feels so much more welcoming than any other college I visited. A major component of feeling at home is the band program. It has many facets for playing any sort of music you might be interested in: Marching Band, Pep Band, Brass Ensemble, Woodwind Ensemble, String Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Concert Band. The best part about this is that the band program is truly what you make it here. None of the bands compete, so the only motivating factor is how much we all love what we’re doing. I am currently in Marching, Pep, Concert, Brass, Percussion, and Jazz, but you are welcome to join however many or few you desire. I highly recommend Marching band for two reasons though: one, because it starts off the year, and two, because it is the one ensemble where everyone can perform together. Band camp is the best time of year, before classes start when you make incredible friendships and enjoy friendly competitions after practice. There are too many wonderful experiences to miss out on, so come here and play with us at SHU!
-Mark Lee
-Undecided Major
-Naugatuck, CT


Hi! My name is Amy Bois, I am freshman at Sacred Heart, and I play the clarinet in the band program. I am majoring in Health Science here at Sacred Heart also. I could not be any happier; the moment I stepped on this campus, I knew this was home. Although I knew this campus was home, I did not know I was going to be playing in the band my freshman year. My mom had me think about joining the band. I decided to join the band and joining the band was the greatest decision I made my freshman year. To me, the people in the band are my family. Since my family cannot be with me here on campus, having a group of people on campus who I can trust, hangout with, and laugh with is amazing. I am in three bands here at SHU; marching, pep, and concert bands. Marching and pep band are fun and energetic bands. The marching band goes to football games and performs field shows during halftime. The pep band goes to women’s and men’s basketball and men’s hockey; cheering and supporting those sports teams puts a smile on my face and the face of the players. Concert band is more of a serious band, but we still know how to have fun. In concert band, we play a variety of pieces. Over winter break of 2012 the concert band went to Ireland, which was an amazing experience. I am only in three bands, but there are many more wonderful ensembles here at Sacred Heart. Joining the band program was the best idea for me and I hope you will join the band and enjoy it as much as I do! Go SHU!!
-Amy Bois
-Health Science major
-Litchfield, NH


Hey my name is Nikki Castellucci and I play clarinet for the SHU band. I’m an athletic training major and prospective physical therapy student, and am extremely happy with my decision in choosing Sacred Heart University. To be honest, I never expected I would end up in a concert—let alone marching—band in college. I had never marched before, and was hesitant about joining until the day of my audition during orientation weekend. The second I walked into the Performing Arts Suite I was instantly welcomed by upperclassmen and introduced to my future peers, who are now my closest friends. The camaraderie in the band is superlative; there is an underlying trust and respect between every member, which provides a comforting sense of home. Leaving home was terrifying for me for all the same reasons that any other small-town kid would experience. However, the very first day of band camp promptly extinguished those overwhelming fears of not knowing a single person. The SHU band is a great organization that has opened an infinite amount of doors for me, not only socially but also academically and scholastically. It is a challenge that I think builds character and confidence, and I highly recommend joining. If you want to play great music, and make even better friends, this is the place for you. Hopefully I’ll meet you soon! Go Heart!
-Nikki Castellucci
-Athletic Training major
-Mountain Lakes, NJ