A Musical March Down Memory Lane

Leckrone tells the story behind the music that all Badgers know by heart.

In music, the directive D.C. al fine instructs a musician to return to the beginning of a piece and play through it again. In Moments of Happiness: A Wisconsin Band Story, Mike Leckrone does the very same in reminiscing on his sequin-studded career.

For 50 years, Leckrone not only led the UW Marching Band —made legendary under his direction — but also helped generations of Badgers share their love for the UW through song. With the help of Madison journalist Doug Moe ’79, Leckrone invites readers to open up the story behind the music that all Badgers know by heart.

From the moment he set foot on campus in 1969, Leckrone discovered an undeniable destiny at the UW. He transformed the band, bolstering its dwindling numbers and establishing its dynamic “stop at the top,” high-stepping style. He invented the Fifth Quarter to infuse even more spirit into Badger football games, and he turned a lackluster spring band concert into the hottest ticket in town.

Leckrone was bold in pushing the limits of possibility in his performances — he made entrances on an airborne motorcycle and a live elephant — and he is honest about the hard work and hard-learned lessons that made these iconic moments possible.

Following the score of Leckrone’s career from its inevitable missed notes through the magnum opus of his UW tenure, Moments of Happiness is “written with decided and joyful expectation that everything’s gonna be all right,” writes Broadway actor and fellow UW showman André De Shields ’70. “With this memoir, I can share a moment of happiness anytime I want with Mike Leckrone.”

Published in the Fall 2024 issue