A member of the University of Iowa marching band has died after suffering heat stroke during the Hawkeyes’ season-opening win over Northern Illinois University last weekend.
Derek Phillips, a junior from Dubuque, Iowa, collapsed during the game on Saturday, September 5, shortly before the band was set to perform its halftime show. Temperatures in Iowa City reached 94 degrees that day as the university adjusted several athletics start times to account for the heat.
Phillips was taken to University of Iowa hospital, where his family made the decision to take him off life support on Tuesday, September 8.
“Derek brought so much light, humor and kindness into this world,” his family said in a statement announcing his death. “He was a phenomenal musician — whether he was playing jazz ,singing his heart out, or marching under the lights, music was the language of his soul. He just had the absolute summer of his life touring in drum and bugle corps. We are so grateful for that experience.”
Iowa marching band director Eric Bush and School of Music director Tammie Walker released a joint statement on Tuesday, sharing their condolences, thanking medical personnel and offering counseling to students.
“Derek Phillips was our mellophone section leader, a beloved member of the School of Music horn studio, and the kind of friend, student, and musician that represents the very best of what it means to be a Hawkeye,” the statement read.
The statement continued, “Losing a HMB family member is one of the most difficult tragedies we will experience. We are grateful to his parents, Sara and Brian, for providing regular updates throughout the weekend to HMB staff and the students who love him. We will continue to walk the journey together, and we will continue to provide support and resources to our students to ensure they are getting the care they need. The Hawkeye Marching Band and the School of Music are strong and resilient because of the people within.”
Bush and Walker also emphasized in their statement that “there is nothing more important than the safety of our students.”
“Their well-being is always at the top of my mind,” they said. “We are teaching them more than music and marching — and we are a family. I told the band on Saturday, when we gathered after we departed from Kinnick Stadium, ‘As a parent, the care I have for my own son extends to every single marching Hawkeye.’”
The band announced during the game that it would skip its halftime performance, but did not mention a medical emergency.
“The health and safety of our students, staff, and fans are our top priority,” the band posted via X. “Due to the heat, HMB will forgo our halftime performance today.”
Read the full article here
