The traditional pageantry that kicks off springtime in the commonwealth – the Kentucky Derby – isn’t happening on the first Saturday in May for the first time since 1945.

A pandemic has put us all on pause.

However, while we’re relegated to our homes, left to wait for an unpredictable amount of time for things to get back to “normal,” our spirit still resonates. You see it when the green lights turn on. You hear it when the bells toll.   

On Saturday, you’ll feel it when that old familiar song plays. Our song.

Since 1936, UofL’s Marching Cards have served as “The Official Band of the Kentucky Derby,” opening up the “Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports” with our rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home.” Each year, our students play this song to about 150,000 people at Churchill Downs and an additional 15 million television viewers across the world.

By the time the band is finished playing, there typically aren’t many dry eyes left. A  “I’ve interviewed Kentuckians who haven’t set foot in the state for 30 years who still stand in front of their televisions and weep when they hear the woodwinds and brass instruments strike the first few notes of ‘My Old Kentucky Home.’

The lyrics tell us that there’ll be hard times, by and by. But at the crescendo, it’s as if 150,000 voices nudge us to weep no more.” 

Has there been a better time for such a nudge than now?

UofL’s drum major Natalie Humble didn’t want that feeling – that experience – to get lost this year.

So, she reached out to a few of her friends, both at UofL and at other colleges and universities across Kentucky, and asked if they would want to perform a virtual version of the state song and debut the finished piece on May 2, what would have been Derby Day. 

“I came up with the idea one day while doing online schoolwork and reflecting on what the semester would have been like in a normal situation. ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ popped into my head and I immediately wanted to create something that brought some normality back into the spring. But I wanted it to be something that all of us – as Kentuckians – resonated with,” Humble said.

Everyone she reached out to was interested. In fact, Humble recruited about 100 total participants – about half of whom are UofL students. Another 20 or so are UofL School of Music alums, a handful are UofL faculty and the rest are from other institutions throughout the state. Thirteen total institutions, to be exact.

“We had a massive amount of interest from students at UofL, and it was really incredible to see the alums show so much interest. I am truly proud of how many other schools we got to participate,” she said.

Humble, a rising senior Music ����ֱ�� major from Monticello, Kentucky, has performed at the Derby twice. Her favorite memory was during her freshman year, when it down poured. 

“It doesn’t sound like much fun, but it was so memorable that I can still feel the adrenaline now just the same as I did on that day,” she said.

Although performing “My Old Kentucky Home” to kick off the Derby is a signature UofL experience, Humble said it was important to get other schools involved this year because of the unusual circumstances created by COVID-19.

“As a college student and as a Kentuckian, I know how hard it is to adjust, and this experience is something that we all share. In times like this, it is especially important for all of us to realize that we aren’t alone and that we’re a team, so inviting everyone to be part of such a meaningful project was the most valuable part of the whole idea,” she said.

“The Derby performance always represents togetherness for me. It is such a short part of the timeline, but it is a time where all the people watching – no matter where they are in the world – are taking a moment to pause and come together. I think this year’s performance represents the same thing, just in a different way.”

Stay tuned for this performance of the “My Old Kentucky Home,” which will be available on both the and Saturday, May 2.

The following schools will be represented in the performance: Campbellsville University, Eastern Kentucky University, Georgetown College, Ivy Tech Community College, Lindsey Wilson College, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, University of the Cumberlands, Western Kentucky University.

His mom, Mary Beth Norton, that Allen has talked about the opportunity “for weeks.”

“The diagnosis doesn’t put a cap on what is possible, and that’s what’s exciting for us,” . “This is Allen getting to show who he really is.” 

Allen is also predicting a UofL upset over the defending national champions. 

Kickoff is at noon at Cardinal Stadium. 

So will her 54-year-old father, Darren Rinehart. 

“Graduating with my dad, that’s just the cherry on top of the sundae,” Julie said. 

Julie’s time on campus included a role with the UofL Marching Band. Once Darren enrolled in classes, he also joined the band. 

“We got questioned by quite a few people, but I think we both knew it was really awesome — too great of an opportunity to miss out on,” Julie said. 

Check out their story below: 

UofL has been front and center since Derby season kicked off in late April and will hold that spot through this weekend’s Run for the Roses. Once again this year, UofL’s Marching Cards will be the “Official Band of the Kentucky Derby,” a role it has held since 1936. The Marching Cards will usher in the Most Exciting 2 Minutes in Sports on Saturday with their traditional rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home.”

The Cards will also be the first marching band to step off for the Pegasus Parade Thursday at 5 p.m. Leading the parade this year is UofL Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum, along with former UK coach Joe B. Hall, as co-grand marshals. Notably, these same two coaches participated in the 1975 parade.

UofL Junior Tara Dunaway will also have a big presence throughout the weekend as this year year’s Kentucky Derby Festival queen. And, on Friday for the 144^th running of the Kentucky Oaks, UofL Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mack will make the traditional “riders up” call.

UofL’s Derby presence extends beyond the track and into the legendary revelries. Former UofL Basketball legend Junior Bridgeman’s charity gala, “The Trifecta,” will . The gala is expected to draw celebrity appearances from Arsenio Hall to Stevie Wonder. 

Other Derby ties

In addition to these direct connections to the world-famous horse race, there are several Derby-themed festivities at UofL year in and year out. UofL Hospital’s Annual Derby Kiddie-Bike Race, for example, is held the Wednesday prior and encourages employees to design their own jockey silks for a tricycle race competing for win, place and show.

A number of UofL School of Medicine students completed the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon last weekend and promptly donated their medals to children fighting critical diseases. UofL joined Medals4Mettle in 2008 as the first medical school-based program in the country.

The annual Derby Lecture Series, hosted by the Chemistry Graduate Student Association, is May 7 at 12:30 p.m. in Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium. This year’s speaker is award-winning chemist Geraldine Richmond, from the University of Oregon. Richmond, who used to head up the American Association for the Advancement of Science, will speak on, “Empowering Global Scientific Engagement.”  

Finally, each year on the Thursday prior to the Run for the Roses, the UofL James Graham Brown Cancer Center hosts the Cancer Survivor Celebration. Music is provided by UofL School of Music performers, while the cancer survivors will be joined by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, UofL Hospital President Ken Marshall, and Jason Chesney, MD, director of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center.

To get you in the Derby spirit, check out this video of the Marching Cards and the UofL Cardinal Singers opening the 2017 Kentucky Derby with “My Old Kentucky Home.”