Meet the Members: The Sprecher & Troxler Families

UNCBAA is spotlighting our members! We ask their favorite band memories, their role in the band and what they are doing today. Today, we hear from the Sprecher and Troxler families.

What if you were asked to describe your time in UNC Bands in one word? Would you choose “meaningful”? “Fun”? Perhaps “wild”? Or did you arrive at what many of us would choose: “family”. For Gail Sprecher (’83), Doug Sprecher (’85), Pam Troxler (’86), Anna Troxler (’14), Davis Troxler (’14), Caroline Sprecher (’16), and Molly Sprecher (’20), UNC Bands is literally family.

Gail was the first to begin her musical journey and did so like many of us: in junior high school “because my mom told me it was a good way to meet people.” For Gail, continuing band into college was something worth taking a chance on: “If I like it, I’ll stay in…so I liked it, met a lot of people, it was fun.” It didn’t hurt that Gail had a front-row seat in New Orleans to watch Carolina win its second National Championship.

Around the same time, Doug became the third sibling to play the family’s “very old and beat up saxophone”. Doug enjoyed band in high school so much that he never questioned continuing into college. With a less beat up saxophone in hand, Doug joined the Marching Tar Heels. Confidence, though, was soon met with apprehension: “Carolina Band was a whole different thing [from high school]. It took me a year to figure out whether I really wanted to stay in it or not because it was just so different from high school.” But the band became home for Doug: “By the time I got to the end of the first year, I went from not being sure that I wanted to stay to not being able to figure out why I would ever leave. It felt like home.”

And as these stories go, Gail and Doug met each other through the Marching Tar Heels. At their wedding, the wedding party was mostly band friends, and “we wouldn’t have had it any other way” Gail noted. That was 36 years ago.

Fast forward to 2010. Anna Sprecher carried her mom’s clarinet into Hill Hall to start her time as a Marching Tar Heel. Anna’s beginnings in band were much like those of her mom’s: Gail and Doug encouraged Anna to join band in middle school, and by college, it was less of an expectation and more of a passion. And again, much like Gail and Doug, Anna realized that her decision to join the band was an experience that would shape her life.

On that same day in 2010, Davis Troxler entered Hill Hall to begin his stint at Carolina. The son of a former UNC color guard member, Davis was excited for the myriad Carolina games he would attend during his four years in band. He was, of course, rewarded in 2012 when Giovanni Bernard ran back a punt in the waning seconds of the game to defeat NC State. “We went crazy…we were crying” in Kenan Stadium—a memory he, along with the other 50,000 fans in the stadium—will never forget.

And again, as these stories go, Anna and Davis met each other through the band. Yes, the Gio punt return was special, and yes, Anna did enjoy the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, but what was most special was meeting each other. Davis noted that during senior year, the couple would “meet for every home game and walk to the stadium together” and that his band memories are rooted in their relationship: “I can’t help but think about band in terms of Anna more than anything else.”

It doesn’t stop there for the Sprechers, though. Caroline, Anna’s younger sister, was also a Marching Tar Heel. Like Anna played Gail’s clarinet, Caroline played Doug’s saxophone. The youngest Sprecher, Molly, experienced music at Carolina through Sigma Alpha Iota, the women’s music fraternity.

Gail and Doug never expected nor assumed that their daughters would all be involved in music at UNC. They wanted Anna, Caroline, and Molly to experience college in their own, unique ways, but as each got involved in music, they certainly weren’t complaining: “we were really, really thrilled that they wanted to give it a chance and they wanted to be a part of it” Doug noted. “The first time you see your kids in a Carolina band uniform on the field…that’s just such a neat thing.” Gail agreed: “To be in that stadium and watch your child marching in the place where you marched a few years ago…it’s just really special”. Of course, she also noted that “one thing we were very grateful [for] was that they got new uniforms”. Doug laughed and agreed, describing the old uniforms as having magical materials that were blazing hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter.

Fast forward another decade, and Gail, Doug, Anna, and Davis are talking about the newest addition to the family: a 6 month old boy who (of course) has already attended his first Carolina sporting event. Anna and Davis’s son is already part of the UNC Bands family; his quilt was knit by a band friend of Doug and Gail’s, and a band friend of Anna and Davis’s has a child the same age—they’ll be best friends, but they don’t know it yet. Both kids have already been signed up for the Marching Tar Heels upon their acceptance into Carolina.

But what’s an article about band without a couple of “those” band stories. With their combined multiple decades of experience in the Marching Tar Heels, there were more than a few stories to look back upon. One such story took place when Doug was equipment manager, a job not apt for his two-seat Toyota. The car was often loaded with instruments in the seats, the trunk, and even on the roof. One fateful day, a snare drum decided to find a home somewhere other than the car. Doug recalls the moment: “One of the snare drums came loose from my car and rolled down Country Club Drive a prodigious distance. And it finally went off the road into a ditch somewhere—so I had to get everything else [back on the roof] and then I had to go look for the snare drum that rolled down Country Club.” Imagine a band kid running down the road chasing a drum. It could have been any of us. Unfortunately for Doug, it was him this time.

Doug wasn’t sure if that moment was more or less enjoyable than the away football game in which the band’s uniforms became targets for ketchup and mustard-laden hot dogs. Anna pitched in a story involving the band trip to Shreveport, LA for the Independence Bowl. The Tar Heels played Mizzou the day after Christmas in 2011. The game took place in a cold, miserable rain. The Tar Heels led 7-0 in the first quarter and were promptly outscored 41-17. Oddly enough, the trip was one of Anna’s favorite memories from band. Not because she enjoyed being cold and wet and miserable, but “because of the friends that were there with me.”

The Sprecher family have been long-standing supporters, cheerleaders, and friends of UNC Bands. When asked why being connected to UNC Bands remains such an important part of their lives, Doug put it simply: “It’s a big thank you card for all of the things that band has meant to us, for all of the friends we’ve made along the way, and for all of the really really fun and happy memories that are associated with it. I don’t think we could say thank you enough for all of that.”

---

Member the Members: Dr. Bobby “Chip” Wood, Jr.

UNCBAA is spotlighting our members! We ask their favorite band memories, their role in the band and what they are doing today. Today, we are speaking with Dr. Bobby “Chip” Wood, Jr. from the Class of 1989.

Q: What instrument did you play?

A: Snare: Marching band 1985-89, Drum Set:, Pep Bands, 1985-89, Snare Captain 1986, Percussion co-section leader 1987, Percussion section leader 1988, Women’s Basketball Pep band 1985-86, Men’s Basketball pep band 1986-1989.

Q: What are you up to now?

A: I am an optometrist living in San Antonio, Texas with my wife Nancy Wood and twins Jackson and Madeline who are seniors at the University of Texas at Austin. I am the Administrator for Vision Source in San Antonio and own two optometry practices: Wood Vision Source in San Antonio and Coyote Optical Vision Source in Uvalde, TX. (I still cheer for the Heels every chance I get, though!) I also enjoy golf, pickleball and have enjoyed acting in several musical theater plays in San Antonio including Rock of Ages, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Bridges of Madison County and Elf the Musical.

Q: How did UNC Bands prepare you for what you are currently doing?

A: Teamwork, leadership, precision, learning a new show each week, discipline, performing in front of large crowds. These opportunities have carried over into my business career—allowing me opportunities to own and lead two optometry businesses, be the administrator for Vision Source in San Antonio and serve as a speaker, Key Opinion Leader and Advisory board member for several eye care companies in the US.

Q: What is your favorite UNC Bands memory?

A: UNC defeating Duke in the 1989 ACC Men’s Basketball Championship. Arguably the most physical and aggressive game in the history of the UNC/Duke rivalry and UNC won their first ACC Tournament Championship in seven years after losing the prior two years. Great win for Coach Dean Smith, JR Reid and Jeff Lebo over Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner and Coach K.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: In 1987, I wrote the original drum cadence now known as “the old cadence” including many of the breakdowns still played today including my favorite “2, 3, 4”! Attending the band Alumni Reunion Weekend this year and being able to play these cadences with today’s Tar Heel drumline was a thrill and memory I’ll never forget.

---

Can You Still Hear It?

Ronald Campbell ‘98

Do you remember? Do you remember how it felt the first time? I do. 

In my mind, I can see myself in front of Wilson Library. The warm-up chorale begins. Then, cadence erupts. Finally, we march down Stadium Drive through a crowd of fans and the Rams Head lot. Pregame starts and 50,000 fans scream in unison. 

Can you see yourself back in those stands? Do you remember all of the work it took to get to that point? The heat of August, Rainbow Fields and going back to rooms without air conditioning… always thankful for the opportunity. I can never forget. 

Soon, a new generation of Marching Tar Heels will gather in Hill Hall. There will be nervous freshmen, know-it all sophomores, juniors and, well, seniors. As alumni, we  know how good they have it. They can’t possibly know, but maybe, just maybe they do. 

What would I give to have another chance to be young and carefree with fall in Chapel Hill just around the corner? Since I can’t go back to those heady days of the 90s, I can do the next best thing. I can help to make sure this current iteration of the Marching Tar Heels have the experience they deserve. 

I was excited to have the chance to participate in an alumni association for UNC Bands. As alumni, we are in a unique position to assist the program. Maybe we can provide financial assistance to purchase new equipment or fund trips for the band. Maybe we can mentor a band member in a field they are interested in. Maybe we can provide a home cooked meal for a member who is far from home. 

I don’t have all of the answers. What I do have is a love for Chapel Hill, a love for Carolina and a desire to give back to a program that provided me with experiences and friends that have lasted far beyond my days as a student. Whether you are close to Chapel Hill or far away, Carolina is always there with you. 

Now, we have a chance to reconnect. This is the group you’ve been waiting for. Don’t wait. Do you remember? Close your eyes and trust me, you’ll be back before you know it.

---

Member Spotlight: Sophie Therber

UNCBAA is kicking off a new series to highlight current members. We will learn some of their favorite band memories, their role in the band and what they are doing today. First up, we have Sophie Therber, a recent graduate from the Class of 2022.

Q: What instrument did you play?

A: Alto sax!

Q: What are you up to now?

A: Right now, I am an intern through Student Action with Farmworkers at the Good Samaritan Clinic in Morganton, NC. The clinic is a NC Farmworker Health Program site, so I help provide health care to farmworkers at the clinic and by traveling to farmworker housing in the area. I’ve really enjoyed this opportunity to work somewhere that is making such a difference in the movement towards farmworker justice, and I am learning so much.

Q: How did UNC Bands prepare you for what you are currently doing?

A: Being in band has helped me to become a better person. UNC Bands encouraged me to be myself when working with others to reach a common goal, and I feel more comfortable in leadership roles because of my experience in band. Additionally, being an MTH Volunteers coordinator helped me to prioritize service in my everyday life, which will no doubt continue to apply to my post-graduation plans.

Q: What is your favorite UNC Bands memory?

A: Although I have so many great band memories, nothing compares to being in the pep band when we beat Duke in the Final Four in New Orleans! Traveling with the band was a dream come true, and the energy in the Superdome was incredible. I truly have never experienced anything like it. It was so emotional and exciting, and I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to be there in-person.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: My fun fact is that after I complete this internship, I am headed to Spain to work as a volunteer at a family farm in Seville! I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to travel abroad for the first time.

---