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 Michele Archer from the Class of 1993.
Q: What years were you in band?
Marching and Pep Bands: Fall 1990 – Spring 1993 (Band Librarian Fall 1991 – Spring 1993);
Concert Band: Fall 1989 – Fall 1992
Q: What instrument did you play?
Piccolo in Marching and Pep Bands; flute in Concert Band
Q: What are you up to now?
After 26 years as a health care actuary, I retired in 2020. My daughter, Kayla (20), is a rising senior at Virginia Tech, where she plays flute in the Symphony Band. I enjoy visiting Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Kings Dominion, attending my daughter’s band concerts, hiking in the Virginia mountains, annual mother/daughter Orlando vacations, other traveling, visiting my parents at the beach, and reading.
Q: How did UNC Bands prepare you for what you are currently doing?
In high school, I had 3 band directors in 4 years. I didn’t join the marching band as a freshman, but I felt like a small fish lost in a very big ocean. Joining the marching band was one of the best decisions I made as a young adult. I met people from so many different backgrounds and had opportunities to travel, opening my eyes to many different perspectives. Working together to learn our pregame show and put together a new halftime show every week, practicing and performing in all kinds of weather, taught me the importance of teamwork and achieving common goals, which helped me build relationships with my team members, direct reports, and customers in my career. Balancing classes and band with other activities and a social life provided me with the discipline to balance studying for actuarial exams and working full-time, while also maintaining a social life, in my 20s. My leadership opportunities as a squad leader and as a band staff member were stepping stones to my manager and director responsibilities throughout most of my career.
Q: What is your favorite UNC Bands memory?
I have many good memories of my years in the UNC bands and it’s difficult to choose a favorite. I’m grateful for the friendships I developed and enjoy how easy it is to catch up with someone even if it has been many years since we have seen each other. Some highlights are performing in the ACC/Big East basketball tournament pep band in the Meadowlands followed by a day trip to New York City decorated for the holidays; touring Washington, DC with band friends before performing in the rain at halftime of a Washington Redskins/New York Giants game (Lawrence Taylor’s excitement to see us made the night); and traveling to New Orleans for the Final Four in 1993, meeting some of the basketball players (Eric Montross made a special effort to talk to us multiple times) and performing in the NCAA National Championship pep band.
Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?
I am a breast cancer survivor (seven years in August). Surviving cancer changed my perspective on life. When amusement parks reopened after the Covid closures, I started “coasters with adults” with my friend of many years, Chris, on the weekends our teens were with their other parents. We originally bonded over our shared love of Carolina basketball and continued to bond over our shared love of roller coasters. I even challenged myself to conquer a life-long fear of heights so I could truly enjoy the taller roller coasters as well as other thrill rides. I rode the tallest roller coaster at the time on my 5-year cancer survivor anniversary. Chris and I have now been together for four years. Many of our vacations are centered around visiting amusement parks, while also enjoying other activities in the area. We have the shared hobbies and goals of riding as many roller coasters as we can and visiting as many National Parks as we can. Of course, we watch all the Carolina basketball games together and visit Chapel Hill a few times a year to attend football and basketball games.
