Special to UM News

Rachel Schueller

Game day at the BankUnited Center is a lively atmosphere of student-athletes, coaches, referees, fans, mascots, cheerleaders, dancers, house music, and the incomparable Frost Band of the Hour Pep Band. A 2016 Retale.com online blog commented that the college pep band “is basically the best part of the basketball game,” where “young and vibrant kids are open to dancing, laughing, and cheering on the team with abandon.”

At UM, one band member consistently attracts the attention of spectators, not only for her musicianship but also for her genuine enthusiasm and unbridled spirit. Rachel Schueller, a double major in math and marine science, plays piccolo and holds a student leadership position in the Band of the Hour marching and pep bands. She is also a Hurricanes super fan, leading the crowd in spirit chants while dancing in the stands. Rachel is also known as ‘The Hair’ for spinning her long brown locks like a pinwheel, pumping up the crowd with her dizzying antics while elevating the energy in arenas across the ACC.

“If I’m cheering up the crowd and making them feel peppier, that’s my job,” says Schueller. “The best way to raise the level of a crowd is to help others raise their own level of excitement.”

Schueller grew up in a musical family. Her hair dance began when her dad played in a band. “He was a head banger,” she explains, “but my hair was 12 inches longer than his so I thought, ‘Let’s see what this looks like.’ ” Her favorite dance song is “Turn Down For What” by DJ Snake and Lil John. “That drop really gets me going,” she says.

In 2013 online sports site SB Nation named Ram Boy (Colorado State University), and One-Man Dance Party (University of Arizona) as their “Best Fans of March Madness.” Schueller, aka the Hair, embodies the same passion and physical commitment for University of Miami basketball. She is often recognized in the student dining hall weeks after a game, and UM athletics personnel are taking note.

“Every time she’s put on the videoboard, it makes it hard for us to take the camera off her,” says Lindy Sparby, UM athletics director of marketing. “Her enthusiasm is so contagious, it makes other fans want to get up and dance along with her. She raises the energy in the building and brings excitement to our fan environment.”

Through music, Schueller supports her Hurricane teams wholeheartedly. She comes from a small town in the state of Washington, about as far northwest from Miami as you can get. She grew up playing flute and viola, and specifically chose UM for its marine science and marching band programs.

She is a committed fan, but also a musician who commends the Frost Band of the Hour for providing academic undergrads like herself with a creative outlet that includes developing fundamental life skills and making new friends. “Being in the athletic bands is an opportunity to connect with other students in a way that doesn’t happen as easily in the lecture hall,” she says.

The Frost Band of the Hour Pep Band includes 50 student members. Members dedicate one night per week to rehearsal, in addition to performing at UM men’s and women’s home basketball games, select volleyball games, and traveling to post-season away games. The group performs cutting-edge jazz and rock repertoire custom arranged by Frost Director of Athletic Bands/Professor of Music Jay Rees.