Marching Owl Band
Encyclopedia
The Marching Owl Band is the Rice University
"marching band" in the sense that it is the official ensemble that performs during football
games, some basketball
games, parades, and other public events. However, the MOB is not a traditional marching band, but rather a scatter band; members do not march, and some members play non-standard instruments (or no instrument at all). For example, in the most recent season these instruments included violins, violas, a cello, electric guitar, electric bass and electric piano. Extras known as Show Assistants are also a perennial inclusion in the MOB; these students play no instruments besides the kazoo (or an occasional didgeridoo), but are responsible for constructing and employing props in the half-time shows and acting out any mime or gag bits during performances. Rather than wear traditional marching band attire, The MOB instead dons pinstriped three-piece suits, ties, sunglasses, fedora
s, and (in the case of Show Assistants) tommy gun props. (This attire is an obvious nod to the band's acronym, though in practice falls somewhere between the style of Capone-era mobsters and the Blues Brothers.) The group is known for satirical football halftime shows which, as MOB director Chuck Throckmorton says, poke fun at rival universities' sacred cow
s.
The MOB plays primarily classic rock-and-roll pieces, though blues, swing, funk, classical, and other styles are featured on various occasions. Its signature song, a rendition of "Louie Louie
", has become something of an unofficial fight song, and is played after every Rice touchdown at football games. Other staples include "Bonnet" (adapted from "Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet", 1909), the Rice University Fight Song, and "Turning it Loose" (a variation of the Otis Redding and Steve Cropper blues hit "I Can't Turn You Loose" similar to the one used in the Blues Brothers car chase, which is played at the end of the third quarter of every football game).
Mr. Kit Reid stepped up as director following Mr. Chatham's retirement in 1938.
During the period of World War II, manpower shortages that plagued other areas also hit the band, prompting Hugh Saye and Dick Kincheloe to form a band under the V-12 program
consisting of Navy cadets supplemented by civilians from the student body.
After the war, the band was reorganized, and the first women, four majorettes, joined the previously all-male organization. Neel Cotten completed the academic year as director following Mr. Reid's retirement in 1950. In 1951, Holmes McNeely became director and instituted a building program of both equipment and personnel. Mr. McNeely was the first to offer a number of band scholarships to students involved with the Rice Owl Band. At this time, women musicians were added to the general Rice band for the first time.
Upon the retirement of Mr. McNeely in 1967, Mr. Bert Roth took charge of band activities. In the fall of 1968, he gave a work scholarship to every qualified member of the Rice Owl Band in recognition of their participation. The Rice Owl Band broke with tradition in 1970 and began to introduce timely and sometimes controversial topics into their half-time activities. With their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks, the band parodied politics, life at Rice, and other members of the Southwest Conference. During this period the band also gradually stopped marching and began the "scattering" techniques for which it is now known. This type of entertainment proved popular with band members, since the rehearsal time necessary to learn a show was greatly reduced, thus becoming more manageable in conjunction with a full academic course load. These shows also become popular with Rice's proudly irreverent student body.
However, even with all of these notable accomplishments during his term at the helm, Dr. Dye's greatest legacy continues to be the library of musical arrangements that he has left to the band. A prolific arranger, during his time at Rice Dye arranged literally hundreds of tunes for the MOB to perform (as well as many that have been published and used by other schools). Among the MOB repertoire are first-class arrangements of many rock, jazz, and blues standards, from China Grove to Proud Mary, Hawai’i 5-0 to Mortal Kombat, Rock Lobster to Vehicle.
, and Texas Christian University
joined the Western Athletic Conference
, while traditional SWC opponents such as the University of Texas, Texas A&M University
, Baylor University
, and Texas Tech University
went to the Big 12
. The resulting WAC swelled to an arguably unwieldy size, including schools from 16 states across 6 time zones. While this period saw the MOB travel to new locations such as California, it was also a significant adjustment for students and fans.
In 1997, Dr. Dye left Rice to rebuild the band program at the State University of West Georgia, a position he held for only one year before moving on to a directorship at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 1998. Mr. Sean Williams was hired in the summer of 1997 to serve the MOB and the Rice Band Department as interim director until a permanent replacement for Dye could be found. That replacement was Dr. Robert Cesario, who came from Tulsa, Oklahoma and took up the baton in the fall of 1998. After four years, Dr. Cesario resigned as Director of Rice Bands in the summer of 2002, and was succeeded by Mr. Charles Throckmorton.
In 2005, Rice joined Conference USA
, restoring cross-town rival The University of Houston
to the status of conference opponent for the first time since the breakup of the Southwest Conference. Conference USA also brings Rice into contact with opponents from Texas to the Eastern Seaboard. This will no doubt give the MOB a whole new set of destinations and audiences.
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
"marching band" in the sense that it is the official ensemble that performs during football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games, some basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games, parades, and other public events. However, the MOB is not a traditional marching band, but rather a scatter band; members do not march, and some members play non-standard instruments (or no instrument at all). For example, in the most recent season these instruments included violins, violas, a cello, electric guitar, electric bass and electric piano. Extras known as Show Assistants are also a perennial inclusion in the MOB; these students play no instruments besides the kazoo (or an occasional didgeridoo), but are responsible for constructing and employing props in the half-time shows and acting out any mime or gag bits during performances. Rather than wear traditional marching band attire, The MOB instead dons pinstriped three-piece suits, ties, sunglasses, fedora
Fedora (hat)
A fedora is a men's felt hat. In reality, "fedora" describes most any men's hat that does not already have another name; quite a few fedoras have famous names of their own including the famous Trilby....
s, and (in the case of Show Assistants) tommy gun props. (This attire is an obvious nod to the band's acronym, though in practice falls somewhere between the style of Capone-era mobsters and the Blues Brothers.) The group is known for satirical football halftime shows which, as MOB director Chuck Throckmorton says, poke fun at rival universities' sacred cow
Sacred cow
Cattle are considered sacred in various world religions, most notably Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism as well as the religions of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome. In some regions, especially India, the slaughter of cattle may be prohibited and their meat may be...
s.
The MOB plays primarily classic rock-and-roll pieces, though blues, swing, funk, classical, and other styles are featured on various occasions. Its signature song, a rendition of "Louie Louie
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
", has become something of an unofficial fight song, and is played after every Rice touchdown at football games. Other staples include "Bonnet" (adapted from "Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet", 1909), the Rice University Fight Song, and "Turning it Loose" (a variation of the Otis Redding and Steve Cropper blues hit "I Can't Turn You Loose" similar to the one used in the Blues Brothers car chase, which is played at the end of the third quarter of every football game).
Formation and early years
Formed in 1916, the Rice Owl Band consisted of twelve enterprising students from all colleges of the university. In 1922, under the leadership of Mr. Lee Chatham, the band grew from thirty-five to about fifty pieces. Rehearsals were held in Autry House, across Main Street from campus. During this period, however, there were few high school bands, so civic and municipal bands and private teachers supplied the main body of membership.Mr. Kit Reid stepped up as director following Mr. Chatham's retirement in 1938.
During the period of World War II, manpower shortages that plagued other areas also hit the band, prompting Hugh Saye and Dick Kincheloe to form a band under the V-12 program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
consisting of Navy cadets supplemented by civilians from the student body.
After the war, the band was reorganized, and the first women, four majorettes, joined the previously all-male organization. Neel Cotten completed the academic year as director following Mr. Reid's retirement in 1950. In 1951, Holmes McNeely became director and instituted a building program of both equipment and personnel. Mr. McNeely was the first to offer a number of band scholarships to students involved with the Rice Owl Band. At this time, women musicians were added to the general Rice band for the first time.
Upon the retirement of Mr. McNeely in 1967, Mr. Bert Roth took charge of band activities. In the fall of 1968, he gave a work scholarship to every qualified member of the Rice Owl Band in recognition of their participation. The Rice Owl Band broke with tradition in 1970 and began to introduce timely and sometimes controversial topics into their half-time activities. With their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks, the band parodied politics, life at Rice, and other members of the Southwest Conference. During this period the band also gradually stopped marching and began the "scattering" techniques for which it is now known. This type of entertainment proved popular with band members, since the rehearsal time necessary to learn a show was greatly reduced, thus becoming more manageable in conjunction with a full academic course load. These shows also become popular with Rice's proudly irreverent student body.
Modernization
Dr. Ken Dye took over the director's job in 1980. By emphasizing musical quality and contemporary show design, the band (now called the Marching Owl Band, or the MOB) could target and entertain a larger audience. In 1982, Dye updated the MOB's uniforms, playing to the "mob" angle of the band's acronym and introducing the gray felt fedoras that have ever since been the band's trademark. Dr. Dye's tenure at Rice saw MOBsters perform at the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics, the 1985 Presidential Inauguration, the 1986 Statue of Liberty Celebration and U.S. Olympic Festival, as well as the 1993 Carnivale in Nice, France. Dr. Dye believed that travel was an important part of any major college band. During his time as MOB director, the band accompanied the football team to places as far afield as Tulane, Notre Dame, and the campuses of all three military service academies.However, even with all of these notable accomplishments during his term at the helm, Dr. Dye's greatest legacy continues to be the library of musical arrangements that he has left to the band. A prolific arranger, during his time at Rice Dye arranged literally hundreds of tunes for the MOB to perform (as well as many that have been published and used by other schools). Among the MOB repertoire are first-class arrangements of many rock, jazz, and blues standards, from China Grove to Proud Mary, Hawai’i 5-0 to Mortal Kombat, Rock Lobster to Vehicle.
Disaster and rebirth
In the spring of 1995, a disgruntled student started a fire in the Rice Memorial Center that gutted much of the MOB band hall, as well as campus hang-out Willy's Pub and other parts of the RMC. Devastated, members of the band wondered how the MOB could possibly recover. However, a move out of the aging band hall had already been planned, and this move was merely accelerated. Still, the MOB was forced to rebuild, working from a new band hall and purchasing new instruments, new uniforms, new equipment, new computers, and new office supplies all in time for the fall 1995 football season. And rebuild it did. On St. Patrick's Day, 1997, the MOB released a CD called MOB Reborn, featuring 25 of the band's favorite and most popular numbers.Turmoil and succession
In 1996, the Southwest Conference disbanded. Rice, Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, and Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
joined the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
, while traditional SWC opponents such as the University of Texas, Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, and Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
went to the Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
. The resulting WAC swelled to an arguably unwieldy size, including schools from 16 states across 6 time zones. While this period saw the MOB travel to new locations such as California, it was also a significant adjustment for students and fans.
In 1997, Dr. Dye left Rice to rebuild the band program at the State University of West Georgia, a position he held for only one year before moving on to a directorship at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 1998. Mr. Sean Williams was hired in the summer of 1997 to serve the MOB and the Rice Band Department as interim director until a permanent replacement for Dye could be found. That replacement was Dr. Robert Cesario, who came from Tulsa, Oklahoma and took up the baton in the fall of 1998. After four years, Dr. Cesario resigned as Director of Rice Bands in the summer of 2002, and was succeeded by Mr. Charles Throckmorton.
In 2005, Rice joined Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
, restoring cross-town rival The University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
to the status of conference opponent for the first time since the breakup of the Southwest Conference. Conference USA also brings Rice into contact with opponents from Texas to the Eastern Seaboard. This will no doubt give the MOB a whole new set of destinations and audiences.
Satire and Controversy
The MOB "pokes fun at itself and the world", from political figures to Rice administration personnel to visiting teams. A few shows in particular have provoked more than the usual uproar:- In 1973 the Texas A&M AggiesTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
took exception to a MOB performance which featured such typical MOB irreverence as Nazi-style goosestepping, turning the Aggie War Hymn into "Little Wooden Soldier March", and forming a fire hydrant while playing "Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?" in reference to the Aggie mascot Reveille. After the game, the Aggies formed an angry mob outside Rice's own stadium, trapping the Owl band inside for hours until police dispersed some of the crowd and allowed the band to exit, transported by food service trucks. In the years after this now-infamous show, attention has been focused on the shot at Reveille, and that this was an attempt to mock the mascot shortly after her death; in fact it was no more than "poorly-aimed scatalogical humor", the mascot in question having been alive and present at the game.
- In 2007, the MOB used their half-time performance to poke fun at the legal woes facing some members of the 2007 Texas Longhorn football team2007 Texas Longhorn football teamThe 2007 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Mack Brown, who received the 2005 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year award...
. The band, wearing dark sunglasses, opened with the theme from DragnetDragnet (series)Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
. Three members dressed as Longhorn football players ran around the field being chased by other band members carrying cardboard police cars. The Rice announcer narrated: "In the two years since the MOB last visited Austin, your team's demeanor — and misdemeanor — has changed. Buy a program at today's game. It includes Mack BrownMack BrownWilliam Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
's wrist-slap Top 10 and a photo guide to the next episode of 'America's Most Wanted.'"
- In 2011, the season-opener against The University of Texas in Austin, TX saw the MOB form $EC during halftime as a commentary regarding Texas A & M leaving the Big 12 conference and moving to the SEC. This happened days after Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
announced its withdrawal from the Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceThe Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
with hopes of moving to the SEC.
External links
- Marching Owl Band official website
- Rice University official website