Oregon State University Marching Band

With over 250 members, the Oregon State University Marching Band, or OSUMB, is the marching band

Marching band

Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...

of Oregon State University

Oregon State University

Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...

, known as the "Spirit and Sound of OSU." It was founded in 1890 making it the oldest band in the Pac-12. The OSUMB is the main group within the Oregon State University Athletic Bands, also joined by Basketball Band and a smaller scholarship group. All Athletic band members are required to participate in marching band. The current Director of Athletic Bands is Dr. Brad Townsend. The Marching Band plays at nearly all home football games (the Alumni Band covers any games occurring prior to the start of the school term), and the Basketball Band and scholarship group play most home basketball games, the Pac-12 Tournament, and volleyball games. The Athletic Bands program is based partially on the same program at Kansas State University.

Oregon State University Marching Band History

The Oregon State Marching Band was founded in 1890.

Directors

Dr. Brad Townsend

Robyn Chapman(Assistant Director)

Staff

Dr. Chris Chapman, Director of Bands
Dr. Bob Brudvig, Drumline instructor
Kristin Heckers, Color Guard instructor
David Manela
Todd Shechter, webmaster and long-time staff manager
Kathy Smith

Section and Squad Leaders

Each section has one, two, or three section leaders, based on section size. Additional student leadership is provided by squad leaders. Section leaders provide student leadership in all aspects of the organization, while squad leaders provide additional leadership during marching rehearsals.

Membership

Membership is open to any Oregon State University

Oregon State University

or Linn-Benton Community College student. Students are welcome from all fields of study.

Band Camp

Band Camp is typically a week and a half before the beginning of fall term. Percussion and Color Guard start earlier in the summer, and student leaders start a day or two before the rest of the band. The rehearsal format of Band Camp is generally "daily triples," with rehearsal from morning until evening, with breaks for lunch and dinner. Band Camp culminates with a free performance for friends and family on Friday of the last week of camp, giving the Band a dress rehearsal for their first home football game, and giving the community a chance to see the Band without having to purchase tickets.

Rehearsal

During the school year, rehearsals are three nights each week, with dress rehearsal on the morning of performances.

Game Day

The Oregon State University Marching Band performs at all Oregon State University

Oregon State University

home and Bowl games. During home games, the band first has an on-field dress rehearsal before performing a mini-concert leading up to the "Beaver Walk," the arrival of the team. Prior to the start of the game, the band breaks into smaller elements and marches around the tailgating areas near the stadium to play the school's Fight Song along with other arrangements before meeting inside Reser Stadium

Reser Stadium

Reser Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. on the campus of Oregon State University. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, the stadium was renamed in 1999, and its current...

for an on-field pre-game performance.

During the football games, the band plays music from their seats in the stands, and during halftime performs an on-field show.

At the conclusion of each home game, the band performs the Fight Song, Hail to OSU, and the Alma Mater, Carry Me Back to OSU.

The Fight Song

"Hail to Old OSU" is the fight song for Oregon State University. It was written by Harold L. Wilkins in 1914. The last verse specifically references the 1933 football team, collectively known as the "Men of Iron," which is why gender-neutral changes to the Fight Song remain unofficial.

Here we come with a toast and song for the college up on the hill.

We love her shady slopes and trees its mem'ries cheer and thrill

But fondest thoughts when the years have run,

Will be of teams and vict'ries won,

Each man a loyal son

Hail! to old OSU.

OSU our hats are off to you

Beavers, Beavers, fighters through and through,

We'll cheer for every man,

We'll root for every stand,

That's made for old OSU.

Watch our team go tearing down the field,

Men of iron their strength will never yield,

Hail, hail, hail, hail,

Hail to old OSU.

O S U Fight B E A V E R S

Watch our team go tearing down the field,

Men of iron their strength will never yield,

Hail, hail, hail, hail,

Hail to old OSU.

Alma Mater

The OSU Alma Mater, "Carry Me Back", was written by W. Homer Maris.

Within a vale of western mountains,

There's a college we hold dear.

Her shady slopes and fountains

Oft to me appear.

I love to wander on the pathway

Down to the Trysting Tree,

For there again I see in fancy,

Old friends dear to me.

(Chorus)

Carry me back to OSU,

Back to her vine-clad halls;

Thus fondly ever in my mem'ry

Alma Mater calls.

Other Music

The band also plays various popular music to rally the crowd during the games. These include (but are not exclusive to:

Various OSU-specific snippets, including the "First Down Song"
Beer Barrel Polka
Cheer for the Beavers (An OSU school song, played after kicking a Field Goal)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Everybody's Everything
Fat-Bottomed Girls
Forget You
Frankenstein (played between defensive plays)
Johnny Q
Iron Man (played between defensive plays)
Land of 1000 Dances
Low Rider (played during official reviews)
Mighty Beavers (An OSU school song)
Night on Bald Mountain (played after a defensive stop on 3rd down)
O Fortuna (quoted after a defensive stop on 2nd down)
Rock and Roll (The Hey Song)

Trips

The Oregon State Marching Band typically attends one away game each year, in addition to the Civil War if it is held at the University of Oregon. The entire band travels to any high-profile Bowl Games, while lower-tiered Bowl Games usually are accompanied by a smaller element from within the band.

Bowl Game Appearances

2001 Fiesta Bowl

The 2001 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2001, was the 30th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona between the Oregon State Beavers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish .In the game, Oregon State quarterback Jonathan Smith threw for 305 yards...

(full band)

2002 Insight Bowl

Insight Bowl

The Insight Bowl is an NCAA college football bowl game played in Arizona since 1989. From 1989 to 1999, the games were played at Arizona Stadium in Tucson. The game moved to Phoenix in 2000 and was played at Chase Field until 2005. After the 2005 playing the Insight Bowl moved to Sun Devil Stadium...

(smaller element)

2003 Las Vegas Bowl

Las Vegas Bowl

The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas is an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually at 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. since 1992. From 1992 to 1996, matchups featured the champion teams from the Big West and Mid-American...

(smaller element)

2004 Insight Bowl

Insight Bowl

(smaller element)

2006 Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl

The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...

(full band)

2007 Emerald Bowl

Emerald Bowl

The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually at 40,800-seat AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, in San Francisco, California, since 2002...

(smaller element)

2008 Sun Bowl

Sun Bowl

(full band)

2009 Las Vegas Bowl

Las Vegas Bowl

(smaller element)

Current Uniforms

Orange and black jackets with white stripes and the "Beavers" logo in the center of a white shield on the front, white gauntlets, white gloves, black pants, and black shako with mirrors and black feathered plumes. The drum majors have an alternate version, substituting the jacket colors of orange and black with black and white, larger white plumes, and optional black gauntlets.

Past Uniforms

The previous set of uniforms consistent of orange and black jackets with silver sequins, as well as black gloves and gauntlets, black pants and shoes, black shako, and black and silver tasseled plumes.

Instrumentation

The instrumentation does not include percussion typically located in the "Front Ensemble" or "Pit" (Bells and other instruments on wheels) due to the band's emphasis on performing for the crowd, as opposed to the drum corps style utilized by most high schools and by a handful of university marching bands.

Piccolo
Clarinet
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Mellophone
Trumpet
Trombone
Baritone
Sousaphone
Drum Line

Featured Twirler

The current Feature Twirler is junior Kailey Taylor. This is her third year as Feature Twirler. She generally uses three batons for her performances. Under permitting conditions (such as at the Homecoming bonfire), she has also performed with batons lit on fire.

Timeline

1890 - Brass band organized in November; students had to procure their own instruments.
1901 - Self-sustaining Department of Music established.
1917 - "Carry Me Back," is written by W. Homer Maris.
1919 - "Carry Me Back," is adopted by OSU as the Alma Mater.

Notable Alumni

Founding members of The Crazy 8s
The Crazy 8's
The Crazy 8s, one of the more popular college bands to have emerged during the 1980s from the Pacific Northwest , made their way to the top of the charts...

, a popular college band in the 1980s known for its hit "Johnny Q."

External links

http://people.oregonstate.edu/studentgroups/kkpsi/

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