Southern Methodist University Mustang Band
Encyclopedia
The Southern Methodist University Mustang Band, known as the "Best Dressed Band in the Land" because of its 32 unique uniforms, is the marching band
of Southern Methodist University
. Long known as “the Hub of SMU spirit,” the 80 member band represents the University at football
and basketball
games, produces the Pigskin Revue during Homecoming
, and performs at special University- and community-related events. Founded in 1917, the Mustang Band is currently under the direction of Don Hopkins and assistant director and music arranger Tommy Tucker.
The SMU Mustang Band introduced jazz
into its marching band
performances in the late 20's and continues this tradition. The band also incorporates other popular music styles, all arranged with the hallmark swing style of the Mustang Band. The SMU Mustang Band features a high-stepping, quick marching style and loud, brassy musical arrangements. The instrumentation of the band is all brass
, saxophones, piccolo
, and marching percussion
.
on the football field
. It played the Vaudeville
circuit and had its own weekly radio program in Dallas, Texas
.
The SMU band became known as the Mustang Band in the 1950s. When Dr. Irving Dreibrodt became director in 1958, the band became independent from the SMU School of Music. Dr. Dreibrodt's 25-year tenure as director led to the creation of many of the band's traditions and songs that continue today.
at SMU
. Don has always been a head band director, teaching at various Texas
high schools before returning to SMU
in 2005 as the band's 14th director.
Tommy Tucker is the Assistant Director of the SMU Mustang Band and the primary music arranger. He obtained his degree from SMU
in 1984 and previously served as the Mustang Band Assistant Director from 1984-1988. He has also been the musical producer/arranger for Pigskin Revue since 1981 and has been arranging music for various bands since 1971.
Jon Lee has been the drumline
instructor and percussion arranger for the SMU Mustang Band since 1995. Jon also is the Assistant Conductor of the SMU Meadows Percussion Ensemble and teaches Percussion Techniques in the SMU Meadows School of the Arts.
Rae Jones is the Band's part-time Administrative Assistant. She handles most of the paperwork required to maintain proper records and supervises the work-study
staff.
and Big Band
eras of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. Most commonly referred to as ‘Mustang Jazz,’ it is the presentation of American jazz
and popular music employing the following elements:
. It has 32 different uniforms made up of varying combinations of pants, shirts, coats, and ties. Band members wear one uniform for the pregame performance and change to another just before halftime at all SMU football games where the band plays. The uniform style reinforces the music style of a jazz band
.
In the 1951 Cotton Bowl Classic between the University of Texas and the University of Tennessee
, Irving Dreibrodt was directing the high school band portion of the halftime show. After seeing the Tennessee band
change into tuxedos for halftime to perform the Tennessee Waltz, Dr. Dreibrodt decided that if he ever had a college band, he wanted to make it the best-dressed band in the land by using different uniforms. He explained why in a 2005 interview: "‘Cause in my opinion, if you please the eye, it’s a little easier to please the ear. So we went after pleasing the eye first."
The current uniform parts include the following:
Script Ohio and wanted to create a trademark formation for the SMU band. With only 40 band members his first year, the band could not spell out "SMU" so he created a single-line "M" formation with the sides bent out in a double diamond shape to add some style. The Diamond M remains the trademark symbol of the SMU Mustang Band.
The marching band forms the Diamond M formation to the song Pony Battle Cry. The band typically comes off the field from this formation. The letter is sometimes flipped by inverting the two short lines in the center.
game dates back to at least 1960 when the band went to Ohio State
and played a forty-five minute jazz
concert after the game. The Mustang Band always concludes with the SMU Alma Mater, Varsity.
, including the almost-forgotten first-year beanie
. At one time, all entering first-year students at SMU
wore green beanie
s. The university abandoned the beanie
tradition sometime in the late 1950s, leaving football
players and band members as the only people wearing them on campus.
Today "the privilege of the beanie" is afforded only to members of the Mustang Band. As a sign of their commitment to school spirit, the band members wear their beanies during rehearsals, the fourth quarter of SMU football games, and the last five minutes of every SMU basketball
game.
s make a buzzing sound to alert the wayward band members to get back to their seats. That buzz—a flutter tongue
on a concert F—was incorporated into the start of Peruna
, the official SMU fight song
.
show where people showcased their talents. The Revue quickly grew to be an important part of SMU Homecoming
celebrations.
The revue is prepared and performed throughout the week of Homecoming
. The acts feature fraternities, sororities, students, and alumni. Past Pigskin Revues have also featured celebrity performers, including Bob Hope
and Jerry Jeff Walker
.
fight song and pony mascot are named Peruna
after a potent “medicine” marketed since the early 1890s that had a high alcohol content. The fight song
is to the melody of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” and the SMU Mustang Band has arranged multiple versions, including traditional, Dixieland, rock & roll, pop, and country-western Peruna
.
At the end of every halftime performance the band forms its unique Diamond M formation to the tune of Pony Battle Cry, a school fight song
introduced in 1964. The band ends the performance with the loud fanfare known as the Waring Ending and then quickly marches off-field to Peruna
.
, as well as several colleges in the Dallas area that do not have a marching band. They usually join during their first year at SMU
, but many join their Sophomore, Junior, or even Senior years. Typically, band members have played an instrument in high school or were in band in high school, but not always. Anyone is welcome to audition for the band. Scholarships are awarded based on ability.
The SMU Mustang Band was an all-male ensemble for much of its first 60 years. Historically, the only women in the band were featured twirlers. When band director Frank Malone left in 1943 to form a US Army Air Corps
band, he took 16 key band members with him. There weren't enough males left, so the band admitted women. By 1956 someone complained that women in the band were wearing trousers due to the uniform, and because SMU
had a dress code prohibiting women from wearing slacks or trousers, the University decided to return the band to an all-male organization. Under pressure to provide equal opportunities for women, the Mustang Band readmitted women to the band permanently in 1977.
whose efforts assist with scholarships, uniforms, instrumentation, and the travel needs of the Mustang Band.
The Alumni Band is an SMU Mustang Band support organization, assembled from former band members. Before SMU home football games, the band plays regular Mustang Band tunes up and down the Boulevard that runs through the center of campus where crowds gather for pre-game tailgate parties
. It also marches on the field at Homecoming
football
games, plays at SMU basketball
games during the winter break, and performs at public and private events when contributions are made to the Mustang 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 Southern Methodist University
Southern 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...
. Long known as “the Hub of SMU spirit,” the 80 member band represents the University at 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...
and 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, produces the Pigskin Revue during Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
, and performs at special University- and community-related events. Founded in 1917, the Mustang Band is currently under the direction of Don Hopkins and assistant director and music arranger Tommy Tucker.
The SMU Mustang Band introduced jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
into its 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...
performances in the late 20's and continues this tradition. The band also incorporates other popular music styles, all arranged with the hallmark swing style of the Mustang Band. The SMU Mustang Band features a high-stepping, quick marching style and loud, brassy musical arrangements. The instrumentation of the band is all brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
, saxophones, piccolo
Piccolo
The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
, and marching percussion
Marching percussion
Marching percussion instruments are specially designed to be played while moving. This is achieved by attaching the drum to a special harness worn by the drummer. The drums are designed and tuned for maximum articulation and projection of sound, as marching activities are almost always outdoors or...
.
History
In the 1920’s the SMU Mustang Band was the first college band to play jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
on the football field
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...
. It played the Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
circuit and had its own weekly radio program in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
The SMU band became known as the Mustang Band in the 1950s. When Dr. Irving Dreibrodt became director in 1958, the band became independent from the SMU School of Music. Dr. Dreibrodt's 25-year tenure as director led to the creation of many of the band's traditions and songs that continue today.
- Hired to produce a band that people would watch at halftime, he jettisoned all non-brass wind instruments except 22 saxophones.
- He quickly introduced the concept of changing uniforms several times during a footballAmerican footballAmerican 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...
game, and beginning in the fall of 1959 a writer for The Campus newspaper coined the name “The Best-Dressed Band in the Land.” - In 1961 the band for the first time fielded 96 members along with its featured twirler, leading to another popular nickname of “96 Guys and a Doll.”
Leadership
Don Hopkins is Director of the SMU Mustang Band. He was a member of the Mustang Band in 1977-82, completing his Bachelor of MusicBachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
at SMU
Southern 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...
. Don has always been a head band director, teaching at various Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
high schools before returning to SMU
Southern 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...
in 2005 as the band's 14th director.
Tommy Tucker is the Assistant Director of the SMU Mustang Band and the primary music arranger. He obtained his degree from SMU
Southern 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...
in 1984 and previously served as the Mustang Band Assistant Director from 1984-1988. He has also been the musical producer/arranger for Pigskin Revue since 1981 and has been arranging music for various bands since 1971.
Jon Lee has been the drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...
instructor and percussion arranger for the SMU Mustang Band since 1995. Jon also is the Assistant Conductor of the SMU Meadows Percussion Ensemble and teaches Percussion Techniques in the SMU Meadows School of the Arts.
Rae Jones is the Band's part-time Administrative Assistant. She handles most of the paperwork required to maintain proper records and supervises the work-study
Cooperative education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for structured job experience...
staff.
Musical Style
The SMU Mustang Band's music is based primarily in the DixielandDixieland
Dixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
and Big Band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
eras of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. Most commonly referred to as ‘Mustang Jazz,’ it is the presentation of American jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and popular music employing the following elements:
- Reinforced trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
lead. - Full blocked, well-reinforced, Big BandBig bandA big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
style arrangements. Instead of just writing three note chords (root, third, and fifth), nearly every chord is fattened-up with either the 6th or the 7th added, depending on how the chord is used. - Scores utilize original/elaborate jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
rhythmic figures, which is more challenging than the simplified patterns that marching bandMarching bandMarching 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...
s often use to ensure a clean sound on the football fieldAmerican footballAmerican 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...
. - PercussionistsPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
seek to emulate a trap set. - Solos and solis are used liberally.
- When performed outside, it will be easily heard by all.
Uniforms
The SMU Mustang Band earned its reputation as "The Best-Dressed Band in the Land" because of its multiple uniforms with a style that mimics a swing band more than a typical marching bandMarching 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...
. It has 32 different uniforms made up of varying combinations of pants, shirts, coats, and ties. Band members wear one uniform for the pregame performance and change to another just before halftime at all SMU football games where the band plays. The uniform style reinforces the music style of a jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
.
In the 1951 Cotton Bowl Classic between the University of Texas and the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, Irving Dreibrodt was directing the high school band portion of the halftime show. After seeing the Tennessee band
Pride of the Southland Band
The Pride of the Southland Band is the official name of the University of Tennessee's marching band.-History:The Pride of the Southland Marching Band has been performing at halftime for more than one hundred years, but has existed since 1869 when it was founded as part of the Military Department....
change into tuxedos for halftime to perform the Tennessee Waltz, Dr. Dreibrodt decided that if he ever had a college band, he wanted to make it the best-dressed band in the land by using different uniforms. He explained why in a 2005 interview: "‘Cause in my opinion, if you please the eye, it’s a little easier to please the ear. So we went after pleasing the eye first."
The current uniform parts include the following:
- Red and blue sport jackets
- Red and blue vests
- Navy blue, white, and khaki slacks
- Primarily blue long tie and primarily red long tie
- White and light blue shirts
- Flannel nightgowns and caps (for late night public appearances)
Diamond M
The Diamond M is the signature formation of the SMU Mustang Band. The band had been forming a large block "M" until Dr. Dreibrodt arrived in 1958. He was impressed by the unique tradition of Ohio State'sThe Ohio State University Marching Band
The Ohio State University Marching Band performs at Ohio State football games and other events during the fall quarter...
Script Ohio and wanted to create a trademark formation for the SMU band. With only 40 band members his first year, the band could not spell out "SMU" so he created a single-line "M" formation with the sides bent out in a double diamond shape to add some style. The Diamond M remains the trademark symbol of the SMU Mustang Band.
The marching band forms the Diamond M formation to the song Pony Battle Cry. The band typically comes off the field from this formation. The letter is sometimes flipped by inverting the two short lines in the center.
Post-Game Concert
The tradition of playing a concert from the stands at the end of a footballAmerican 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...
game dates back to at least 1960 when the band went to Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
and played a forty-five minute jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
concert after the game. The Mustang Band always concludes with the SMU Alma Mater, Varsity.
Beanies
The SMU Mustang Band carries many of the traditions of SMUSouthern 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...
, including the almost-forgotten first-year beanie
Beanie
A beanie is a head-hugging brimless cap with or without a visor that was once popular among school boys.-Description:In the United States of America, beanies are made by triangular sections of cloth joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides.They can also be made from...
. At one time, all entering first-year students at SMU
Southern 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...
wore green beanie
Beanie
A beanie is a head-hugging brimless cap with or without a visor that was once popular among school boys.-Description:In the United States of America, beanies are made by triangular sections of cloth joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides.They can also be made from...
s. The university abandoned the beanie
Beanie
A beanie is a head-hugging brimless cap with or without a visor that was once popular among school boys.-Description:In the United States of America, beanies are made by triangular sections of cloth joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides.They can also be made from...
tradition sometime in the late 1950s, leaving 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...
players and band members as the only people wearing them on campus.
Today "the privilege of the beanie" is afforded only to members of the Mustang Band. As a sign of their commitment to school spirit, the band members wear their beanies during rehearsals, the fourth quarter of SMU football games, and the last five minutes of every SMU 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...
game.
Buzz 'em Up
In its early years, the all-male band would drift off to visit with the co-eds during the game. Cy Barcus, Mustang Band director from 1924–32, came up with the idea of having the remaining trumpetTrumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s make a buzzing sound to alert the wayward band members to get back to their seats. That buzz—a flutter tongue
Flutter-tonguing
Flutter-tonguing is a wind instrument tonguing technique in which performers flutter their tongue to make a characteristic "FrrrrFrrrrr" sound. The effect is similar to the growls used by jazz musicians.- Notation :...
on a concert F—was incorporated into the start of Peruna
Peruna
Peruna is the official mascot of the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The name "Peruna" is given to each successive live mascot. A black shetland pony, Peruna has been present at every SMU home football game for over 70 years....
, the official SMU fight song
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
.
Pigskin Revue
Pigskin Revue is a musical performance which features the SMU Mustang Band playing several songs along with singing, dancing, comedy, and other talented acts from SMU faculty, staff, and students. Started in 1933, the Pigskin Revue was created as an old VaudevilleVaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
show where people showcased their talents. The Revue quickly grew to be an important part of SMU Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
celebrations.
The revue is prepared and performed throughout the week of Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
. The acts feature fraternities, sororities, students, and alumni. Past Pigskin Revues have also featured celebrity performers, including Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
and Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
.
Traditional Songs
SMU'sSouthern 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...
fight song and pony mascot are named Peruna
Peruna
Peruna is the official mascot of the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The name "Peruna" is given to each successive live mascot. A black shetland pony, Peruna has been present at every SMU home football game for over 70 years....
after a potent “medicine” marketed since the early 1890s that had a high alcohol content. The fight song
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
is to the melody of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” and the SMU Mustang Band has arranged multiple versions, including traditional, Dixieland, rock & roll, pop, and country-western Peruna
Peruna
Peruna is the official mascot of the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The name "Peruna" is given to each successive live mascot. A black shetland pony, Peruna has been present at every SMU home football game for over 70 years....
.
At the end of every halftime performance the band forms its unique Diamond M formation to the tune of Pony Battle Cry, a school fight song
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
introduced in 1964. The band ends the performance with the loud fanfare known as the Waring Ending and then quickly marches off-field to Peruna
Peruna
Peruna is the official mascot of the Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The name "Peruna" is given to each successive live mascot. A black shetland pony, Peruna has been present at every SMU home football game for over 70 years....
.
Membership
Band members come from the business, engineering, fine arts, and liberal arts colleges within SMUSouthern 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...
, as well as several colleges in the Dallas area that do not have a marching band. They usually join during their first year at SMU
Southern 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...
, but many join their Sophomore, Junior, or even Senior years. Typically, band members have played an instrument in high school or were in band in high school, but not always. Anyone is welcome to audition for the band. Scholarships are awarded based on ability.
The SMU Mustang Band was an all-male ensemble for much of its first 60 years. Historically, the only women in the band were featured twirlers. When band director Frank Malone left in 1943 to form a US Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
band, he took 16 key band members with him. There weren't enough males left, so the band admitted women. By 1956 someone complained that women in the band were wearing trousers due to the uniform, and because SMU
Southern 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...
had a dress code prohibiting women from wearing slacks or trousers, the University decided to return the band to an all-male organization. Under pressure to provide equal opportunities for women, the Mustang Band readmitted women to the band permanently in 1977.
Alumni Organizations
SMU Mustang Band alumni and supporters of the band are welcome to join the Diamond M Club, the band's alumni association. The Diamond M Club is an official fund-raising organization recognized by 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...
whose efforts assist with scholarships, uniforms, instrumentation, and the travel needs of the Mustang Band.
The Alumni Band is an SMU Mustang Band support organization, assembled from former band members. Before SMU home football games, the band plays regular Mustang Band tunes up and down the Boulevard that runs through the center of campus where crowds gather for pre-game tailgate parties
Tailgate party
In the United States, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and...
. It also marches on the field at Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
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, plays at SMU 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 during the winter break, and performs at public and private events when contributions are made to the Mustang Band.
- The mission of the SMU Mustang Alumni Band is to actively and visibly support the SMU Mustang Band, preserve its musical history and traditions, and provide performance opportunities for all Mustang Band alumni.