Mighty Sound of the Southeast
| The University of South Carolina "Mighty Sound of the Southeast" Marching Band | |
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| School | University of South Carolina |
| Location | Columbia, South Carolina, United States |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Director | Dr. Cormac Cannon |
| Members | 391 (2016) |
| Fight song | "The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way" |
| Uniform | |
| [[File:White jacket with garnet and black trimmed in silver embroidery. The back of the uniform is a large garnet panel embroidered in silver with the official university logo. The uniform has two pant options, white or black, trimmed with a garnet stripe down the side. The shako is Garnet with white trim, the university logo in silver, and a white plume.|frameless|upright=1.25|center]] | |
| Website | www.carolinaband.org |
The University of South Carolina Marching Band — also called the "Mighty Sound of the Southeast" or more commonly known as the Carolina Band or the USC Marching Band, has entertained football fans at the University of South Carolina since 1921. This 375-member marching band performs at all South Carolina Gamecocks football games played at Williams-Brice Stadium and most football games outside of Columbia, South Carolina—including bowl games.
The University of South Carolina Marching Band entertains fans, serves the community in a variety of service and performance activities, and provides a musical education for thousands of Carolina students. The "Mighty Sound of the Southeast" is an integral part of a pre-game experience culminating in the playing of the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, as the Gamecocks run onto the field at the start of every game, which Sporting News once called "the most exciting pregame entry" in college football.
The Carolina Band began as a student-initiated organization in 1920, when the request to organize a band was granted by the Board of Trustees. The first band, with less than 20 students formed in September 1921 under the direction of a student (Mr. Martin).
Still under the direction of Olson, the band became an integral part of the life of the university life and began to increasingly take on the appearance and the sound of a marching band. Olson's band were of the first to wear uniforms in the school colors and he offered participating students instruments for use in the band. Band membership totaled around 50 members.
Additionally, as the United States was engaged in the second world war, many members were lost from the university and the band to active duty requirements for World War II. In 1941, the formerly all-male band changed its policies to allow females into its members. The first female members only served as majorettes. Later, female members assumed positions as marching members of the band.
After World War II, the band began to develop more as a "show" band, with more elaborate pre-game and half-time shows. There were four different directors between 1946 and 1959.
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Wikipedia