The Ohio State University Athletic Band
| The Ohio State University Athletic Band | |
|---|---|
| School | The Ohio State University |
| Location | Columbus, Ohio |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Founded | 1929 (Regimental Bands), 1947 (Activities Band), 1994 (Athletic Band), 1996 (Fall Quarter Athletic Band) |
| Director | Dr. Christopher Hoch |
| Assistant director | Mike Smith, Matt King (Graduate Assistant), Sean DeLong (Graduate Assistant) |
| Members | ~220 (varies by semester) |
| Fight song | "Across the Field, Buckeye Battle Cry" |
| Website | http://tbdbitl.osu.edu/athletic-band |
The Ohio State University Athletic Band is a non-audition band for any student, faculty, or staff of The Ohio State University with prior instrumental experience. Many students who perform in the Athletic Band also perform in The Ohio State University Marching Band. Each Athletic Band features full contemporary concert band instrumentation, including woodwinds. It performs throughout the year at various athletic and goodwill functions across campus. Members of the Athletic Band receive course credit for their band participation.
Military training was an important part of the early curriculum at Ohio State, and a band was formed to provide music for the cadets to drill to. The first appearance of a marching band was in 1878, as a 12 piece fife and drum corps. The first marching band in 1878 was sponsored by the Military Department at OSU, and continued to perform for military functions until 1881, when a missing mouthpiece incident led to the student director's expulsion from the university, and the Military Department refusing to sponsor a program. Various student-led bands with no university faculty were formed and performed through 1896. In 1896, the Military Department decided to once again sponsor a band, hiring Gustav Bruder as their director. Under Bruder, and later Eugene J. Weigel, the band grew in size to a block of 64, and later 100 bandsmen. They also began playing and marching for most military and athletic events.
By 1929, the Marching Band, which Weigel limited to an even 100 musicians, was composed mostly of upperclass ROTC cadets. This caused many of the freshman and sophomore students to be unable to march. Weigel, in his desire to create a more well-rounded music program at the university, created two Regimental Bands to compliment the Marching Band. These bands, known as the Infantry Regimental Band and the Artillery Regimental Band, helped to train new students in the marching style of the Marching Band. These bands met primarily in the Winter and Spring Quarters, and were often complimented by the upperclass members of the Marching Band, looking to continue to improve their marching and musicianship. In 1934, Weigel removed all woodwind instruments from the marching band (flutes, clarinets, saxophones, etc.) The only exception to this was during World War II. From 1943-1945, director William McBride allowed woodwinds, vocalists, young, old, and even citizens of the campus community to wear the uniform and perform at home football games. The Regimental Bands continued to compliment the Marching Band throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1952, the ROTC department, by directive of the Department of Defense, had to sever ties with the Marching Band program. This allowed the general membership of The Ohio State University to try out and become members of the Marching Band. The Regimental Bands, which were combined into one Military Band, continued to perform during the Winter and Spring, and were conducted by the Band Staff of the Marching Band. Under director Charles Spohn, the Military Band became an ensemble that was highly respected. In 1970, the Military Band recorded the album Adjutant's Call. The Military Band was eventually merged with the Buckeye Scarlet and Gray bands.
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