The Pride of Mid-America Marching Band
| The "Pride of Mid-America" | |
|---|---|
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| School | Ball State University |
| Location | Muncie, Indiana, USA |
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Founded | 1930 |
| Director | Dr. Caroline Hand |
| Members | 177 (2015) |
| Uniform | Red jackets with silver buttons, B/Cardinal logo on the front, Cardinal on the back, white shakos and white plumes, black pants |
| Website | www.ballstatebands.com |
The "Pride of Mid-America" is the name of the Ball State University marching band. Consisting of nearly 200 members, it is the largest student organization at Ball State.
The band was first organized in 1926 by Claude E. Palmer, who at that time was the head of the Music Department at the former Ball State Teachers College. In 1945, Robert Hargreaves became the new Director of the Bands, working with Robert Holmes as Associate Director of Bands. The next year, Hargreaves selected Robert Hamilton as the new director.
In 1950, Herbert Fred was designated Director of Bands. Under his direction, the Ball State Marching Band was one of the first bands in the country to perform drill on the field. In addition, the band began accepting women into the organization, which previously had been only accessible to men.
In the late 50's, Hargreaves appointed Earl Dunn as the new Director of Bands. During the 60's, the band membership grew from 66 to 190, receiving national recognition for its outstanding performances. The marching band even participated in the Inaugural Parade for Lyndon B. Johnson on January 20, 1965.
The band also performed for presidents Richard Nixon and George H. W. Bush.
By the mid-60's, the band had established a reputation of playing Big Band arrangements for the halftime shows. "The Pride" also appeared in the 1965 and 1967 Grantland Rice Bowl games; in televised performances of the Chicago Bears(1966-8); and in the 1967 NFL Championship Game of the Western Conference. By the end of the 70's, the band had 250 players, and was still growing in both membership and prestige.
In 1984, Joseph Scagnoli became the new director of the Ball State Marching Band. Growing to 300 members, it was the first band in Indiana to perform curvilinear drills on the field. In 1989, the band traveled to Fresno, California for the California Raisin Bowl, and to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993 and 1995 to perform in the Las Vegas Bowl."The Pride" also played for the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Indianapolis Colts.
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Wikipedia