Western Mustang Band
| Western Mustang Band | |
|---|---|
 |
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| School | The University of Western Ontario |
| Location | London, Ontario Canada |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Director | Quinn Fleming |
| Members | 65 |
| Fight song | "Western" |
| Website | http://westernmustangs.ca/index.aspx?path=band |
The Western Mustang Band (WMB) is the marching band for the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. The band performs at every home football game for the Western Mustangs at TD Waterhouse Stadium in the fall term as well as other athletic events such as basketball and volleyball games throughout the year.
The band today comprises brass, percussion, and woodwind instruments played by students from every faculty on campus, and is led by a colour guard and drum major.
Other band activities include a variety of Santa Claus parades, orientation week activities, and social events for the University and the community at large.
Around the fall of 1923, a very small band was formed under the direction of Sidney Kingsmill. Kingsmill was very active on the Western campus and was in a number of musical organizations like the Glee Club and the Arts ’25 Orchestra. He was known at the time for being an arranger and composer, and before a Western rugby game, he gathered up a small band (known as the “University Band”) to join in the parades down to the stadium.
After a couple of accounts of the band in some Western Gazette articles from October 1923, the band stopped appearing in the newspaper and presumably football games as well. Kingsmill was a key part of the band and after his graduation, the band did not have enough support and resources to continue. It was not until 1926, which the band restarted under the direction of Bruce Wiley.
Known as the “Student Band”, this new band got started in the fall of 1926. The objectives were the same as the band Kingsmill once started; play music at the football games and promote school spirit. This band was far more organized and keen. The dean of medicine at the time, Paul McKibben played a key role in organizing this new band and with the help of Col. Brown and Col. Ross, the band got some funding through a grant, some practice space for drill, and much needed advice from the Arena Band, another marching band at this time.
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