Marching Band Home

For more details about The Ohio State University Marching Band please visit the links below. They inlcude information on tryouts, the band's current and past history, and much more. Also included below is a brief overview of the OSUMB throughout the years.

• HistoryLearn about the great tradition of the OSUMB.
• Register for Tryouts Sign up to participate in tryouts for the marching band.
• Current RosterView the current members of the OSUMB.
• Alumni Learn about the strong relationship of past members to each other and the current band.

The Ohio State University Marching Band is one of the few all-brass and percussion university marching bands in the country and one of the largest of its type in the world. Despite this, The Ohio State University Marching Band had humble beginnings as the first instrumental musical organization on campus was a 12-piece fife and drum corps organized in 1878 and a 16-piece band first performed for the commencement of 1879.

In 1896, Gustav Bruder, a professional musician with military band experience, was hired to lead the band. Under Bruder, the band grew in size and began playing and marching for all military and athletic events. In 1920, a 100-piece band, formed from the combination of the Marching Band and the Varsity Band, marched under the leadership of Edwin "Tubby" Essington, the first strutting drum major.

Many marching band innovations were first tried and developed at Ohio State. Among them are: floating and animated formations, measured step marching, script writing, and the fast cadence with a high knee lift. Brass instruments especially designed for marching bands were also first used at Ohio State.

The school fight songs - "Buckeye Battle Cry" and "Across The Field" - were first performed in the early 1900's. Others such as "Hang On Sloopy" have become modern traditions. The trademark of the Ohio State University Marching Band, the "Script Ohio," is considered by many to be the most memorable tradition in college band history.

The Ohio State University Marching Band has gained, and continues to enjoy, national and international acclaim, having been honored with the Sudler Trophy as the outstanding college band in the country. In the fall of 1988, USA Today saluted the band with a feature multi-page article highlighting the band's many fine traditions and continued innovation. It is this rich tradition upon which the band has established what many experts agree is its trend-setting foothold in the modern marching band arena.