The Cornell Big Red Marching Band is the only corps style
marching band (as opposed to a
scatter band) in the
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
. It performs at all home, and most away,
Cornell Big Red football games. In addition, the band has performed at halftime for numerous
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
and
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
games, and began a tradition of an annual Spring Concert in 2006. Since 1972, the band has held a bi-annual march in New York City which takes place on dates when the
Cornell football team travels to
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
,
known as the Sy Katz '31 Parade.
History
The band was first formed in the 1890s as a part of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program.
The band remained under ROTC jurisdiction until 1948, at which time the band became affiliated with the Cornell Concert Band and the Cornell Repertory Band under the name Cornell Bands. After the BRMB left its military roots, it continued to evolve. Instrumental figures in overseeing these changes included William Campbell, the Director of Bands from 1947 to 1965, and Henry Romersa, assistant director and Drillmaster. Also crucial in these "silver age" bands was Nick Krukovsky '65, who for many years was the band's official cameraman/movie editor.
These changes would significantly alter the face of the band almost as much as its split from ROTC. With the admittance of women beginning in 1970, the BRMB became an increasingly social organization.
In previous years, the band aspired to be a Big Ten type marching band. However, during the early 1970s the band revolted against the strict disciplinary style of conventional marching bands and almost succumbed to campus pressure to become a scatter band like the other Ivy League bands. In 1971, the marching band became quite similar to the scatter bands in appearance, with the drum major wearing either a blazer or a dinner jacket. However, the band eventually returned to its traditional roots, and in 1978, the traditional drum major uniform returned for good. Rather than the high-stepping Big Ten style of marching, the band now uses a modern "corps-style" marching technique (similar to
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
marching bands) during performances.
The Band continued its tradition of entertaining shows and musical excellence. In 1971, the Band welcomed the talents of new Assistant Director Greg Pearson. He had a definite vision for the band's musicality, from his arrangement of pre-game and halftime shows, to his decision to switch the band to the crescent (home team) side of
Schoellkopf Field. While this moved the band away from the student section, it allowed the band to sound better with the concrete background and height offered by the crescent.
Alumni Association founded
In 1982 the Big Red Bands Alumni Association was established. The BRBAA was founded as a way to maintain the financial and long-term security of the Band. Since then, the BRBAA has become one of the most active alumni groups at Cornell. During this time, band advisor Georgian Leonard spearheaded the first annual phonathon.
With the retirement of Professor Stith, Scott Jeneary came aboard as Big Red Band Music Director in 1989, and the position was later restructured and renamed Music Advisor. David Conn served as music advisor from the late 90s through 2004, succeeded by James Miller through 2006 and then Erin Otto. The position of music advisor is now typically occupied by a graduate student from Ithaca College. The band claims to be the largest student-run group in the Ivy League. Students handle nearly all responsibilities handled by directors with other marching bands, including managing budgets and charting drills.
Fischell Band Center

For over a century, the Big Red Band was housed in a cramped room in
Barton Hall.
In 2013 the Fischell Band Center, a purpose-built home for the band, was completed adjacent to
Schoellkopf Crescent on Kite Hill.
The building is a three-story glass structure with slanted walls and ceilings for superior acoustics.
It also includes display cases for memorabilia, photos, and uniforms.
Uniforms
Prior to 1927, band uniforms consisted of "not quite white" hats, "not quite white" sweaters and "not quite white" duck trousers.
New uniforms in bright red, with white belts and black and gold helmets were ordered that year by ROTC commandant Col.
Joseph Beacham '97, at a cost of $2,500.
A formal ball in Barton Hall was held to raise money for the new uniforms.
Prior to 2021, the uniform consisted of black pants with red vertical stripe, red coat with "Cornell" emblazoned on the front, black shoes, black gloves, white
combination cap
A peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It d ...
with a red "C".
The band debuted an all-new uniform design in September 2021 at the Homecoming game against
VMI. The new uniform kept the black pants and red coat, and incorporates a black-and-white left sleeve with the word CORNELL in red. The new uniform also features the university seal on the upper right chest area.
Traditions
Aardvark
As originally performed, the aardvark was executed upright with the hands wiggling next to the ears. It has since evolved into a display during which the , suspended from a railing, ladder, or other fixed object, warbles a series of shrill, upper register pitches as he bends his spine backward and shakes his arms wildly. No one is certain why this traditional exhibition was named after the burrowing, insectivorous mammal native to South Africa.
Post Game Concert
In 1947, as a result of an unfortunate incident which occurred during a gridiron encounter, the marching band started the tradition of a post game concert. In this particular game, a top-notch sophomore quarterback named Pete Dorset completed an amazing ten out of ten passes to lead Cornell to an upset 28–21 victory over Princeton at Palmer Stadium.
After the game, the jubilant members of the Big Red Band commenced to file out with the crowd as usual, but were beset by hecklers. Soon the band found itself involved in a small-scale riot. One Tigertown student snatched a trumpet; another attempted to wrest a tuba from its owner. Things quieted down quickly and the incident was soon forgotten. The next time the Big Red Band appeared at Princeton, it remained for an impromptu concert until the main body of spectators had filed out. The concert proved such a success that it was made a regular part of the band's schedule.
Victory Hats
At the end of each winning football game, band members turn each other's hats around 180 degrees. They remain backwards until removed at the end of the performing day.
Alumni Band
Each Homecoming weekend, Big Red Band alumni return to Ithaca, brush the cobwebs from their instruments, and join the Big Red Alumni Band. The first Alumni Band in 1982 was the brainchild of Drum Major Dwight Vicks III and Head Manager Bob Geise. The band grows in size each year as bandsmen from seven decades renew old friendships and find common bonds with fellow bandies from other eras.
Trumpet Push-ups, Flute-ups, and Sax-ups
After the Cornell Big Red scores in football, the trumpet section demonstrates their appreciation by doing pushups for each point scored by the team. In addition, the flute section also joins in with a series of "flute ups"; the section tosses a member of their section into the air for each point scored. Recently, the saxophone section has begun a similar tradition by lifting their saxes in the air while counting the points scored.
Trombones
The bones (trombone and baritone players) have a number of longstanding traditions to show their Big Red spirit and enthusiasm. The oldest of the section traditions, after the Big Red Band's final home halftime show of the season, the bones strip down into Hawaiian/loud shirts, shorts, and bare feet run around the track circling the football field and play the theme song to "Hawaii 5-O" as fast as possible. The bones also play holiday carols in mid-December, serenading students across campus.
Sy Katz '31 Parade

The Sy Katz '31 Parade is a biennial march in New York City which takes place on dates when the
Cornell football team travels to Columbia.
After the game, the Marching Band leads Cornell alumni, family, and friends down a short stretch of Fifth Avenue, ending with a concert in front of the
Cornell Club of New York at 6 East 44th Street.
The tradition was started in 1972 by Seymour "Sy" Katz '31 and was the length of one city block.
The 2016 parade was headed by Provost
Michael Kotlikoff as grand marshal.
The 2018 parade, led by Cornell president
Martha E. Pollack, marched from Rockefeller Center to the Cornell Club, attended by some 1,000 Cornell alumni, family members and friends. After a COVID-induced hiatus, the Big Red Band returned to the Big Apple for the parade on November 19, 2022, with honorary grand marshals Bill Welker '73 and Brian Adelman '09.
Pep Band
The Cornell Big Red Pep Band is
Cornell University
Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
's student-run
pep band that performs primarily at Cornell Men's
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
, with frequent appearances at Women's ice hockey, Men's and Women's lacrosse and basketball, and occasional appearances at a diverse array of other events, such as wrestling, soccer, field hockey, building dedications, and other university events. Until 1986, the band was a subsidiary of the Cornell Big Red Marching Band, with the Marching Band's
Drum Major serving as one of the two conductors, and the Pep Band's Head Manager was simply an elected member of the Marching Band's board. However, in November 1985, the Big Red Bands voted to make the Big Red Pep Band a separate organization in order for it to secure its own funding, have more independent direction, and cater to members who were not necessarily part of the Marching Band. However, there is still much overlap between the two organizations, with a majority of Pep Band members also being involved with the Marching Band, and the elected Pep Band Head Manager serving on the Marching Band's Board.
Beginning in the late nineties, the Pep Band began branching out from playing primarily for hockey games to play at the majority of home men's lacrosse games, numerous basketball games, along with other assorted events. Despite this, the band remains dedicated to hockey, appearing at all home games and a majority of away games.
Rehearsals and Performances
The band performs at sporting events most weekends, with many weekends in the Spring semester containing two or more events in a single day. If the band is scheduled to perform at two conflicting times, the pep band manager splits the group based upon instrumentation and priority points. Those attending less popular events (e.g. Women's basketball) are rewarded with more priority points than more popular ones (e.g. Men's Ice Hockey.) This gives new members of the band a chance to accumulate priority points quickly and helps assure good instrumentation at less popular events.
Board and Conductors
Every December, the Pep Band meets and elects the board for the next calendar year. The positions are:
*Manager: responsible for all the logistics for the band, including arranging for accommodations, travel, and tickets for away games, and generally being the band's public representative
*Treasurer: responsible for keeping records of band expenditures and formulating budgeting requests in association with the Big Red Bands Alumni Association (BRBAA) and the
*Librarian: makes sure copies of music are distributed to all members
*Secretary: publicizes Pep Band events and keeps minutes of all board meetings
*Historian: takes pictures and otherwise records or maintains information about the band for posterity
*Equipment Chair: works alongside the Big Red Marching Band equipment chair to maintain or order instruments for the band
In addition, 2 student conductors are elected at the end of each semester to serve for the next semester.
Instrumentation
The Pep Band is allocated 51 tickets for home hockey games, and travels with 25 to 41 members to away games. Typical instrumentation for a home hockey game might be as follows :
*12 Trumpets
*10 Trombones and Baritones
*8 Saxophones
*6 Flutes
*4 Clarinets
*2
Mellophones
*5 Percussionists
*3 Tubas
*1 Conductor
However, instrumentation varies depending on availability of members and how many priority points members have accumulated by attending past performances and rehearsals. The Big Red Pep Band has been called one of the best pep bands in college hockey.
Music
The Pep Band has a large and diverse repertoire, much of which consists of custom arrangements done by members of the band. This allows the band to go multiple events before it is necessary to repeat songs, and have enough shorter pieces to perform during stoppages in play to last even triple overtime games without repeating.
The actual pieces are widely varied, from traditional
Cornell songs such as "
Give my Regards to Davy"(the official
fight song
A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand, these songs are called the team anthem, team song, or games song. First associated ...
), the Alma Mater "
Far Above Cayuga's Waters", and "My Old Cornell", to more modern pieces, such as
The Who's "
Pinball Wizard", "Everybody's Everything", "
Rock & Roll part 2", "España", "
Paradise City", and "
Gonna Fly Now".
The band also typically greets the
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
Men's Hockey Team (see
Cornell-Harvard hockey rivalry) with ''
the theme from 'Love Story''',
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
and
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
with "
The Victors,"
Colorado College
Colorado College is a private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory, the college offers over 40 majors a ...
with "
DU, Rah!,"
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
with "The
Notre Dame Victory March,"
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
with "
Anchors Aweigh",
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...
with "
Baby Elephant Walk" and
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...
with "
On, Wisconsin!
"On, Wisconsin!" is the fight song of the Wisconsin Badgers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A version with modified lyrics is the official state song of Wisconsin.
"On, Wisconsin!" was also the cry that Arthur MacArthur Jr. used in the B ...
."
References
External links
Cornell University Big Red Marching BandBig Red Marching Band Historian YouTube ChannelBig Red Bone Alumni AssociationCornell University Big Red Pep Band
Sections
Big Red Color GuardBig Red SaxesBig Red ClarinetsBig Red TrumpetsBig Red FlutesBig Red TubasBig Red HornsBig Red Percussion
{{Ivy League Marching Bands
Cornell Big Red
College marching bands in the United States
Musical groups established in the 1890s
1890s establishments in New York (state)