The William & Mary Pep Band is the scramble band of the College of William and Mary. It is a student-run ensemble [1] that performs at home football games in the fall sports season and basketball games in the winter sports season. Membership is open to anyone currently enrolled at the college.
The early history of the William and Mary Marching Band is generally unknown. In 1922 Cyrus Clemons Briggs organized the first band at the College of William and Mary. Throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, there were various efforts to organize a marching band, each of which lasted for a few years at the most, and then collapsed. It wasn't until the early 1950s, with the coming of Charles R. Varner, that a marching band at William and Mary came to be.
Mr. Varner came to the College in the fall of 1953, [2] as the new director of bands, and immediately started a reorganization of the way that the marching band was conceived. Now that it had a stable leader, the band began to flourish. In the '50s, '60s, and '70s, the Summer Band program, staffed by members of the William and Mary Marching band, provided an opportunity for high school students to get better with their instruments and better at marching.
However, when Chuck Varner left the College, the marching band began to hit troubled times. Diagnosed with cancer in the early 1980s, Varner was forced to retire after 33 years of service. [2] A scholarship in his name was established by the Alumni Band Organization at William and Mary in 1989 and is awarded to an outstanding band student from any band ensembles. [3] Varner eventually died in January 2002, after suffering from Alzheimer's. [2]
After Varner retired, the Marching Band was re-created as a free-form "explosion style" band. This proved to be unsatisfactory to the College administration, who hired a new director of bands, Laura Rexroth. In addition to conducting the College's Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble, Rexroth was instructed to start up a traditional marching band once more. Membership rose from 17 the first year to 50 in the following years. Rexroth was able to acquire College support to purchase new marching percussion instruments in 1990, and new marching band uniforms for the 1993 Tercentenary celebration of the founding of the College. Although many at the College were in favor of the idea of a marching band, financial support for the ensemble was continually reduced from 1990 to 1998. Eventually, the administration agreed that a Pep Band would require less financial support and decided to officially change the Marching Band to a non-marching Pep Band that performed from the stands. [4]
In the fall of 1996, [5] the history of the William and Mary Pep Band began. It began as a similar institution to the Marching Band, in that it was a one credit class run by the Department of Music. Then, in the fall of 1998, the Athletic department took over the management of the Pep Band.
Under the leadership of Jason Maga, the Pep Band sat down with Athletics, the Student Government, and the Administration to work out a new direction for the Pep Band. With the support of these groups, the Pep Band started a flyering and mailing drive across campus and to all incoming freshmen. In the Fall of 1999, the Pep Band was reformed as fully student-run organization, [6] under the Directorship of Jason Maga.
| Year | Name | Year | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Jason Maga | 2000 | Doug Bunch |
| 2001 | Doug Bunch | 2002 | Carrilynn Greenwood |
| 2003 | Diana West | 2004 | Rebecca Nelson |
| 2005 | Andy Kramer | 2006 | Alex Mills |
| 2007 | Kenny Barry | 2008 | Dustin Glasner |
| 2009 | Christina Millson | 2010 | Christina Millson |
| 2011 | Kevin Deisz | 2012 | Kevin Deisz |
| 2013 | Carrie Sheeler | 2014 | Megan Flansburg |
| 2015 | Cody Jones | 2016 | Matthew McGuinness |
| 2017 | Dylan Schuler | 2018 | Megan Rouch |
| 2019 | Davidson Norris | 2020 | Brendan Switts |
| 2021 | Tate Stevens | 2022 | Wilhelmina Awan |
| 2023 | Natalie Bavos-Chen | 2024 | Allison Thorne |
| 2025 | Ethan Shoham* | 2026 | |
*Director-elect
| Year | Name(s) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Charlotte West |
| 2024 | Charlotte West |
| 2025 | Josh Seagreaves & Ryan Lindley |
This award is granted to the most outstanding member of the Tribe Line each year. It is named after the first Drum Captain and first recipient of the award, Charlotte West ('25).
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Charlotte West |
| 2025 |
The College of William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the ninth-oldest in the English-speaking world. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Activity". In his 1985 book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities, Richard Moll included William & Mary as one of the original eight "Public Ivies". The university is among the original nine colonial colleges.
The Virginia Pep Band was a student-run musical ensemble at the University of Virginia (UVA). In the tradition of scatter or scramble bands, like those at Stanford, Rice and the Ivy League, the Pep Band preferred irreverent humor and individuality to marching in uniform formations. Founded in 1974, this group of students served as UVa's band supporting athletics in an official capacity until 2003. After being banned from official athletic events in 2003, the group continued to perform at sporting events such as swimming, field hockey, and ice hockey. The ensemble has also performed at Charlottesville community events including the Charlottesville 10-miler, the Alzheimer's Walk, and the United Way Day of Caring.
The Marching Owl Band is the Rice University "marching band" in the sense that it is the official ensemble that performs during football games, some basketball games, parades, and other public events. There are over 100 members. However, the MOB is not a traditional marching band, but rather a scatter band; members do not march, and some members play non-standard instruments. For example, in recent seasons these instruments included violins, violas, a cello, electric guitar, electric bass, electric piano, and even a harp. Extras known as Show Assistants are also a perennial inclusion in the MOB; these students play no instruments besides the kazoo, but are responsible for constructing and employing props in the halftime shows and acting out any mime or gag bits during performances. Rather than wear traditional marching band attire, The MOB instead dons pinstriped three-piece suits, ties, sunglasses, fedoras, and tommy gun props. The group is known for satirical football halftime shows which, as MOB director Chuck Throckmorton says, poke fun at rival universities' sacred cows.
The Cavalier Marching Band (CMB) is the marching band at the University of Virginia. The band's original director, William "Bill" Pease, was the first full-time marching band director in the history of the University of Virginia. The Cavalier Marching Band made its debut on September 11, 2004, after a considerable donation was made by University of Virginia benefactors Carl and Hunter Smith to found the band in 2003. The CMB uses a mixture of both DCI-style glide step and Big Ten-style high step in its performances. Of its 200 members, all seven undergraduate schools at the University of Virginia are represented.
The Iowa State University Cyclone Marching Band is the marching band of Iowa State University. Composed of two ensembles, the Iowa State University Cyclone Football 'Varsity" Marching Band (ISUCF'V'MB) and State Storm, the band performs in support of the Iowa State Cyclones football team at all home games and at some away games versus Big 12 Conference rivals. Nicknamed the "Pride of Iowa State", the "Best of the Midwest", and the "Varsity Band," the band plays at high school band festivals, indoor concerts, and post-season bowl games.
Oregon State University Marching Band, ("OSUMB"), is the marching band of Oregon State University, known as the "Spirit and Sound of OSU." The band was established in 1891. It is one of the oldest bands in the Pac-12 and the primary athletic band at Oregon State. In addition to the Oregon State University Marching Band, other athletic bands include Basketball Band, Rhythm & Beavs, Rhythm & Beavs: Travel Band, the Away Game Pep Band, Alumni Band, Gymnastics Band, and Bar Band. All band members are required to participate in marching band before they may be eligible to participate in any of the other athletic bands Oregon State offers.
The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (AJHF) is an organization and museum in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1978, and opened as museum on September 18, 1993, with a mission "to foster, encourage, educate, and cultivate a general appreciation of the medium of jazz music as a legitimate, original and distinctive art form indigenous to America. Its mission is also to preserve a continued and sustained program of illuminating the contribution of the State of Alabama through its citizens, environment, demographics and lore, and perpetuating the heritage of jazz music."
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band is the official marching band of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Founded in 1908 by a group of 14 students, the Georgia Tech Band is one of the school's oldest student organizations.
The Georgia Redcoat Marching Band, commonly referred to as "The Redcoats", is the official marching band of the University of Georgia.
The University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands is a comprehensive band program distinct and separate from the College-Conservatory of Music. Consisting of multiple ensembles beyond its Spirit Band, the program is housed under the Division of Student Affairs.
The Tulane University Marching Band (TUMB) is the marching band of Tulane University. It performs at every Tulane Green Wave football home game in Yulman Stadium, bowl games, and some away games. It is also marches in New Orleans Mardi Gras parades each year, having appeared in Le Krewe d'Etat, the Krewe of Thoth, the Krewe of Bacchus, and the Krewe of Rex, among others.
The Tiger Pep Band at DePauw University (TPB) is a student-led, -organized, and -funded ensemble at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. The band has been recognized several times among the best in collegiate sports, promoting sportsmanship and civility, and has been hailed as "best pep band in Division III athletics ".
The Spirit of Gold Marching Band is the collegiate marching band organized by Vanderbilt University.
The Carolina Band, or the Mighty Sound of the Southeast, is the official marching band of the University of South Carolina. With an average membership of 360, it is the largest ensemble associated with the university's School of Music. The marching band performs at all South Carolina Gamecocks football home games played at Williams-Brice Stadium, as well as neutral site games, bowl games, and all games against Clemson, where both the Carolina Band and Clemson's Tiger Band both perform at half time regardless of which school is hosting on a given year.
The Sacramento State Marching Band(SSMB) is the official marching band at California State University, Sacramento. To this day the band performs at all home football games and various away games during the football season. The SSMB also functions as the de facto student cheering section at athletic events, as it is the largest and loudest spirit organization of Sacramento State's campus. The SSMB also is present every year during the Causeway Classic against its arch-rival: UC Davis.
The Sound of the Natural State is the marching band of Arkansas State University, located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The band is directed by Dr. Allegra Fisher.
The Syracuse University Marching Band (SUMB), also known as the Pride of the Orange, is the collegiate marching band of Syracuse University. The band consists of approximately 200 members. The SUMB performs at all home Syracuse Orange football games throughout the season in the Carrier Dome, and also takes part in parades and other performances throughout the year. It is one of the largest student organizations at Syracuse University, and one of the oldest collegiate bands in the United States.
The Conservatory of Music at Wheaton College is a music conservatory located in Wheaton, Illinois. It is both a department and professional school of Wheaton College. It currently has 21 full-time faculty members and approximately 200 undergraduate music majors, and is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. The Conservatory also operates a Community School of the Arts, serving the music and arts education needs of the surrounding community.
The Bearkat Marching Band, also known as The Famous Bearkat Band or the BMB, is the marching band at Sam Houston State University. The band was founded in 1910 under the direction of C.W. Feuge, and is currently directed by Brian Gibbs. The band appears at Sam Houston football and basketball home games, as well as at pep rallies, the annual Battle of the Piney Woods in Houston, and occasionally at in-state away games.
The Marching 97 is the marching band of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1906, the band is known as "The Finest Band East of All Points West". It is a student-run organization, with an executive council of thirteen student members and supervised by the Music Department's Director of Bands, Dr. Darin Lewis. Football game halftime shows are written by the students. The number 97 is the count of the full marching band, composed of twelve ranks of eight members each, plus one drum major.