Purdue University. Band

Historical Information

Purdue Bands and Orchestras is the department of instrumental music at Purdue. It consists of numerous different musical ensembles, which includes both band and orchestra elements. The first and most prominent ensemble in the department is the “All-American” Marching Band, which was founded in 1886 as the Purdue Military Band. At the time, the band offered its members an opportunity to earn Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) drill credit through participation. After the creation of Purdue’s first football team in 1887, the Purdue Military Band became a staple at Purdue football games, following examples set by other colleges in the United States. Initially consisting of only five members, the Military Band grew steadily throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries, reaching 70 members in 1916. By 2011, that number reached 375, including both musicians and auxiliary units such as the Feature Twirlers, Golduster Dance Team, and Golden Silks Color Guard.

The Military Band at Purdue had no permanent director at its inception, with each director being elected by the band’s members from among Purdue’s staff and students at the start of each school year. This tradition lasted until 1909, when Paul Spotts Emrick assumed the director position long-term. A former clarinet player in the Purdue Military Band from 1904-1908, Emrick came from a family of band directors, and already had experience directing bands before coming to Purdue. By 1905, he had been elected president and director of the Purdue Military Band, positions which he would retain until his graduation in 1908. His absence only lasted a year, returning to Purdue in 1909 to teach electrical engineering, and being elected director of the Military Band once more; a position he would hold this time until his retirement in 1954.

Emrick’s long tenure with the Military Band introduced many changes and firsts for marching bands both at Purdue and across the nation. In 1907, while still a student, Emrick introduced the Block “P” letter formation, marking the first time that an American marching band would break military ranks during a performance. In 1919, the band made its first appearance at the Indianapolis 500, where it would remain a permanent feature, and in 1921, he introduced the “World’s Largest Drum.” In 1935, during an away game at Northwestern University, Emrick directed the first lighted halftime band performance, with band members wearing lights on their uniforms and instruments. American radio broadcaster and sportscaster Ted Husing, who was present at the lights performance, described the band as “All-American,” which provided the inspiration for the band’s renaming to the “All-American” Marching Band.

From Emrick’s retirement in 1954 until 1981, Al G. Wright served as the Director of Bands at Purdue. Wright introduced several changes to the “All-American” Marching Band, including the addition of the Featured Twirlers – the Golden Girl, Girl in Black, and Silver Twins – the Flag Corps, and Goldusters. He also rebranded the band from a military style to a show band style, which included a redesign of the band’s uniform. Under Wright, the band traveled extensively outside of Indiana, making appearances at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, as well as performing internationally in Columbia, Venezuela, Quebec, and the Netherlands. These traditions would continue under Wright’s successors, with three other directors serving since his retirement. Since 2006, Jay Gephart has been the Director of Bands.

Other than the marching band, Purdue Bands and Orchestras has had numerous other ensembles, starting with the Symphony Orchestra, which was added in 1913. As of 2025, Purdue Bands and Orchestras consisted of five major ensembles, each comprised of several smaller ensembles: the “All-American” Marching Band; Concert Bands, consisting of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Collegiate Band, University Band, Varsity Band, and Campus Band; Jazz Bands, comprising the Purdue Jazz Band, American Music Repertory Ensemble (AMRE), Tower of Power, Jazz Lab Band 1 and 2, and Concert Jazz Band 1 and 2; Orchestras, including the Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, University Orchestra, and Sandra Yover Haas Quartet; and Pep Bands, also called athletic bands, consisting of the Boiler Box Band (volleyball pep band), Gold and Black Sound (GABS – women’s basketball pep band), and Boiler Brass (men’s basketball pep band).

Citation:

Norberg, John. "Heartbeat of the University: 125 Years of Purdue Bands." Purdue University Press, 2011.

Citation:

"PURDUE “ALL-AMERICAN” MARCHING BAND HANDBOOK." Purdue Bands and Orchestras, 2024. Accessed 9 January 2025. https://www.purdue.edu/bands/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/AAMB-Handbook-2024.pdf

Citation:

"Ensembles." Purdue Bands and Orchestras. Accessed 9 January 2025. https://www.purdue.edu/bands/ensembles/

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