Dunn also instituted uniform changes which added white canvas to the band uniform, resulting in a "flash effect" every other step. Dunn tried, to no avail, to rid the band of the Senior Boots , but this tradition was too well-established. Other additions included crossed white belts, later discarded in favor of a white Sam Browne belt , silver buckles , and the addition of a bugle rank to lead the band in its maneuvers.
Changes in the drills included the "Block T", the band's signature, and such intricate designs which led to talk amongst fans about the band "always winning halftime". Under Dunn's experience, the band instituted some traditions that the university uses to the present. In , Marvin H. Mimms wrote the lyrics for an alma mater for the school. Dunn, who found the Aggie War Hymn "inappropriate" [1] for social functions and solemn occasions , wrote its accompanying music and presented it to the student body titled Spirit of Aggieland.
In , the tradition of Elephant Walk began when two seniors in the band led a procession of seniors throughout the school grounds visiting all the important places on campus. All the seniors in one single file was "quite a site to behold", [1] and one junior commented that they looked like a bunch of old elephants wandering around trying to find some place to die. The name stuck and the tradition continues to the present. Beginning in , the U. Army required all cadets to be in either infantry or field artillery units.
Therefore, the band was split into two separate units at opposite ends of the campus dormitories and named Infantry and Artillery Bands.
When the two units performed together, they formed the Combined Band. As "a crusty old army man", [1] Dunn understood the nation's urgent need for troops, and he accepted the fact that the Aggie Band could only return after the war was over. This intolerance for incompetence served him well when he accepted the invitation of Dunn to be his replacement as director of the Aggie Band.
Infantry and field artillery associations were no longer required by the Army and Adams changed the units' names to the Maroon and White Bands. Adams also added the criss-cross maneuver.
The Pride of Aggieland: Spirit and Football at a Place Like No Other
First performed November 27, at the annual Thanksgiving Day game with the University of Texas , the criss-cross maneuver and its later variations became the band's most anticipated maneuver. Other band directors said it was impossible to do because it required two people to be in the same place at the same time indeed, to this day computer programs that chart band formations say that this maneuver cannot be performed.
Adams explained, "It's all a matter of mathematics. One man can take up only a certain amount of space at one time and moves in one direction at a predictable rate of speed. The band's reputation spread and other bands had begun to have some apprehension about performing in the same halftime as the Aggie Band. What is so humiliating is to see the Aggie Band do things band directors talk about as being impossible, and do them perfectly. It takes two weeks to recover from the trauma. During Adams' tenure, the college acquired a new mascot, the first since the original Reveille died in Reveille II, like the original Reveille, was cared for and attended to by band members.
During halftime performances, the young dog was allowed to be on the field with the band without her leash. During these breaks where she could get out and run, she had a tendency to "do her business" [1] on Kyle Field 's playing surface. This didn't bother the band members much, as Reveille stayed away from the band, but Adams discovered a gambling scheme whereby cadets were taking bets on what yard line the dog would defecate.
On October 7, , the first meeting of the Aggie Band Association took place to support the band. The organization, composed of former members and supporters, continue to assist the band through fundraising, scholarships, instrument repair, and general welfare of the cadets in the band. In , Adams acquired funds and built a new band hall which was named in his honor. Haney took over the band in He felt his obligation was, "not to build up the band The addition of women to the Corps presented some challenges, including one high-profile lawsuit and fierce resistance from former Corps and Band members.
When women were finally admitted to the band under court order Fall Semester, ; the first three women had to be housed in a separate dorm until accommodations could be made within the band dorms. Reporters were relentless and Haney finally called an open press conference with the three young ladies. The female cadets refused pictures unless their fish buddies members of their freshman class in their unit were included in the photos.
As the band's experience and musical talents grew, the quality of the music improved dramatically. Haney even rewrote the drills to include a portion where the band stopped moving and played to the audience.
This innovation was well received and became a staple of the band's repertoire. In , at a televised game versus the University of Arkansas , the Aggie Band was repeatedly asked to play music during lulls in the game. By the fourth quarter, the Aggie Band had played on TV during every break and Colonel Haney, trying his best to be fair, told the cameraman that they really should let the Razorback Band play a little too.
The cameraman called up to the broadcast booth to get guidance and then replied, "The director doesn't want to hear the Arkansas band, he wants to hear the Aggie Band. The drills became even more complicated as Haney added formations and maneuvers never before seen. The excellence shown on the field belied its heavy dependence on precision. On October 24, the band suffered a serious misstep during the halftime show at Rice University when four members of a lead element turned early and, before anyone could make a correction, colliding band members ground the drill to a halt.
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With so many members doing exactly what the person in front of them does with mere inches of clearance, the cascade effect was unrecoverable and the band simply stopped and left the field. Although it was first rumored that the collision was intended to mock the Rice Marching Owl Band , and later that Rice students were using whistles to throw off the band's response to drum major whistle commands, all of the rumors proved to be unsubstantiated.
Thereafter the band performed all drills in Houston without whistle commands. The following weekend the band attempted their most complicated drill and performed flawlessly. Each subsequent week, the drills became more complicated. One of these days, I fully expect the band to be invited to a bowl game—and to be told it can bring along its football team if it wants to.
Lieutenant Colonel Ray E.
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support? This full-color history of Aggieland's pride, spirit, and great football program contains more than one hundred photos of the campus, its students and faculty, and Kyle Field and its football legends, then and now. Today, with an enrollment of more than 44, students, the University has evolved into an academic as well as athletic powerhouse, while retaining its core characteristics and military leadership role.
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