Celebrating the legacy of the Spartan Marching Band

On football game days at MSU, there’s nothing that generates anticipation and excitement like the powerful music of the Spartan Marching Band. Whether it’s their traditional march from Adams Field to The Spartan and Spartan Stadium, their jaw-dropping halftime shows or the events they add spectacle and skilled performances to throughout the year, the Spartan Marching Band is a quintessential and iconic part of MSU. To celebrate the beginning of their season, we’re taking a look at the history of the Spartan Marching Band, starting from humble beginnings as a student-led ensemble to becoming one of the finest marching bands in the world.

Advance through the photos to learn more about the marching band, then test your knowledge with the quiz below.

Photos courtesy of the Spartan Marching Band and MSU Archives and Historical Collections, unless otherwise noted.

1885 cadet band

Since music classes weren’t offered in the early years of MSU (then known as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan,) the origins of Spartan Marching Band came from students who brought instruments to campus and played together. Though the actual origin of Spartan Marching Band is unrecorded due to the informal nature of these groups, the most commonly told story is that of Ransom McDonough Brooks and a band of 10 civil war veterans who assembled in 1870. In 1872, college faculty acknowledged the band officially, sanctioning a band trip to Pine Lake (now Lake Lansing) alongside the sophomore class.

When the Morrill Act of 1862 required all land-grant colleges to have cadet corps activity on campus, the college established a military department, which began instructing the band in 1885. The band was assigned its first full uniform and a drum major was chosen each year as a student leader.

The band was briefly discontinued in 1890 and replaced with a drum corps, though it would be quickly reinstated in 1892 when the Military Department appointed a new department head.

For Michigan Agricultural College’s Semi-Centennial Celebration, the band played for a U.S. president for the first time, with Theodore Roosevelt commemorating 50 years since the school’s founding, giving a commencement address and handing out diplomas to graduates.

Shortly after the celebration, MSU President Jonathan L. Snyder assigned chemistry faculty member A.J. Clark to serve as the band’s director, providing much-needed discipline and greater musical direction to the ensemble.

In 1912, Everett C. Yates became the first African American member of the band, performing as a percussionist.

Through the decade, the musical presence at MAC developed, with a proper Music Department being established in 1919. Though the band remained a unit of the Military Department, the director of bands became a music faculty position, directing the marching band as well as other bands on campus.

Throughout World War II, the MSC Band faced many challenges, with Falcone and many of the band members volunteering, drafted or otherwise affected by wartime. Though a “varsity band” was created for students that were still on campus, including women, it was dissolved in 1943, and no marching band existed on campus in 1944 or 1945. Nevertheless, a small concert band was present for the dedication of The Spartan on June 9, 1945.

In the 1950s and 60s, the Spartan Marching Band underwent major changes. The marching band and ROTC cut formal ties in 1952, and without military requirements, took on a new look. The band donned flashy green and white uniforms, and more popular music and dance routines were performed. Members of the band also received green and white wool warm-up jackets, which are still worn by the SMB today.

In 1964, the SMB was invite to New York City for the New York World’s Fair, traveling by air for the first time to play at several venues, including the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.

While women had participated in campus bands since World War II, they were not allowed to be part of the marching band. In 1972, the U.S. Government enacted Title IX, which opened the ensemble up to women. Bloomquist and Catron were enthusiastic about the addition of women to the SMB, and feature twirler Beth Mlynarek and alto saxophonist Lynne Charbonneau were the first of many female performers to join.

Since music classes weren’t offered in the early years of MSU (then known as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan,) the origins of Spartan Marching Band came from students who brought instruments to campus and played together. Though the actual origin of Spartan Marching Band is unrecorded due to the informal nature of these groups, the most commonly told story is that of Ransom McDonough Brooks and a band of 10 civil war veterans who assembled in 1870. In 1872, college faculty acknowledged the band officially, sanctioning a band trip to Pine Lake (now Lake Lansing) alongside the sophomore class.

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In what year was the MSU Alumni Band formed?

2019

1970

1870

1929