Purdue All-American Marching Band

Purdue "All-American" Marching Band
School	Purdue University
Location	West Lafayette, IN
Conference	Big Ten
Founded	1886
Director	Jay Gephart
Assistant director	Max Jones, Ishbah Cox, Pamela Nave
Members	373
Fight song	Hail Purdue!
Uniform	Black military style, white overlay with gold trim and block P
Website	http://www.purdue.edu/bands/

The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band is the marching band of Purdue University. The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band (AAMB) is the primary source of auxiliary entertainment for Purdue University football games. AAMB does many service performances for high schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools, and has been the host band of the Indianapolis 500 race every year the race has been held since 1927. The band has grown from an original 5 members to 373 members, making it one of the largest marching bands in the world. The two most distinctive features of the AAMB are the World's Largest Drum and solo baton twirler the Purdue Golden Girl.

History

In 1886 the Purdue Student Army Training Corps produced 5 men who provided music for the Army trainees to listen to during their morning conditioning runs. While operating without a director until 1904, the band had started playing at Purdue football games and had grown to over 50 members. In 1904, Paul Spotts Emrick, joined the band. His experience as a conductor resulted in his election as band president and director the next year. During his senior year at Purdue, the marching band, under Emrick, became the first band to break ranks and form a letter on the field—the famous Block "P".^[1]

Emrick stayed on as director after his graduation in 1908. In 1921 Emrick commissioned Leedy to construct the World's Largest Drum, and it has been a part of the marching band ever since. In 1935, during a Purdue football game at Northwestern University the band donned lights on their uniforms while performing at halftime. With the stadium lights turned off for the performance, the band drew such awe from radio broadcaster Ted Husing, he referred to them as a "truly All-American marching band," hence the current title of the band.

Emrick retired in 1954, and to date the band has been under the direction of just four other men:

• Dr. Al G. Wright (1954–1981)
• William C. Moffit (1981–1988)
• Dr. David A. Leppla (1990–2006)
• Jay S. Gephart (July 1, 2006 – present)

In 1995 the "All-American" Marching Band was the recipient of the Sudler Trophy, the most prestigious award a college marching band can receive. Currently, the "All-American" Marching Band is the only band from a university without a school of music to have received this award.

Featured Twirlers

The Purdue band is also famous for its five Featured Twirler positions: the Golden Girl, the Girl in Black, the Silver Twins, and Miss Boilerette.

Purdue's Golden Girl ranks among the nation's best twirlers and is at the top of her art form. This talented performer is selected by audition each April, and serves as a leader of the AAMB as well as an ambassador for Purdue University. Recognized nationally for her unique talents, this coveted position has roots going back to the early history of Purdue Bands. The tradition of the Golden Girl was begun in 1954 during the era of quarterback Len Dawson, whose poise on the field prompted the press to nickname him Purdue's "Golden Boy." At the same time, Dr. Al G. Wright (now Director of Bands Emeritus) brought his first twirling protégé to the field, Juanita Carpenter, who earned the title of "Golden Girl." When Dawson graduated Purdue was left without a Golden Boy, but Carpenter's graduation didn't have the same effect on her title. Instead Golden Girl evolved into a movable crown that's been passed down through generations, and the position has become the standard for excellence within the twirling community. Golden Girl #27 MerrieBeth Cox, a junior from Roselle, IL, continues as Golden Girl for the 2010-11 season.

In 1962, another solo twirler position was created to compliment the Golden Girl. June Ciampa was the first to fill this position. Dressed in Purdue's other color, black, she first performed as the International Twirler. This title was later replaced with "Girl in Black." The Girl in Black for the 2010-11 season is senior Meg Merdian of Troy, MI.

Identical twin sisters Sara and Chellie Zou, seniors from Elkhart, IN take on a special role as novelty twirlers for the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band in the 2010-11 season. The position of Silver Twins was created by Al G. Wright in 1960 for identical twins. In auditions for the position, identical twins are given preference but twirling duos may also compete. [1]

For the 2010 marching band season a new position was created. The twirler is known as Miss Boilerette, beginning with senior Rachel Bazzell of New Carlisle, IN.^[2]

Marching band pioneers

The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band has pioneered a number of accomplishments. It was the first marching band to:

• break ranks on a football field to make a formation (The Block "P"), 1907
• carry the colors of the Big Ten, 1919
• play opposing school fight song, 1920
• wear their hats backwards after a conference victory
• perform at Radio City Music Hall, 1963
• receive an official invitation from the Chinese government to perform as part of cultural activities leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics
• lead the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from the Big Ten, 2010

Band composition

The oldest marching band formation, the "Block P"

As the band stands now, it contains numerous woodwind, brass, percussion, and auxiliary members. The wind instruments are organized into ranks of 10 people. The band currently contains 27 ranks. The percussion consists of a drumline, drum majors, and the World's Largest Drum; auxiliary performers are organized by their type of performance. A section of Big Ten Flag carriers exists for pregame drill.

• Woodwind Instruments
  • Piccolos
  • Clarinets
  • Alto Saxophones
  • Tenor Saxophones

• Brass Instruments
  • Trumpets
  • Horns, or Mellophones
  • Trombones
  • Baritone horns
  • Tubas, or Sousaphones

• Percussion
  • Snare Drums
  • Tenor Drums
  • Bass Drums
  • Cymbals
  • Drum Majors
  • World's Largest Drum, or Big Bass Drum

• Auxiliaries
  • Golden Silks (Flag Corps)
  • Goldusters (Dancers/Pom Squad)
  • The Big Ten Flags

• Feature Twirlers
  • Golden Girl
  • Girl in Black
  • Silver Twins
  • Miss Boilerette

Notable alumni

• Neil Armstrong, aviator, first man on the moon. Armstrong played baritone horn with the AAMB in 1952. Armstrong was made an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi in 1965 and received the band department's Alumni Achievement Award in 1997. His Kappa Kappa Psi pin went with him to the moon and is now on display at Purdue's Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music.^[3]
• Orville Redenbacher, businessman and agriculturalist, namesake of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn. Redenbacher played tuba with the band in the 1920s.^[4]
• Russell Games Slayter, inventor of fiberglass. Slayter was a tuba player. The Slayter Center of Performing Arts, the site of the band's "Thrill on the Hill" football pep rallies, is a gift from Slayter and his wife.^[4]

External links

• Purdue Bands website
  • Purdue "All-American" Marching Band Archive
  • Purdue Trumpets
  • Tuba section website
  • Drum line website
  • Auxiliary units website
  • Purdue Band Fan
  • Purdue Drumline Fan

References

1. ^ Norberg, John (1987). Hail Purdue. The "ALL-AMERICAN" Band Club. p. 42. ISBN 0-9617991-0-2. 
2. ^ Miss Boilerette position added to Purdue’s Featured Twirler line-up
3. ^ Purdue University Bands (2009-07-02). "40th anniversary of first bandsman on the moon". http://www.purdue.edu/bands/news/090702moon.html. Retrieved 2010-07-23. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Fast Facts: Did you know? - West Lafayette Campus". Data Digest 2009-10. Purdue University Office of Marketing and Media. http://www.purdue.edu/datadigest/pages/fastfacts/ff_know.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-23.