marching band

17 Stories

Cops Tase High School Band Director at Football Game

Johnny Mims claims 'egregious violation of civil rights' in Birmingham

(Newser) - Police in Birmingham, Alabama, repeatedly deployed a stun gun in front of students while arresting a high school band director who allegedly refused to stop his band from playing. Police were clearing spectators from a stadium following a football game between Minor and Jackson-Olin high schools on Thursday when they...

3 'Human Jukebox' Members Killed in Highway Crash

Southern University marching band members were hit by 18-wheeler

(Newser) - Southern University's famous marching band, known as the Human Jukebox, suffered a terrible loss Tuesday night when two tuba players and a percussionist were killed in a crash in northwest Louisiana. Police say Broderick Moore, 19; Tyran Williams, 19; and Dylan Young, 21, were killed when they were hit...

Citing 'Offensive Behavior,' Columbia Marching Band Disbands Itself

It disbands due to 'history riddled with offensive behavior'

(Newser) - Columbia University's band has disbanded itself due to years of having "maintained a club structure founded on the basis of racism, cultural oppression, misogyny and sexual harassment," the band says in a statement announcing the move. Per the announcement, a virtual meeting was held Saturday "to...

Marching Band Delivers Big Game's Most Touching Moment

Washington State plays University of Washington's fight song after UW bus accident

(Newser) - The Washington State University Cougars faced off Friday against the University of Washington's Huskies during their annual Apple Cup football matchup, but it was the Cougars' marching band that ended up generating the most buzz. That's because they played "Bow Down to Washington," the opposing team'...

College Marching Band Takes a Knee, Station Won't Air Game

ESPN radio affiliate says it won't air East Carolina U's game because of anthem protest

(Newser) - In what its parent company's CEO is calling a "protest to a protest," ESPN affiliate radio station 101.1 FM (WFAY) is turning its back on broadcasting East Carolina University's football game Saturday against South Florida after members of the ECU marching band took a knee...

Marching Band Fined for 'Obscene' Formation

Band claims what many saw as a phallus was actually the USS Enterprise

(Newser) - Kansas State University will pay a $5,000 fine after its marching band's halftime show on Saturday was "misinterpreted" as showing the mascot of the rival University of Kansas Jayhawks performing oral sex. According to KCTV5 , the band defended itself from charges that its formation was "obscene,...

Ohio State Band Had Holocaust Parody Song

Wall Street Journal reveals joke song book from a few years ago

(Newser) - Ohio State's marching band may indeed be the "best damn band in the land," as supporters say, but the band is dealing with a mess today after the Wall Street Journal got a look at its book of parody songs. The worst is called "Goodbye Kramer,...

Ohio State Cans Band Chief Over 'Sexualized' Culture

OSU chiefs say he ignored hazing

(Newser) - The leader of "The Best Damn Band in the Land" has been canned over what Ohio State University chiefs say is a failure to deal with a "sexualized" culture surrounding the marching band that made conditions ripe for sexual harassment to flourish. Jon Waters' lawyer says the band...

Detroit Lion Apologizes for Trash-Talking Marching Band

Reportedly called members 'fat,' gay slurs

(Newser) - The Detroit Lions' 22-9 loss to the Packers wasn't the ugliest thing that happened on Lambeau Field on Sunday. Center Dominic Raiola has had to apologize to the University of Wisconsin marching band, after he reportedly trash-talked its members. "My interaction with the Wisconsin marching band was inappropriate,...

How College Bands Cope With Faster Game

Start by tossing out the old songbook

(Newser) - College football teams, just like the pros, play faster games these days. But unlike the pros, college teams typically have bands that play between downs. So what's a band leader to do in the era of the no-huddle offense? Caleb Hannan at Grantland takes an interesting look, with Oregon...

Florida A&M Prez Resigns Over Hazing Death

Robert Champion's family expected to file lawsuit today

(Newser) - Florida A&M University President James Ammons announced his plans to resign today, in the fallout over the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion , whose family is expected to file a lawsuit against the university today, the Orlando Sentinel reports. But Ammons won't actually step down until Oct....

Florida Band Players Face Charges in Hazing Death

Music profs resign in separate incident

(Newser) - Florida A&M band members will be hit with criminal charges today following a six-month investigation into the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion . The charges come as two music professors at the school have had to resign over alleged involvement in another hazing incident, their lawyer says. A...

4 Florida Students Expelled in Hazing Death

Florida A&M band member found dead last month

(Newser) - Florida A&M is dismissing four students for their role in the death of a marching band member last month. University President James Ammons referred to the dismissals in a memo he sent this week to members of the FAMU board, though he didn't offer any specifics on what...

Fla. A&M Suspends Band After Hazing Death

Hazing widespread within 'Marching 100,' parents say

(Newser) - All performances by Florida A&M University's famed "Marching 100" band have been suspended while police and the university investigate the death of a drum major. Over the weekend, Robert Champion, 26, collapsed outside a charter bus after a football game in which the band performed at half-time....

Can We Stop Butchering the National Anthem?

Let's ditch the 'insufferable freestyle flourishes': Raymond Cummings

(Newser) - Why must every sports game begin with vocalists wailing their way through the national anthem? It’s a powerful song, but “there’s no reason” it needs to “last five endless minutes and arrive full of insufferable freestyle flourishes,” writes Raymond Cummings at SpliceToday . Trouble is, no...

Drum Major Suspended for Nodding at Obama

Member of Cleveland firefighters' group violated 'protocol and proper decorum'

(Newser) - A Cleveland man who marched as drum major with a firefighters band in last week’s inaugural parade has been suspended for a nod and a wave he gave to President Obama, the Plain Dealer reports. “This was a military parade. Protocol and proper decorum had to be followed...

Wisconsin Band Busted for Hazing

(Newser) - For the first time in 40 years, horns won’t blow at a University of Wisconsin football game tonight: The marching band’s been suspended for alleged hazing, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The school hasn't disclosed details, but the band director said alcohol and “inappropriate sexual behavior”...

17 Stories