Auburn University Marching Band
The Auburn University Marching Band (AUMB) is the marching band of Auburn University and the 2004 recipient of the Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy. With 380 members, the band traces its origins to 1897 when M. Thomas Fullan proposed to then-president Dr. William Broun that the drum corps accompanying cadet drills be replaced with a full instrumental band.
On January 7, 2024, the Auburn University Marching Band achieved a significant milestone by winning the first-ever Metallica Marching Band Competition. They secured victories in both the Collegiate Division 1 category and the Fan Favorite category. The competition, which was organized by the heavy metal band Metallica, challenged marching bands at both high school and collegiate levels to create performances incorporating Metallica's music. The Auburn University Marching Band distinguished themselves among the competitors, which included bands from various universities such as Fresno State University, Iowa State University, University of Iowa, University of Texas at Austin, and Western Illinois University.
The Auburn Marching Band's victory brought them $85,000 in musical equipment, courtesy of Metallica and its sponsors. This competition was a significant event in the marching band community, with over 450 schools participating and showcasing their unique and impressive performances.
The Auburn University Marching Band performs pre-game and halftime shows at all Auburn Tigers football home games and travels to most away games. The full band travels to the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry game against Georgia when it is held in Athens, and the Iron Bowl against Alabama when it is held in Tuscaloosa. (A smaller pep band composed of AUMB members supports the Auburn Tigers at all away games the full band does not attend.) The band has marched in three presidential inaugural parades; those of Presidents Harry S. Truman (1949), George H. W. Bush (1989), and George W. Bush (2005).
It is the only band in the SEC that does not have a nickname. Former Auburn University President Dr. Harry Philpott said the following about the band:
"Some other institutions need to give descriptive names to their bands in order to praise them. The quality of the music, the precision of its drills, and the fine image that it portrays have made it unnecessary for us to say more than, 'This is the Auburn University Band.'"
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