Free Republic

A specially extended lineup of the Ohio State Marching Band covered a selection of Rush classics during their half-time show on Saturday. Designed as a tribute to late drummer Neil Peart, the 14-minute performance featured arrangements of “The Spirit of Radio,” “Fly by Night” and “Tom Sawyer,” among others. The show can be seen below. “To honor the early 2020 passing of one of the greatest drummers in history, Rush’s Neil Peart, the Ohio State Marching Band added a little more percussion to the mix for the halftime show Saturday,” the university said in a statement. “To help recreate Peart’s...

...But Fans in Stands Have an Answer for That Ruling A Mississippi school district had just been through some serious gavel pounding from a federal judge — including a $7,500 fine — and didn’t want any more problems. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves gave Rankin County School District the word on July 10, saying it promoted Christianity during school hours after it agreed to stop. So Reeves fined the district $7,500 and again ordered it to stop sponsoring prayers at graduations, assemblies, athletic competitions and other school events, WLBT-TV reported. “That means administrators, teachers and staff of the Rankin County...

What a creative and stirring tribute to our brave men and women who have served and are serving. It will bring a tear to your eye.WVU Marching Band Armed Services Salute

Blind band will be Rose Parade's first Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:12 AM By Jennifer Smith Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The entire student body had been herded into the gym to sing The Star-Spangled Banner, which was video- recorded for a school project. That was pretty cool, in itself -- several of the roughly 120 students at the Ohio State School for the Blind have perfect pitch, so it wasn't your average school-choir rendition. What happened next was even cooler: Music director Carol Agler's cell phone rang and the crowd went quiet. She held the microphone to the phone's earpiece...

The picture above was taken during this weekend's Ohio State University's victory of Michigan State (at MSU). The score was 45-7. A long-standing tradition of the OSU Marching Band is to have bandmates carry someone on their shoulders after each touchdown - displaying their row mascot. This is a privilege granted to upper classmen and involves 3 teams picked during each season (4 and 5 year members). Though the plummer utensil carried by the trombone squadleader is actually not related the current political season, but I thought it appropriate nonetheless. The actual meaning of its holding as a row...

Disabled trumpeter, dad steal the show A member of the Louisville Cardinals marching band -- who is blind and in a wheelchair -- never fails to inspire when he takes the field with the help of his father. BY MICHELLE KAUFMAN The most inspirational team in the Orange Bowl this year, the one that best exemplifies courage and willpower, is not Louisville or Wake Forest. It is the team of Patrick Henry Hughes and his father, Patrick John Hughes, who will perform a feat more remarkable than anything displayed by the extraordinary athletes on the Dolphin Stadium field. Patrick Henry...

Troupe known for wild antics suspended as university investigates vandalism of 'Shak'The infamous Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band is in trouble again -- this time for allegedly vandalizing its own "Band Shak." Stanford suspended the band after discovering that the aptly named Shak had been trashed shortly after the band moved into a new $2.8 million home. Between $30,000 and $50,000 in damage was done to the on-campus trailer near Encina Hall that has served as the band's temporary home for the past four years, according to the university. Walls and windows were broken, and profanities were spray-painted on...