Princeton University Band

The Princeton University Band
Tiger Band, P.U.B.
On the steps of Blair Arch in the fall of 2010
School Princeton University
Location Princeton, NJ
Conference Ivy League
Founded 1919 (1919)
Director Michael Torre III '17
Members 60-70
Fight song "Princeton Cannon Song"
Uniform flair-adorned, tailored blazer made of custom-woven plaid in a copyrighted orange and black tartan; straw, Italian boater hat with orange and black ribbon; white, oxford shirt; long, black tie; black pants; white bucks.
Website puband.mycpanel.princeton.edu

The Princeton University Band serves as the marching band and pep band of Princeton University. Like most other Ivy League bands, it is a scramble band. To members and fans, it is often known as the PUB (pronounced Pea You Bee) or simply The Band. Many alumni refer to it as the Tiger Band.

Overview

Playing at University of Pennsylvania's campus.

History

Foundation and early history

The modern Princeton University Band was established in October 1919 when a group of undergraduate musicians decided that a regular musical presence was needed at Palmer Stadium, home of Princeton's multi-time national champion football team; however, these events were in many ways merely a reorganization of the preexisting R.O.T.C. Band that had served a much smaller role on campus several years earlier, making Princeton's Band one of the oldest of its kind in the country. Some of the band traveled to perform at the Yale Bowl for the season's only away game, beginning a long tradition of the PUB attending all football games, home and away.

For over a decade, the PUB performed on a tight budget, clad only in black sweaters with bow-ties and white pants; however, thanks to the contributions of many alumni supporters in 1936, the band was able to afford new instruments, music, and, most notably, new uniforms — black blazers with orange collars and a Princeton Band insignia on the breast pocket.

In 1937, the PUB expanded its role at Princeton by playing not only during football games, but also basketball and ice hockey. By the 1940s, they were playing at nearly all home basketball and hockey contests, as well as at several lacrosse matches and in some more formal spring concerts.

A change in style and increased national profile

The 1950s witnessed an era of great transition for the band. Gradually, the band changed from a corps-style band to today's scramble band. Some alumni recall seeing the band scramble without spoken accompaniment as early as 1938, and records of scrambling exist as early as 1941. In 1955, the band began experimenting with comedic scripts to go along with the half-time scrambles. The first script on record was in a home opener against Rutgers University in 1955, by which time scrambling was a well-established feature of field performances. However, the band didn't entirely stop marching until the 1970s. In 1952, the band switched from black to orange-and-black plaid blazers and continued to wear the straw hats that had been introduced a year or two earlier. With this change, the band started the tradition of wearing colorful formal wear on the field — something that has since been emulated by every Ivy League band at one point or another, as well as those of Stanford, Virginia, Rutgers, and Rice. The trendsetting new uniform was even featured on the cover of the October 1955 issue of Sports Illustrated.

From 1949 to 1981, the PUB did not miss a single football game. At 32 years and 293 games, this is one of the longest streaks in the history of college marching bands, and substantially longer than the streak of the current holder of consecutive games attended, USC's Spirit of Troy. The PUB has never missed a home game in its near-century of existence.

The PUB's halftime format has caused problems over the years. Not only have a number of institutions banned it from performing, like the United States Military Academy at West Point and, until recently, Lafayette College, but there was serious talk in the 1970s and '80s of disbanding the group at Princeton.

Today

The PUB's uniforms haven't changed much over the years, but members are fond of augmenting them with funny sunglasses and pins

To placate the concerns of administrators and alumni at Princeton, the PUB hired Jack Hontz, a marching band director from Strath Haven High School in Pennsylvania, as a musical advisor. The brother of a former band member, Hontz has helped the band make the most out of its musical performances and steered the band away from behavior that may have attracted the ire of the university. While very helpful, Hontz has filled only a consultory role for the PUB, offering advice only when it is needed and leaving all leadership and decision-making responsibilities to the students.

As Princeton football became less nationally competitive in the latter half of the 20th century, the PUB began to focus on basketball, ice hockey, and lacrosse, following many teams to NIT, ECAC-HL, and NCAA tournaments, including several national championships, since as early as 1965. From 1990 to 2000 the PUB played at over twenty NCAA tournaments alone, including the 1998 field hockey national championship.

Organization

The PUB is a recognized student organization of Princeton University and is almost entirely run by a twelve-member officer corps consisting of the President, Drum Major, Head Manager ("Mom"), Student Conductor (the "Stud Conductor"), Treasurer, four Drillmasters ("DMs"), Alumni Coordinator and two Librarians ("Libes"). A professional music advisor, paid out of the band's operating fund, is the only non-student involved in directing the band.

During the fall football season, the band performs at all Princeton home games and all away games to which it is allowed by the host institution. At each game, besides playing in the stands during pauses in the game, the band performs a pregame show and a halftime show, each of which consists of one to three songs with accompanying formations, accompanied by a humorous script. The PUB also has a repertoire of cheers which are invoked throughout the game - often mildly offensive, but amusing nonetheless.

Like every other Ivy League scramble band, the PUB has a section of unusual instruments, which the PUB calls "trash percussion."

Every Halloween, the band is invited to participate in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, to which it is particularly well suited thanks to its orange and black uniforms and colorful performance techniques. The band has also made appearances in a number of other parades including the South Amboy St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Gross National Parade, and Philadelphia's Independence Day Parade.

After the conclusion of the football season, the Band transforms into a pep band and plays in the stands at as many Princeton men's and women's hockey, basketball, and lacrosse games as possible, including some away games. The band makes an annual trip to Penn's Palestra for the Princeton-Penn game, as well as occasional trips to nearby schools such as Columbia, Yale, Brown, and even Cornell for basketball and hockey contests. As Princeton's basketball and hockey teams are often among the best in their respective conferences, the band regularly travels with the teams to post season tournaments. Other than the absence of scrambling and formations, the Band's presence at these events is much the same as at football games.

At the end of the academic year, the band remains on campus for Reunions, a three-day celebration of Princetonians past and present. Since 1936 the band has led the annual P-Rade, a parade of alumni that begins with the University President, the oldest alumnus, the band, and the 25th reunion class.

Uniforms

The band in its alternate uniform at a basketball game.

"Full uniform"

The standard full uniform of the PUB, used for football season, parades, Princeton Reunions, and other formal events, consists of black pants, white shoes, a white dress shirt with solid black tie, Italian "boater" hat, and the distinctive orange-and-black plaid jacket. The drum major and student director wear white pants, long-tailed dinner jackets and bow ties. The plaid wool used in the uniforms was custom manufactured and donated by a Princeton alumnus in 1952 at Bennington Mills in Vermont. As such, the band owns the exclusive rights to the particular plaid design found on the jackets.

Off-season uniform

In 2001, the band had custom orange-and-black striped rugby shirts made for use at home basketball and hockey games. Prior to this, the band wore its signature hats and jackets with blue jeans and T-shirts for winter sports, something that is still done for away and major home basketball and hockey games, lacrosse games and other spring performances today.

Also, graduating seniors find a way to adorn their beer jackets with the plaid in some fashion, making alums of the band easy to spot.

Incidents, banishments, and arrests

2008

Band President in discussion with administrators at The Citadel.
Later that day during the game, the Princeton Band performed one of their characteristic half-time shows that had been approved and censored by both Princeton University and Citadel administrators. Despite these precautions, the large student section booed loudly during the entirety of the field performance, and many students, alumni, and other fans were offended by the band's unique brand of humor.
During the second half, approximately fifty cadets left the Citadel student section to surround and heckle the Princeton Band. After stern admonitions from Citadel administrative officers, the students returned to the student section. The band inadvertently performed Princeton music while Citadel cadets were ceremonially folding the American flag after the game. This only inflamed the anger of the cadets.
The Cadets' behavior prompted apologies from numerous persons affiliated with The Citadel including President Gen Rosa, (who didn't apologize and actually noted he "can certainly appreciate the enthusiasm," by the cadets), Lt Col Graham, the student body president, and many alumni and Charleston residents. The Band suffered no negative consequences.

2006

2005

2004

2003

2001

1993

1981

1967

1959

Traditions

Double-Double Rotating P

The Double-Double Rotating P in 1984.

Traditionally, the PUB ends its football pregame shows with a formation known as the "Double-Double Rotating P." The formation is a large outline letter "P" comprising an outer loop in a "P" shape and a smaller inner loop forming the interior of the letter. In this formation, the PUB plays the march "Going Back to Nassau Hall." When the band reaches the trio, the P itself remains stationary, but the members of the band start to move around the perimeter of the P, with the outer loop moving clockwise and the inner loop moving counterclockwise. The band plays the trio twice, and upon beginning the second time through the trio, the two loops reverse their respective directions.

At home games, this performance immediately leads into performance of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Fountain Gigs

The Band playing Rock Lobster in the Woodrow Wilson School fountain.

After football victories at Princeton Stadium, the Band goes to the fountain at the Woodrow Wilson School and plays a concert from inside. Before 2012, this would occur regardless of the game's outcome if the Brown University Band were present at Princeton.

The White Castle Meat Product Tolerance Marathon

At the conclusion of each school year, the band takes a trip to White Castle and holds an eating contest. No time limits are enforced. Whoever can eat the most Slyders is named King of the Castle for that year. The top-eating girl is referred to as Queen of the Castle. Style points are awarded for some eating methods, including:

The current record holder is Kyle (Jonkyleg) Goldman '18 who in 2015 ate a recorded 35 sliders in one sitting.

Awards

The Band is famous for its irreverent antics and illicit behavior. As an incentive to motivate members to maintain this tradition, the band has for many years presented several awards to its members commemorating a variety of outrageous acts:

Favorite songs

The Band's repertoire includes dozens of other songs, principally featuring classic rock and, more recently, '90s hits.

The Princeton University Band March

The lyrics to the band's theme song:

Oh here we are, the Princeton Band,
Playing songs of Old Nassau.
That old refrain will sound again,
And you will hear the tiger roar!
The slide trombone, the saxophone,
And the bass drum sounding grand!
With a boom, boom, boom!
And a zoom, zoom, zoom!
Oh, when you hear the Princeton Band!

Discography

Memories of Princeton Vol 1 - undated
Princeton University Band - 1927
Princeton Symposium of Music - undated (1940s)
Rally Songs by the Princeton University Band - 1947
Songs of Princeton: In Praise of Old Nassau - 1951
Band - Tiger Tones, Boomerangs, etc. - 1955
Going Back: The Songs of the Ivy League - 1960
Traditional Songs of Princeton - 1962
Princeton University Band (shield album) - 1978
Going Back... Marching Forward - 1985
The Orange and the Black - 1989
Goin' Back: Songs of Old Nassau - 1994
Songs to Beat Yale By - 2000
The Princeton University Band (The Plaid Album) - 2007
Songs in the Key of LOUD - 2011
The Good, the Plaid, and the Ugly - 2015

In the media

Alumni and friends

Friends of Tiger Band (FOTB) is the official organization for alumni and other supporters of the PUB. Proving that the PUB is forever, band members automatically become members of FOTB upon graduation. FOTB has three key functions: (1) hosting Band Reunions following the Home Big Three game and the P-Rade, (2) publishing the FOTB newsletter, and most importantly (3) providing support, both financially and in dealings with the University administration.

Notable alumni

Frederick Ewing Fox A.B. 1939 - (manager) University recording secretary and keeper of the Princetoniana until his death in 1981.
Temple H. Fielding A.B. 1939 - (drum major) Authored the series of travel guides that bear his last name.
Kit Bond A.B. 1960 - (band member) The former United States Senator from Missouri.
Dr. Adam Ruben A.B. 2001 - (drum major, mellophone) Biologist and comedian on Food Network's Food Detectives.
Brittany Haas A.B. 2009 - (quad toms, fiddle) Fiddler and member of the band Crooked Still.

Also:
Robert Sour A.B. 1925, who went on to co-write lyrics to jazz ballad Body & Soul and become President at BMI, did not play in the band as a Princeton student (he was a pianist); however, he was very involved as an alumnus, offering support and writing songs for the band.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.princeton.edu/~puband/old/pregames/1993.html
  2. ↑ http://www.bandmusicpdf.org/media/bmpdffiles/Tigers.pdf The Tigers
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.