Baltimore's Marching Ravens
Encyclopedia
Baltimore's Marching Ravens are the official marching band
of the Baltimore Ravens
football team. They were founded as the Baltimore Colts' Marching Band on September 7, 1947 and have continuously operated ever since even though the original Colts disbanded in 1950, leaving Baltimore without a team for 3 years until the new Baltimore Colts were installed. The band also stayed together after the team moved to Indianapolis
and became the Indianapolis Colts
, notoriously leaving Baltimore in the middle of the night in 1984, which left the city without a team for eleven years. They are one of three official marching bands in the NFL, the others being the Attica High School Marching Band (for the Buffalo Bills
) and the Washington Redskins
Marching Band.
According to an ESPN
documentary directed by Baltimore
native Barry Levinson
called The Band that Wouldn't Die
, band leaders got advance warning that the team was being moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis overnight and were able to remove their equipment from team headquarters before the moving vans arrived. At the time of the move, the band's uniforms were being dry-cleaned. Band President John Ziemann contacted the owner of the dry cleaners, who told Ziemann that legally they could not release the uniforms to Ziemann, but told him that that evening, he should take the company van "for a walk." Ziemann and some associates then hid the uniforms in a nearby cemetery until the wife of then-Colts owner Robert Irsay
said they could keep them.
From 1984 until the Cleveland Browns
relocated to Baltimore in 1996, the band stayed together, playing at football halftime shows and marching in parades, eventually becoming well known as "Baltimore's Pro-Football Musical Ambassadors". The band remained an all-volunteer band as it is today and supported itself. At one point, John Ziemann pawned his wife's wedding ring for the money to buy new equipment. Ironically, one of the band's first gigs after the Colts left was an invitation from then-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell
to play during the halftime show of a Browns game. "They were cheap," Modell said. Twelve years later Modell would move the Browns to Baltimore and they would become the Baltimore Ravens. When David Modell appeared, along with a group of former Colts (including Johnny Unitas
) on a local talk show hosted by Kwesi Mfume, the host introduced Ziemann to a huge round of applause. Ziemann then asked Modell if the band could become the Ravens' official band, and Modell smiled and said "I thought you already were" as the crowd roared its approval again. (In "The Band That Wouldn't Die", Modell, who had always wanted a band for his team, called the decision a "no-brainer".)
When Baltimore was in the running for a National Football League
franchise in the 1990s, Ziemann enlisted the band's help in convincing the Maryland General Assembly
, the state legislature, to approve funding for a new football stadium. The band played on the steps of the Maryland State House while the legislature was in session one evening, causing a crowd to gather, including then-Governor William Donald Schaefer
, who had been pushing hard for a team and a football stadium. Eventually, the legislature approved the funding.
For the Ravens' first two seasons, the band retained its name as The Baltimore Colts Marching Band. At the start of the 1998 season, it assumed its current name, The Marching Ravens, coinciding with the opening of Baltimore's new football stadium.
The band also had a new fight song for the Ravens, which was drastically different from the old Colts fight song. In 2010, Zeimann announced that the band was considering using the Colts fight song with new lyrics for the Ravens. Fans were allowed to vote online. Over 10,000 votes were cast, with an overwhelming 79% in favor of using the Colts fight song with new lyrics.
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
of the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
football team. They were founded as the Baltimore Colts' Marching Band on September 7, 1947 and have continuously operated ever since even though the original Colts disbanded in 1950, leaving Baltimore without a team for 3 years until the new Baltimore Colts were installed. The band also stayed together after the team moved to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
and became the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, notoriously leaving Baltimore in the middle of the night in 1984, which left the city without a team for eleven years. They are one of three official marching bands in the NFL, the others being the Attica High School Marching Band (for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
Marching Band.
According to an ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
documentary directed by Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
native Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
called The Band that Wouldn't Die
The Band that Wouldn't Die
The Band That Wouldn't Die is a film documentary released in 2009 and created and directed by Barry Levinson as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series....
, band leaders got advance warning that the team was being moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis overnight and were able to remove their equipment from team headquarters before the moving vans arrived. At the time of the move, the band's uniforms were being dry-cleaned. Band President John Ziemann contacted the owner of the dry cleaners, who told Ziemann that legally they could not release the uniforms to Ziemann, but told him that that evening, he should take the company van "for a walk." Ziemann and some associates then hid the uniforms in a nearby cemetery until the wife of then-Colts owner Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay , was an American professional football team owner. He owned the National Football League's Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts franchise and, briefly, the former Los Angeles Rams.-Biography:...
said they could keep them.
From 1984 until the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
relocated to Baltimore in 1996, the band stayed together, playing at football halftime shows and marching in parades, eventually becoming well known as "Baltimore's Pro-Football Musical Ambassadors". The band remained an all-volunteer band as it is today and supported itself. At one point, John Ziemann pawned his wife's wedding ring for the money to buy new equipment. Ironically, one of the band's first gigs after the Colts left was an invitation from then-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell
Art Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
to play during the halftime show of a Browns game. "They were cheap," Modell said. Twelve years later Modell would move the Browns to Baltimore and they would become the Baltimore Ravens. When David Modell appeared, along with a group of former Colts (including Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
) on a local talk show hosted by Kwesi Mfume, the host introduced Ziemann to a huge round of applause. Ziemann then asked Modell if the band could become the Ravens' official band, and Modell smiled and said "I thought you already were" as the crowd roared its approval again. (In "The Band That Wouldn't Die", Modell, who had always wanted a band for his team, called the decision a "no-brainer".)
When Baltimore was in the running for a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
franchise in the 1990s, Ziemann enlisted the band's help in convincing the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
, the state legislature, to approve funding for a new football stadium. The band played on the steps of the Maryland State House while the legislature was in session one evening, causing a crowd to gather, including then-Governor William Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer was an American politician who served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. A Democrat, he was mayor of Baltimore from 1971 to 1987, the 58th Governor of Maryland from January 21, 1987 to January 18, 1995, and the Comptroller of...
, who had been pushing hard for a team and a football stadium. Eventually, the legislature approved the funding.
For the Ravens' first two seasons, the band retained its name as The Baltimore Colts Marching Band. At the start of the 1998 season, it assumed its current name, The Marching Ravens, coinciding with the opening of Baltimore's new football stadium.
The band also had a new fight song for the Ravens, which was drastically different from the old Colts fight song. In 2010, Zeimann announced that the band was considering using the Colts fight song with new lyrics for the Ravens. Fans were allowed to vote online. Over 10,000 votes were cast, with an overwhelming 79% in favor of using the Colts fight song with new lyrics.