Band of the Hour
Encyclopedia
The Frost Band of the Hour is the marching band
at the University of Miami
in Coral Gables, Florida
. The band plays at all home football games and one away game. It also travels to post-season football bowl games in years that the football team plays at one. The university also has separate concert bands and pep bands for other sports. The Band of the Hour received its name at a halftime show at the Orange Bowl
in 1948. The band was playing Henry Fillmore
’s “The Man of The Hour” march. The announcer spoke over the public address
system, “‘The Man of the Hour,’ played by the ‘Band of the Hour’!” This has been the unofficial name ever since.
In 1933, by Walter E. Shaeffer, a solo clarinet
ist and concertmaster
with the United States Marine Band under John Phillip Sousa, founded the band. During the 1950s, Henry Fillmore
, famed composer of band music, became a major patron of the band and was responsible for the construction of the band’s permanent home, Henry Fillmore Band Hall.
Fred McCall was Director of Bands from 1948 until his retirement in June 1971, when he became Director Emeritus. William B. Russell was Director of Bands from 1972 to 1991. Michael Mann, served as Director of the Band of the Hour and Associate Director of Bands from 1991-2000. In 1993, the current Director of Bands, Gary D. Green took office. Michael B. Dressman was Director of the Band of the Hour from 2000 to 2004. C. David Ragsdale was appointed interim director for the 2004-2005 school year. Phillip Clements was Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Band of the Hour until the summer of 2008, when Thomas Keck became Director of the Band of the Hour and Associate Director of Bands. Charles Damon is his Senior Staff Assistant.
Keck set a goal of increasing the band's size to 200, and the band has increased. In September 2009, band membership had reached 179, due in part to including members of the Florida International University
band, which was dissolved due to budget cuts. The band also includes students from Miami Dade College
and other schools. In 2009, Mario Cruz set a record of playing with the band for 10 years.
Since 1993, the Band of the Hour Association is an alumni group that supports the band. The association maintains a hall of fame for the band. Alumni also play or march with the band during homecoming football games.
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...
at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
. The band plays at all home football games and one away game. It also travels to post-season football bowl games in years that the football team plays at one. The university also has separate concert bands and pep bands for other sports. The Band of the Hour received its name at a halftime show at the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
in 1948. The band was playing Henry Fillmore
Henry Fillmore
Henry Fillmore was an American musician, composer, publisher, and bandleader, best-known for his many marches and screamers.-Biography:James Henry Fillmore Jr. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio as the eldest of five children...
’s “The Man of The Hour” march. The announcer spoke over the public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
system, “‘The Man of the Hour,’ played by the ‘Band of the Hour’!” This has been the unofficial name ever since.
In 1933, by Walter E. Shaeffer, a solo clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
ist and concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
with the United States Marine Band under John Phillip Sousa, founded the band. During the 1950s, Henry Fillmore
Henry Fillmore
Henry Fillmore was an American musician, composer, publisher, and bandleader, best-known for his many marches and screamers.-Biography:James Henry Fillmore Jr. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio as the eldest of five children...
, famed composer of band music, became a major patron of the band and was responsible for the construction of the band’s permanent home, Henry Fillmore Band Hall.
Fred McCall was Director of Bands from 1948 until his retirement in June 1971, when he became Director Emeritus. William B. Russell was Director of Bands from 1972 to 1991. Michael Mann, served as Director of the Band of the Hour and Associate Director of Bands from 1991-2000. In 1993, the current Director of Bands, Gary D. Green took office. Michael B. Dressman was Director of the Band of the Hour from 2000 to 2004. C. David Ragsdale was appointed interim director for the 2004-2005 school year. Phillip Clements was Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Band of the Hour until the summer of 2008, when Thomas Keck became Director of the Band of the Hour and Associate Director of Bands. Charles Damon is his Senior Staff Assistant.
Keck set a goal of increasing the band's size to 200, and the band has increased. In September 2009, band membership had reached 179, due in part to including members of the Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
band, which was dissolved due to budget cuts. The band also includes students from Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College, or simply Miami Dade or MDC, is a state college with eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers located throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Florida College System. Miami Dade College is the largest school in the Florida College...
and other schools. In 2009, Mario Cruz set a record of playing with the band for 10 years.
Since 1993, the Band of the Hour Association is an alumni group that supports the band. The association maintains a hall of fame for the band. Alumni also play or march with the band during homecoming football games.