Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band
Encyclopedia
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band (also known as the Marching Yellow Jackets) is the official marching band
of the Georgia Institute of Technology
. Founded in 1908 by a group of 14 students, the Georgia Tech Band is one of the school's oldest student organizations.
The Yellow Jacket Marching Band performs at all home football
games, and the pep band
, composed of a contingent of marching band members, plays at all home basketball
games. At least a portion of the marching band or pep band travels to most away games, as financed by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association
.
Robert L. "Biddy" Bidez
of Mobile, Alabama
founded the Georgia Tech band in 1908 along with 13 other students. Bidez was the student leader of the band from its inception in 1908 until he graduated from the school in 1912 with a degree in Textiles. The band was first chartered on January 1, 1911, making it one of the school's oldest student organizations. M.A. "Mike" Greenblatt was a student who directed the band from the Fall of 1912 through 1913.
Frank "Wop" Roman
was Georgia Tech's first professional band leader. He came to Tech in 1913 to play piccolo in the band, and became the director the next fall. He continued until his death on December 19, 1928. He wrote Tech's Alma Mater, as well as the arrangement
s for Ramblin' Wreck
and Up With the White and Gold. Georgia Tech was the first Southern
college to have its songs recorded; they were marketed by the Columbia Graphophone Company
starting on November 13, 1925. Since then, the songs have been published in a variety of compilations. The Iota chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi
, a national honorary band fraternity
, was founded under Roman's directorship in 1924.
In 1929, Major A. J. Garing was hired to replace Frank Roman. Garing was a member of the John Phillip Sousa Band. In 1931, Georgia Tech's Alma Mater and the fight song "Up With the White and Gold" were copyrighted.
Ben Logan Sisk succeeded Major Garing, and served as director until his retirement in 1975. In 1954, two of the nine women who were enrolled at Tech, Trombonist Teresa Thomas and flutist Paula Stevenson, became the first female members of the band. Also during his term as director, the Music Department was established under Tech's general college and participation in the band and other music programs could be counted as free elective academic credits. The band also found its first permanent home in the Crenshaw Building, which was behind the Varsity Drive-In on 3rd Street. During this time the band would march through the 3rd street tunnel under the Atlanta Downtown Connector to get to the football games at Grant Field. The fans would know the band was on its way because the drum corps would line the sides of the tunnel as the rest of the band marched through it. The echoing drums could be heard in the stadium. Georgia Tech eventually sold the Crenshaw Building and the land to the Varsity, and the band moved into the former Church of God, on the corner of Ferst Drive and Hemphill Avenue.
In 1970, athletic director Bobby Dodd
requested that the band no longer play Dixie
at basketball games. Dodd later extended this request to football games as well. You've Said It All (Budweiser)
was substituted for Dixie as the song played at the end of the third quarter of football games and during a later timeout in the second half of basketball games. The song was chosen because of the popularity of the song when the band had played it as part of an advertisement for the Atlanta Beverage Company.
The Epsilon Theta chapter of Tau Beta Sigma
, an honorary band sorority, was founded in 1973 as the counterpart to Kappa Kappa Psi.
Edward Bridges was hired as the band's new director in 1975. Bridges came from an assistant directorship of the band at the University of Georgia
(of which he was also an alumnus
) and was also retired from the Air Force. Bridges' style of leadership differed greatly from Sisk's and created immediate tensions between him and the band's student leadership, which had traditionally been in charge of the band's day-to-day operations. Some former band members have posited that this was intentional, that the Institute administration was looking to take back control of the band from the students. It is unclear whether Bridges' selection as director was done with or without the input of the band's leadership at the time; however, Bridges abolished the student leadership structure upon taking the position. The positions of band officers remained, but in a significantly diminished capacity. Eventually, the clash between Bridges' leadership style and the band's culture resulted in Bridges' departure. He was replaced by Ken Durham, who had been hired as assistant band director in 1976. Durham had been a music educator in Atlanta
for many years and had directed the band at Headland High School in the 1960s. He served as the band's director until 1983 when he accepted a promotion at his job at Ameriprise.
Despite tensions, the band, and in fact Tech's music program as a whole, underwent significant growth and changes during Bridges' tenure as band director and head of the music department. In the summer of 1975, the music department moved from the Crenshaw building to the Couch Building, formerly Couch Elementary School. In 1976, an institute restructuring moved the Music Department from the general college to the College of Sciences and Liberal Studies. This eventually allowed band members and members of other music programs to count their participation toward their degrees' humanities
requirement rather than just a free elective.
In 1977, the Georgia Tech Jazz Ensemble was officially established by several band members with Doug Richards as its director. Following its informal formation in 1974, the Jazz Ensemble faced significant resistance against its formation by the band's student leadership. Sisk's retirement, the selection of Bridges as the band's new director, and the subsequent dismantling of the student leadership structure established under Sisk proved beneficial for the Ensemble. Bridges is credited with saving the Jazz Ensemble from an "early extinction" by providing its members with encouragement and suggesting that they submit a petition to the school to establish their practice sessions as a course offering. The Jazz Ensemble is currently under the direction of Professor Ron Mendola.
The Georgia Tech Band Alumni Association was founded in 1979.
Following the departure of Ken Durham, James “Bucky” Johnson was hired as Tech's first full-time director of bands. During his directorship, the Georgia Tech Band Club underwent changes with a revision of the Constitution of the Georgia Tech Band in 1988. In 1991, the Music Department expanded even further and was moved under the College of Architecture. In 1992, Johnson was named chair of the Music Department, and in 1995 the school began offering a certificate in music.
During halftime of the 1992 rivalry game at the University of Georgia, the band executed a prank that drew media attention and gained a level of notoriety. As the band took the field for its halftime performance, several band members carried a large tarp
with the GT logo painted on it onto the field and used it to cover the logo painted at midfield commemorating UGA's football program's centennial. The band's performance could not be heard over the boos that were elicited from the home crowd. Reportedly, the stands remained full during the Georgia Tech band's performance and cleared out when the Redcoat Band took the field, as spectators delayed making trips to the concession stands in order to boo the Tech band's actions.
Leading up to the 1996 Olympic Games, Bucky Johnson was the director of the Atlanta Olympic Band in addition to being the director of the Georgia Tech Band. Prior to Atlanta winning the Olympic bid, Georgia Tech's pep band, and occasionally the entire marching band would dress in Olympic colors and play to greet dignitaries visiting the campus. The band marched in the parade celebrating Atlanta's selection as the 1996 Olympic host city.
In 2000, the marching band and symphonic band were invited to play in the 2001 St. Patrick's Day festivities in Dublin, Ireland. The marching band played in the parade, and the symphonic band played a concert in conjunction with the Dublin Institute of Technology
. Upon Johnson's retirement in 2002, the marching band had nearly tripled in size, reaching its current membership of around 350 students. Following Johnson's retirement, Andrea Strauss, formerly the assistant band director, was named Director of Bands and director of the Symphonic Band. Chris Moore
was named Director of Athletic Bands.
Tech's first degree program in music, a Master of Science
in Music Technology was approved in 2006. In 2007, 15 alumni trumpet players made commitments in support of an endowment which would provide an annual scholarship to a Georgia Tech trumpet player. The endowment and scholarship were conceived as a way to honor deceased trumpet alumni. Since 2005, three Tech trumpet players died either while still in school or not long after graduating.
Prior to Tech's football season opener against Notre Dame
on 2007-09-01, 150 members of the Georgia Tech Marching Band performed at the College Football Hall of Fame
.
2008 marked the band's centennial. Band members and band alumni have been encouraged to contribute their memories and stories for possible inclusion in a book, which was slated for release in the fall of 2008. The band was also invited to march in the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
as part of its centennial celebration. The full membership of the marching band participated in the trip to New York. Most recently, the marching band has been invited to play in Italy during Summer 2012 for a music festival.
, wear gold caps known as RAT caps at each football game. RAT is short for Recruit At Tech, although freshmen are sometimes addressed as RATS, or "Recruits at Tech", the often cited "Recently Acquired Tech Student" is not the true meaning. The RAT caps are decorated with the football team's scores, the freshman's name, hometown, major, expected graduation date, and "To HELL With georgia
" emblazoned on the back of the cap. Freshmen, or RATs, in the band are expected to wear their RAT caps during all official band functions, including rehearsals and football games.
. It often plays along with the current marching band in the stands and on the field at homecoming games. The Alumni Band is significantly involved with the forthcoming publication of a book about the history of the Georgia Tech Band, slated for release in the fall of 2008 in celebration of the band's centennial.
With the inauguration of the Georgia State Marching Band in 2010, the Marching Band no longer accepts any new wind or percussion cross-registration students. Students who had previously marched in the Georgia Tech Marching Band were allowed to continue, pending a successful audition process.
was founded on April 21, 1924, making it the sixth oldest active chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and the oldest active chapter in the southeastern United States.
was founded on 12 May 1973. It is the ninth oldest active chapter in the Southeast District.
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 Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. Founded in 1908 by a group of 14 students, the Georgia Tech Band is one of the school's oldest student organizations.
The Yellow Jacket Marching Band performs at all home football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games, and the pep band
Pep band
A pep band is an ensemble of instrumentalists who play at functions or events with the purpose of entertaining and "pepping" up a crowd. Often members of a pep band are a subset of people from a larger ensemble such as a marching band or a concert band. Pep bands are generally associated with...
, composed of a contingent of marching band members, plays at all home basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games. At least a portion of the marching band or pep band travels to most away games, as financed by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association
Georgia Tech Athletic Association
The Georgia Tech Athletic Association is a non-profit organization responsible for maintaining the intercollegiate athletic program at Georgia Tech. The Athletic Association is overseen by the Georgia Tech Athletic Board....
.
Early years
- Includes the directorships of Robert L. BidezRobert L. BidezRobert L. Bidez was the first director of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band, which he founded in 1908 as a student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was succeeded in that role by Mike Greenblatt....
(pre-1908-1912), Mike Greenblatt (1912-1913), and Frank RomanFrank RomanFrank Roman was a musician, composer, and band director of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1913 to 1929...
(1913-1929)
Robert L. Bidez
Robert L. Bidez was the first director of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band, which he founded in 1908 as a student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was succeeded in that role by Mike Greenblatt....
of Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
founded the Georgia Tech band in 1908 along with 13 other students. Bidez was the student leader of the band from its inception in 1908 until he graduated from the school in 1912 with a degree in Textiles. The band was first chartered on January 1, 1911, making it one of the school's oldest student organizations. M.A. "Mike" Greenblatt was a student who directed the band from the Fall of 1912 through 1913.
Frank "Wop" Roman
Frank Roman
Frank Roman was a musician, composer, and band director of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1913 to 1929...
was Georgia Tech's first professional band leader. He came to Tech in 1913 to play piccolo in the band, and became the director the next fall. He continued until his death on December 19, 1928. He wrote Tech's Alma Mater, as well as the arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s for Ramblin' Wreck
Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech
" Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" is the fight song of the Georgia Institute of Technology, better known as Georgia Tech. The composition is based on "Son of a Gambolier", composed by Charles Ives in 1895, the lyrics of which are based on an old English and Scottish drinking song of the same...
and Up With the White and Gold. Georgia Tech was the first Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
college to have its songs recorded; they were marketed by the Columbia Graphophone Company
Columbia Graphophone Company
The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
starting on November 13, 1925. Since then, the songs have been published in a variety of compilations. The Iota chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
, a national honorary band fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
, was founded under Roman's directorship in 1924.
Garing era
- Includes the directorship of A. J. Garing (1929-1946)
In 1929, Major A. J. Garing was hired to replace Frank Roman. Garing was a member of the John Phillip Sousa Band. In 1931, Georgia Tech's Alma Mater and the fight song "Up With the White and Gold" were copyrighted.
Sisk era
- Includes the directorship of Ben Logan Sisk (1946-1975)
Ben Logan Sisk succeeded Major Garing, and served as director until his retirement in 1975. In 1954, two of the nine women who were enrolled at Tech, Trombonist Teresa Thomas and flutist Paula Stevenson, became the first female members of the band. Also during his term as director, the Music Department was established under Tech's general college and participation in the band and other music programs could be counted as free elective academic credits. The band also found its first permanent home in the Crenshaw Building, which was behind the Varsity Drive-In on 3rd Street. During this time the band would march through the 3rd street tunnel under the Atlanta Downtown Connector to get to the football games at Grant Field. The fans would know the band was on its way because the drum corps would line the sides of the tunnel as the rest of the band marched through it. The echoing drums could be heard in the stadium. Georgia Tech eventually sold the Crenshaw Building and the land to the Varsity, and the band moved into the former Church of God, on the corner of Ferst Drive and Hemphill Avenue.
In 1970, athletic director Bobby Dodd
Bobby Dodd
Robert Lee Dodd was an American college football coach at Georgia Tech. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player and coach, something that only three people have accomplished....
requested that the band no longer play Dixie
Dixie (song)
Countless lyrical variants of "Dixie" exist, but the version attributed to Dan Emmett and its variations are the most popular. Emmett's lyrics as they were originally intended reflect the mood of the United States in the late 1850s toward growing abolitionist sentiment. The song presented the point...
at basketball games. Dodd later extended this request to football games as well. You've Said It All (Budweiser)
Here Comes the King
Here Comes the King is a well-known advertising jingle written for Budweiser, whose slogan is "The King of beers." Budweiser is the flagship brand of the Anheuser-Busch brewery....
was substituted for Dixie as the song played at the end of the third quarter of football games and during a later timeout in the second half of basketball games. The song was chosen because of the popularity of the song when the band had played it as part of an advertisement for the Atlanta Beverage Company.
The Epsilon Theta chapter of Tau Beta Sigma
Tau Beta Sigma
Tau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni...
, an honorary band sorority, was founded in 1973 as the counterpart to Kappa Kappa Psi.
From activity to academics
- Includes the directorship of Edward Bridges and Ken Durham (1975-1983) and part of James "Bucky" Johnson's directorship (1983-1995)
Edward Bridges was hired as the band's new director in 1975. Bridges came from an assistant directorship of the band at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
(of which he was also an alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
) and was also retired from the Air Force. Bridges' style of leadership differed greatly from Sisk's and created immediate tensions between him and the band's student leadership, which had traditionally been in charge of the band's day-to-day operations. Some former band members have posited that this was intentional, that the Institute administration was looking to take back control of the band from the students. It is unclear whether Bridges' selection as director was done with or without the input of the band's leadership at the time; however, Bridges abolished the student leadership structure upon taking the position. The positions of band officers remained, but in a significantly diminished capacity. Eventually, the clash between Bridges' leadership style and the band's culture resulted in Bridges' departure. He was replaced by Ken Durham, who had been hired as assistant band director in 1976. Durham had been a music educator in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
for many years and had directed the band at Headland High School in the 1960s. He served as the band's director until 1983 when he accepted a promotion at his job at Ameriprise.
Despite tensions, the band, and in fact Tech's music program as a whole, underwent significant growth and changes during Bridges' tenure as band director and head of the music department. In the summer of 1975, the music department moved from the Crenshaw building to the Couch Building, formerly Couch Elementary School. In 1976, an institute restructuring moved the Music Department from the general college to the College of Sciences and Liberal Studies. This eventually allowed band members and members of other music programs to count their participation toward their degrees' humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
requirement rather than just a free elective.
In 1977, the Georgia Tech Jazz Ensemble was officially established by several band members with Doug Richards as its director. Following its informal formation in 1974, the Jazz Ensemble faced significant resistance against its formation by the band's student leadership. Sisk's retirement, the selection of Bridges as the band's new director, and the subsequent dismantling of the student leadership structure established under Sisk proved beneficial for the Ensemble. Bridges is credited with saving the Jazz Ensemble from an "early extinction" by providing its members with encouragement and suggesting that they submit a petition to the school to establish their practice sessions as a course offering. The Jazz Ensemble is currently under the direction of Professor Ron Mendola.
The Georgia Tech Band Alumni Association was founded in 1979.
Following the departure of Ken Durham, James “Bucky” Johnson was hired as Tech's first full-time director of bands. During his directorship, the Georgia Tech Band Club underwent changes with a revision of the Constitution of the Georgia Tech Band in 1988. In 1991, the Music Department expanded even further and was moved under the College of Architecture. In 1992, Johnson was named chair of the Music Department, and in 1995 the school began offering a certificate in music.
During halftime of the 1992 rivalry game at the University of Georgia, the band executed a prank that drew media attention and gained a level of notoriety. As the band took the field for its halftime performance, several band members carried a large tarp
Tarpaulin
A tarpaulin, colloquially tarp, is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. In some places such as Australia, and in military slang, a tarp may be known as a...
with the GT logo painted on it onto the field and used it to cover the logo painted at midfield commemorating UGA's football program's centennial. The band's performance could not be heard over the boos that were elicited from the home crowd. Reportedly, the stands remained full during the Georgia Tech band's performance and cleared out when the Redcoat Band took the field, as spectators delayed making trips to the concession stands in order to boo the Tech band's actions.
Modern history
- Includes the rest of James "Bucky" Johnson's directorship (1995-2002) and Andrea Strauss and Chris Moore's joint directorship (2002-present)
Leading up to the 1996 Olympic Games, Bucky Johnson was the director of the Atlanta Olympic Band in addition to being the director of the Georgia Tech Band. Prior to Atlanta winning the Olympic bid, Georgia Tech's pep band, and occasionally the entire marching band would dress in Olympic colors and play to greet dignitaries visiting the campus. The band marched in the parade celebrating Atlanta's selection as the 1996 Olympic host city.
In 2000, the marching band and symphonic band were invited to play in the 2001 St. Patrick's Day festivities in Dublin, Ireland. The marching band played in the parade, and the symphonic band played a concert in conjunction with the Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology was established officially in 1992 under the but had been previously set up in 1978 on an ad-hoc basis. The institution can trace its origins back to 1887 with the establishment of various technical institutions in Dublin, Ireland...
. Upon Johnson's retirement in 2002, the marching band had nearly tripled in size, reaching its current membership of around 350 students. Following Johnson's retirement, Andrea Strauss, formerly the assistant band director, was named Director of Bands and director of the Symphonic Band. Chris Moore
Chris Moore (musician)
Christopher James Moore, also known by his alias CDVR , is an American vocalist and keyboardist. He has performed in bands Dead Like Me, We Came as Romans, I See Stars, and now is concentrating independently on his solo experimental project, CDVR. He is also a graphic designer under the name of...
was named Director of Athletic Bands.
Tech's first degree program in music, a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Music Technology was approved in 2006. In 2007, 15 alumni trumpet players made commitments in support of an endowment which would provide an annual scholarship to a Georgia Tech trumpet player. The endowment and scholarship were conceived as a way to honor deceased trumpet alumni. Since 2005, three Tech trumpet players died either while still in school or not long after graduating.
Prior to Tech's football season opener against Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
on 2007-09-01, 150 members of the Georgia Tech Marching Band performed at the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
2008 marked the band's centennial. Band members and band alumni have been encouraged to contribute their memories and stories for possible inclusion in a book, which was slated for release in the fall of 2008. The band was also invited to march in the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
as part of its centennial celebration. The full membership of the marching band participated in the trip to New York. Most recently, the marching band has been invited to play in Italy during Summer 2012 for a music festival.
Traditions
RAT rules
Every year, a number of freshmen, most notably those in the marching bandMarching 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...
, wear gold caps known as RAT caps at each football game. RAT is short for Recruit At Tech, although freshmen are sometimes addressed as RATS, or "Recruits at Tech", the often cited "Recently Acquired Tech Student" is not the true meaning. The RAT caps are decorated with the football team's scores, the freshman's name, hometown, major, expected graduation date, and "To HELL With georgia
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is the nickname given to an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Bulldogs football team of the University of Georgia. The two Georgia universities are...
" emblazoned on the back of the cap. Freshmen, or RATs, in the band are expected to wear their RAT caps during all official band functions, including rehearsals and football games.
RAT parents
The original duty of RAT Parents was to haze freshman members of the band and enforce RAT Rules. The modern role of RAT Parents is to welcome freshman band members, teach them Georgia Tech and band traditions, help them adjust to life at Tech and in the band and to act as a friend and advisor to them. In the early days of the tradition, there was just a Rat Mom, who was always a male band member. Since the mid-1980s, there has been both a RAT Mom and a RAT Dad, the latter of which is always a female band member. Until 1990, the selection of Rat Parents was fairly informal. From 1990 to 1993, RAT Parents were selected by the band's executive board, partly to keep the decision in the hands of the students. When the executive board was dissolved in 1993, the selection was made by the director of bands following an interview process. New RAT Parents are announced along with the new drum majors for the upcoming year.Alumni band
Founded in 1979, the Alumni Band's mission is to "help connect GT Band Alumni with current GT Band activities and to help support the GT Band." Most of the Alumni Band's activities center around homecomingHomecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
. It often plays along with the current marching band in the stands and on the field at homecoming games. The Alumni Band is significantly involved with the forthcoming publication of a book about the history of the Georgia Tech Band, slated for release in the fall of 2008 in celebration of the band's centennial.
Cross-Register
Through the Cross-Registration Program in the Georgia Board of Regents, students of other colleges and universities without similar music programs were allowed to march in Georgia Tech's marching band. Students from Agnes Scott College, Atlanta College of Art, Clark Atlanta University, Clayton College & State University, Columbia Theological Seminary, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Institute of Paper Science & Technology, Interdenominational Theological Center, Kennesaw State University, Mercer University Atlanta, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morris Brown College, Oglethorpe University, Southern Polytechnic State University, and Spelman College were able to march in Georgia Tech's marching band after a successful audition process.With the inauguration of the Georgia State Marching Band in 2010, the Marching Band no longer accepts any new wind or percussion cross-registration students. Students who had previously marched in the Georgia Tech Marching Band were allowed to continue, pending a successful audition process.
Marching
The Georgia Tech Marching Band typically marches two shows each season, a pregame show and a halftime show. However, shows are sometimes modified or substituted in the case of a special event. The halftime show is different each season, but the pregame show remains largely the same from season to season. Among the more famous forms the band makes on the field are the "GT" and "Tech Tower"TECH Tower on the fieldThe "T" formation at 2008 game at Miami. Both of these forms are a part of the pregame show. The "GT" is commonly photographed aerially and this photo is one of the most widely used pictures of the band.GT formation at Miami 2008 It is also in this form that the football team, led by the Ramblin' Wreck, runs onto the field.
Music
As of the 2007 football season, the marching band's pregame routine includes a work entitled "Fantasia on Georgia Tech Themes" by current band director Chris Moore, containing chopped up bits of the major school songs (Ramblin' Wreck, White and Gold, and the Alma Mater). This change constitutes the first time the pregame music at GT has been edited in over 14 years.Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra
The Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra (GTSO) has been performing as an ensemble from 1996 to 2010 under the direction of Professor Ron Mendola, and from 2011 to the present under the direction of Dr. Andrea Brown. With an ensemble of over 80 students, they are one of the largest performance groups on campus. The GTSO is a full symphony orchestra consisting of strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and piano. They perform several times during the academic school year in the Robert Ferst Center for the Arts.Kappa Kappa Psi
The Iota chapter of Kappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
was founded on April 21, 1924, making it the sixth oldest active chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and the oldest active chapter in the southeastern United States.
Tau Beta Sigma
The Epsilon Theta chapter of Tau Beta SigmaTau Beta Sigma
Tau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni...
was founded on 12 May 1973. It is the ninth oldest active chapter in the Southeast District.