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University of Southern California
Since its beginning in 1880, the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band has become the largest spirit organization on campus. The Spirit of Troy consists of 275 student musicians and auxiliaries representing 60 fields of undergraduate and graduate degrees.
The band received its first exposure to the national limelight when it had the distinct privilege of performing under the baton of John Phillip Sousa. But the band’s real break came when it formed the 10th Olympic Briad for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Once was not enough, so, in 1984, 125 Trojans made up the core of a mass band performing at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 23rd Olympiad in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The contemporary Trojan Band has been under the direction of Dr. Arthur C. Bartner since 1970. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Dr. Bartner developed both the "drive-it" style of marching that has become legendary and the "rock-chart" sound copied by collegiate programs across the country.
Because of its unique marching, its sound, and its relationship with one of the premiere athletic programs in the country, the TMB has built its reputation as "The Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe" through frequent bowl appearances. In addition to an unprecedented 28 Rose Bowls, the band has also appeared in the Liberty, Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Mirage, Citrus, John Hancock, Sun, Freedom, Aloha, and Fiesta Bowls. In fact, these performances have led to even bigger venues, such as roles in the half-time shows for Super Bowls XXI, XXII, and XXVII, the second game of the 1988 World Series, and the opening of both EPCOT Center in Orlando and the Euro-Disney theme park in Paris. On July 4th, 1986, 40 members of the band were on hand to help rededicate the Statue of Liberty.
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