Tulane University Marching Band

In the Spring of 2006 amidst an emotional city still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, a young band with brand-new uniforms marched down the street along the route of the Krewe of Alla. This group brought hope and a sense that the future may still be bright. That was the birth of the Tulane University Marching Band. Today, the “Sound of Uptown” is the flagship music ensemble of Tulane University and performs for over one million people every year at Green Wave Football Games, Mardi Gras Parades, and lots of high-profile appearances! Students from Tulane University receive a scholarship for enrolling in the Marching Band and students can cross-register from Loyola University or from any other New Orleans area institution to participate in the TUMB through Tulane’s School of Professional Advancement! All members receive monetary awards or honorariums for participating in the band and additional scholarships and honorariums are available for members who participate in more than one ensemble!

The Sound of Uptown

The Tulane University Marching Band (TUMB) consists of a full winds section, marching percussion, front ensemble percussion and electronics, contemporary color guard, and the Shockwave Dance Team. Our primary focus is entertainment at the highest level and the experience of our performing members! Over the course of their career, TUMB members will learn from world-class educators and performers. Our pre-season Band Camp begins in August with guest clinicians bringing experience from DCI, WGI, UDA, NDA, and HBCU arts programs to start the season. Much of our standard musical repertoire draws from New Orleans musical traditions. Members will get to meet, study with, and perform alongside legendary New Orleans musicians and culturebearers as we incorporate these traditions into our programs. In 2022, the TUMB performed with GRAMMY Award winners and all-star brass band, The New Orleans Nightcrawlers, for our Homecoming show. The full time bands staff works to make these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and performances a regular part of the Tulane Bands experience. This is The Sound of Uptown!

Green Wave Football

The TUMB performs at all home football games for the Tulane University Green Wave Football team, invitational and post-season bowl games, and select away games. The Sound of Uptown is an unmistakable part of the GameDay experience from our pregame parades to our innovative yet firmly traditional field shows. Performing for crowds at our home in Yulman Stadium is an experience like no other as every seat is a good seat! The band performs in the student section and fuels the energetic atmosphere for the Green Wave. The Shockwave Dance Team performs on the sidelines and is featured in timeout and halftime performances on the field. The band has traveled to perform at the Military Bowl in Annapolis, MD, the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, TX, the Cure Bowl in Orlando, FL, and more!

MARDI GRAS

The Tulane University Marching Band is the only collegiate marching band to annually perform in some of the biggest New Orleans Mardi Gras parades. Carnival season begins on the Eve of the Epiphany (January 6th), and lasts until Mardi Gras Day. Parades and festivals dot the weekends leading up to the final weekend where there are parades every night from Wednesday before Mardi Gras all the way up through Tuesday. As New Orleans's only collegiate marching band, the TUMB has participated in parades such as Le Krewe d'Etat, the Krewe of Thoth, the Krewe of Pygmalion, the Krewe of Bacchus, and the Krewe of Rex, among many others. New Orleans parades are attended by millions of people from all around the world and the TUMB is proud to be a part of such an incredible city-wide celebration!

Mardi Gras parades are not your typical parade! The TUMB rolls down the street with our Shockwave dance team, color guard, band proper, and battery percussion sections followed by the official Volkswagen Bus of the TUMB. Don't expect to see the band in military ranks because they get down and dirty, dancing to drum cadences and playing some of New Orleans' funkiest music directly into the crowd! Watch for the official parade throws of the TUMB, annual-themed doubloons thrown by staff and parade chaperones! So Grab a slice of King Cake (avoid the baby!), head down to your spot (sidewalk or neutral ground?), and you'll see the TUMB as they are every year dancing by and "playing you somethin' mister!"

High-Profile Appearances

The TUMB is frequently invited to participate in high-profile events in and around New Orleans. Members of the band have performed with Trombone Shorty, New Kids on the Block, Wendell Brunious and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The band can be seen on the New Orleans introduction of American Idol Season 21 and in the CBS hit, NCIS: New Orleans. The TUMB and its umbrella ensembles have performed for New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Saints, and the 2020 World Expo in Dubai!

SCHOLARSHIPS AND HONORARIUMS

Marching Band Scholarships are available to Tulane University undergraduates, regardless of academic major. Additional scholarship money may be available based on quality of audition and instrumentation needs for the TUMB.  These awards are granted through the recruitment process with the Director of Bands.  Awards renew automatically every year that the student remains fully participating in the band program and is in good standing with the university. Honorariums are awarded for extended service to the band, as service awards to Loyola, UNO, and SoPA students, and by participating in the Soundwave Pep Band or Green Wave Brass Band. For more information contact Director of Bands Barry Spanier at bspanier@tulane.edu or call 504-865-5139.