Sun Devil Marching Band

The Sun Devil Marching Band (SDMB), also known as The Pride of the Southwest, is the athletic band of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The ASU Band program, which includes the Marching, Pep, and Dixieland bands, is a part of the Sun Devil Athletics department. The band is currently under the direction of Director of Athletic Bands James G. "The Hammer" Hudson, who took over the program in 2006. The Sun Devil Marching Band is a major ambassador for Arizona State University and the state of Arizona. Each year almost 500,000 people are entertained by the band, which plays at home football at Mountain America Stadium and as a pep band for basketball games at Desert Financial Arena, homecoming, bowl game parades, other community events in the Valley, across the country, and even abroad.

On September 20, 1915, the Arizona Board of Education accepted and ratified the creation of the Tempe Bulldogs Marching Band under Lillian Williams (1915–1917). Under her guidance she furnished on her own the band's instruments, uniforms, and repertoire of standard classical music. The Bulldogs Marching Band though would be discontinued due to World War I. Williams last appearance was during 1947 concert as then Sun Devil Marching Band director Felix E. McKernan honored her. The Bulldogs Marching Band return in 1929 under short tenure of the direction of John Paul Jones. In transition under the direction of Carl G. Hoyer in 1937 the band's first bowl appearance for the Tournament of Roses Parade where the band won second prize. Though that year Hoyer would leave after then Arizona governor, Benjamin Baker Moeur, rejected his Arizona State Song for the state song of Arizona. During Dr. Robert G. Lyon five-year tenure was the addition of new parade and marching formations as well as swing music.

Under Felix E. McKernan direction saw the various changes taken place for the band and the school. In 1946, the school's, mascot was redesigned by former Disney illustrator, Bert Anthony, from the Bulldog to Sparky, the Sun Devil. McKernan made his marks in the band by composing the school's fight song Maroon & Gold, implementing script drill formations in pregame and halftime shows, holding auditions for instrumentation placing, offering scholarships to boost membership, recruiting high school band members, establishing Band Day, and formatting three weekly rehearsals. All of which laid the basis for band to grow rapidly. The band's growing reputation brought a lot of praise from directors across the nation such as Clarence Sawhill (1947–1952) of the USC Trojan Band proclaimed the band as "The Best Marching Band in the Southwest."

McKernan's successor, Harold C. Hines, as well added to McKernan's body of work by holding band camp a week before the Fall semester begins, additions to pregame pageantry, 1957 implementing fireworks, band's active role in Proposition 200 in 1958 for university status, and establishing the Alumni Band for Homecoming Games. August 1974 initiated a new period in the history of the Sun Devil Band program with the hiring of two new directors. The two men brought a new style of marching and philosophy to ASU's band program. Dr. Richard E. "Doc" Strange (1974–1999) became Director of Bands and brought (now) Dr. Robert C. "Coach" Fleming (1974–2002) as assistant director of Bands; this position was ultimately elevated to associate director of Bands, and is now designated Director of Athletic Bands. The Marching Band gained national recognition by performing at the 1987 and 1997 Rose Bowl games and Tournament of Roses Parades. Also to the band's credit are performances at Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, the then Los Angeles Raiders and Los Angeles Rams professional football games, Phoenix Suns professional basketball games, SeaWorld, Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland, Universal Studios, SeaWorld San Diego, on the deck of the Navy carrier USS Ranger (CV-61), and the 1990 Coca-Cola Bowl in Tokyo, Japan. Of note during the San Francisco 49er gig fans were impressed by the Sun Devil Marching Band rendition of George Cory's I Left My Heart in San Francisco the franchise insisted on the band making a 1963 recording and continued on using it at 49ers home games.^{[citation needed]} On November 9, 1991, the Sun Devil Marching Band became the first Pac-10 marching band to receive the prestigious Sudler Trophy. This great honor is awarded (now biennially) to a college or university marching band that has demonstrated the highest musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas. On multiple occasions, the band was invited by the NFL, to be part of the pregame and halftime festivities of Super Bowls XLII and XLIX in Glendale, Arizona.

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Membership in the Sun Devil Marching Band is open to all university and community college students with previous high school or college marching band experience. In order to receive one credit hour for the class for full-time ASU students and non-degree community college students seeking the credit, enrollment in the class is required in order to obtain the credit hour. For individuals interested in participating in the Sun Devil Marching Band, but are not considered full-time degree seeking students at ASU are required to apply to ASU as non-degree students in order to register for the course. Currently an alternate “registration” route is offered for those who will only be registered for the marching band course(s), giving them the opportunity to participate in the Sun Devil Marching Band without incurring full tuition costs. Color Guard, Spirit Squad and Percussion have an additional class to add for one credit hour.

"Maroon & Gold", ASU's fight song, is a familiar tune for Sun Devils all over the country, but is not the only "fight song" at ASU. In 1940, during World War II, Fred Waring composed a piece for the Arizona State College called "Fight, Arizona State (March On, Arizona)" which had become lost in history until 2015 when director James G. Hudson discovered it in the archives. He arranged it to be a part of the pregame show during the band program's 100th anniversary. Also in the 1940s, band director Albert Davis wrote "Go, Go Sun Devils" (more commonly known to the band as "The Al Davis Fight Song"); to this day, though Davis retired in the 1950s, the Sun Devil Marching Band continues to play the Al Davis Fight Song in their pregame performance as the Sun Devils come out of the tunnel onto the field, and occasionally make up humorous lyrics.

Another fight song that was written for the school but used sparingly was the song penned by former ASU President, G. Homer Durham. It was called "Sing a Song for ASU" and was last used at homecomings in the very early 1970s.