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6 awesome things from last weekend in college marching band
The Michigan and Michigan State marching bands both took the field for a special tribute to their home state on Saturday.Photo by: YouTube

6 awesome things from last weekend in college marching band

by Drum Corps International

College football certainly wouldn't be what it is today without the rich traditions and entertainment that university marching bands bring to millions every Saturday as part of the game-day experience.

From an unprecedented collaboration between two in-state rivals to a band-loving celebrity sighting, here's just a taste of some of the coolest things seen from marching musicians during week six of the college football season.

Pure Michigan



During a heated game between Michigan and Michigan State at  “The Big House” in Ann Arbor, the two university marching bands put their rivalry aside as they joined forces for a special halftime performance. With a show they titled “State of Michigan,” the two ensembles kicked things off with “Mars” from Holst's “The Planets” before wrapping up the nearly 12-minute performance by forming Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas while playing the “1812 Overture.”

2Garnering attention for the Aggies



Once a band geek, always a band geek. Thank you @tamu for the best family weekend. #mydadsanaggie #gigem

A post shared by Jennifer Garner (@jennifer.garner) on Oct 8, 2017 at 9:26am PDT


Golden Globe Award-winning actress Jennifer Garner, who's known to be vocal about her time as a saxophone-playing marching musician, showed some love for the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band while attending the Texas A&M game in College Station.

3The Wave

One of college football's newest and most feel-good traditions at University of Iowa games started as a grass roots effort on social media to get the entire stadium to wave in unison to the young patients at the Stead Family Children's Hospital located just behind the stadium. During the Big Ten matchup between Iowa and Illinois, the Hawkeye Marching Band got into the action by marching into a sideline-to-sideline formation of a hand and waving it back and forth.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a Buckeye



Though Ohio State and Michigan won't face each other on the gridiron until November 25, it didn't stop "The Best Damn Band in the Land" from throwing some shade at the Wolverines as part of a boxing-themed halftime production. As the band broke into the strains of “Eye of the Tiger,” they channeled their fury into a Block M punching bag that swung back and forth with each additional blow.

5 Running back can bust tackles and a move

Lavon Coleman feeling the groove with Husky Band and Cal Band at post-game!

Posted by Husky Marching Band on Sunday, October 8, 2017


After the Washington Huskies put the hurt on California 38-7, Washington running back Lavon Coleman couldn't help himself from celebrating with band members as they laid down a groove during a post-game performance.

6Conducting with style



Twenty college and university marching bands took the field during the annual Collegiate Marching Band Festival at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 1. Anthony McDonnell, executive drum major of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Marching Band, took time at the event to explain a unique style utilized by his band's conductors.

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