Dates

• Existence: 1954-

Administrative History

The Cougar Marching Band (1954- ) is the marching band of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

The first marching band at Brigham Young University was likely established around 1908 by Professor Robert Sauer, and was later administered by the Reserve Officer's Training Corps as the R.O.T.C. Band. In 1953, administration of the R.O.T.C. Band was transferred to the College of Fine Arts, and placed under the direction of Richard E. Ballou. The following year, in September 1954, the R.O.T.C. Band was replaced by the coed Cougar Marching Band. The band is also known as "The Power of the Wasatch" after the Wasatch mountain range which borders the university campus. The Cougar Marching Band is an ensemble group in the School of Music in the College of Fine Arts and Communications at Brigham Young University. The band performs both pre-game and halftime performances and consists of 225 performing members, including a Drumline Battery, Color Guard, and a Flag/Rifle Line. It is an audition-only group.

Citation:

BYU Cougar Marching Band, via WWW, Nov. 1, 2018 (Cougar Marching Band; est. approximately 1908; marching band of BYU in Provo, UT; originally the ROTC marching band; now more closely associated with university athletics; 225 performing members; audition-only group)

BYU Bands, via WWW, Nov. 2, 2018 (performs pre-game and halftime performances; nicknamed "The Power of the Wasatch" after the Wasatch mountain range which borders university campus; includes a Drumline Battery, Color Guard, and a Flag/Rifle Line)

BYU School of Music, via WWW, Nov. 2, 2018 (The Cougar Marching Band is an ensemble group in the School of Music in the College of Fine Arts and Communications at BYU)

Wikipedia, via WWW, Feb. 15, 2019: BYU bands and ensembles (Cougar Marching Band; also known as the "Power of the Wasatch"; marching band first organized at BYU in 1908 by Robert Sauer; by 1943, the band managed as part of the school's ROTC; in 1953, band administration transferred to the College of Fine Arts, with Richard A. Ballou as director and Grant Elkington as drum major; directors have included Elkington, Bruce Bastian, Dan Bachelder, David Blackinton, and Don Peterson)

Banyan, 1954: p. 215 (R.O.T.C. Band; Dick Ballou, director)

Banyan, 1955: p. 74 (Marching Band; Richard Ballou, conductor; Val Crosley, majorette; Grant Elkington, drum major)

Brigham Young universe, Oct. 14, 1954: p. 4 (Cougar Marching Band; "only its second performance")

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