Each one of the sisters in Theta Lambda performs in an Auburn Band ensemble every semester, and our chapter is incredibly dedicated to the music program here at Auburn. We have six band ensembles: the Auburn University Marching Band (AUMB), Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Campus Band, Jazz Band and Basketball Pep Band, and each ensemble has several sisters in it.
Our marching band is under the direction of Dr. Corey Spurlin, an honorary member of the Theta Lambda chapter. It has 380 people, only ten percent of whom are music majors. The AUMB performs at every single home game and large away game, including post-season games. For smaller away games, we send a pep band. The band puts on three to four different halftime shows each season and performs the iconic pregame show at every single home game. In addtion to the shows, we also complete a "March Around" in the stadium, marching in the entertaining pregame style around the field while playing our fight song, "War Eagle." Before the game, we also play a pep rally for the football players and fans as they enter the stadium, and we perform a unique pep rally featuring four pep bands marching in unison into a central location. Our marching band is beloved by our university and highly successful, having been awarded the Sudler Trophy, the highest award for a college marching band, in 2004 and having traveled to Ireland in 2008 to perform in the Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade.
The Auburn Symphonic Band is under the direction of Dr. Rick Good, another honorary of Theta Lambda. It is an audition-based ensemble comprised of the most talented wind and percussion players at Auburn University. The ensemble has approximately 70 people each semester and performs several concerts each semester, each with a highly challenging repetoire. The band recently completed a concert tour in Italy, visiting Rome, Ariccia, Florence, Venice, Gubbio, and Assisi. They performed concerts in Ariccia and Gubbio, and the performances were very received! All of the members of the ensemble had incredible experiences, and it was a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved. Previously, in 2012, the Symphonic Band traveled to China and performed in Beijing, Jinan, Chuzou, and Shanghai.
The Auburn Concert Band is under the direction of Dr. Corey Spurlin with the assistance of Dr. Nikki Gross. There are approximately 80 people in the band each semester, and it is the second audition-based ensemble at Auburn. They perform one concert each fall and two concerts each spring and play interesting music that hails from all eras of wind literature. Most of the members of the concert band are non-music majors who remain active in the band because of their passion for music.
The Auburn Campus Band is led by the graduate teaching assistants and serves as an opportunity for them to practice conducting and for people who do not have a significant amount of time to still participate in an ensemble. They perform one concert in the spring. It is the largest ensemble at Auburn and has a very large percentage of Tau Beta Sigma sisters and Kappa Kappa Psi brothers.
Beyond the official Auburn ensembles, our sisters are still involved in the performance of music. We regularly have members in the Chamber Choir, Women's Chorus, Men's Chorus, and Conductor's Chorus. We have also had sisters in the Gospel Choir and in some of the other unique ensembles on campus. We also have sisters compose music for our use in rituals.
Below, there are two videos of our Marching Band. The first is the intro video that plays on our record-setting Jumbotron before each Pregame performance. The second is the AUMB reaction to the incredible "Kick Six" play that ended the 2013 Iron Bowl. See if you can find any of our sisters in the videos!