The Big Red Band is one of the few Ivy League bands that moves and plays at the same time while on the field. The title "The only REAL Marching Band in the Ivy League" comes from the fact that each show consists of several songs with both playing and marching (at the same time), and that these shows change on a weekly basis. Each home game is a different set of songs and drills, so that the Cornell fans get a different show each week. Away games are either the same or variations on Home games - it takes about 2 weeks to learn a new show, so the Big Red Band makes practical use of its time by using current shows for away games.
These shows don't just create themselves - someone has to come up with them. That responsibility falls upon the Show Committee. The Show Committee is lead and selected by the Show Committee Chairs. The process of officially selecting the Show Committee started with Owen Shieh '07 and Chris "RJC" John '08, and is traditionally done by administering a "short" written exam to remove bias from the selection. Being on the committee is the highest unelected position in the band, and the committee positions are used to teach upcoming band members what the position is like. Besides writing the shows the committee members aid in teaching drill. This year's Show Committee Chairs are Sydney Eisenberg '21 and Theo Richardson '19.
It is the Chairs' responsibility to make sure songs are selected, drills are written, and the shows are produced and taught in a timely manner. Music is often chosen in the spring, and show writing begins (in theory) that summer for the upcoming season. Anyone can write a show, and the Chairs don't always do it themselves, but ultimately it is the Chairs' responsibility to make sure the Big Red Band does SOMETHING on the field other than stand still and play.
Show Writing
The process of writing a show has many steps, as outlined below:
Prior to writing any shows, the Drum Major and Show Comm Chairs break the band up into "Ranks", allowing
for easier drills and teaching of shows, as well as social events. Ranks are usually by instrument
type and each rank often has its own nickname. A typical Rank split-up follows:
A: Flutes
B: Flutes
C: (Retired) Flutes
D: Flutes
E: Clarinets
F: Clarinets
G: (Retired - the Infamous "Rank 7")
H: Horns
I: (Retired) Clarinets
J: Saxophones
K: (Retired) Trombones (formerly Saxophones)
L: Saxophones
M: Trumpets
N: Trumpets
O: Trumpets
P: (Retired) Trumpets (formerly Percussion)
Q: (Retired) Trumpets
R: Baritones & Trombones
S: Trombones
T: Tubas ("Hammer")
U: (Retired) Trombones
V: Color Guard
W: Color Guard
X: (Retired) Trombones (Bones march with Tones now)
Y: (Retired) Twirlers
Z: Clarinets
&: Tenor and Baritone Saxophones
$: Saxophones
#: (Retired) Saxophones
?: (Retired) Tubas ("Sickle")
b: Percussion (Bass)
s: Percussion (Snare)
q: Percussion (Tenors/Quints)
l: Percussion (Bells)
This may vary from year to year as Band size or the balance of instruments varies.
The fun begins when music is selected by the Committee, and people are chosen to write the drill for a
given song. If the song is part of a show, the people working on each song must work together to handle
the transition between songs (Usually, the ending formation for a song is the opening formation for the
next song). From there, the song is broken down into moves of about 32 counts each - depending on how
fast the music is, how long the moves need to be, and how long the song is. From there, each rank is
assigned a separate move, and a pattern is formed on the field.
Typical commands for moving on the field include (the common abbreviations are in parenthesis):
* Forward (FM): Move straight forward, towards the sideline.
* Back (BM): Move straight back, away from the sideline.
* Slide (RS, LS): Move sideways, while still facing the sideline (So the audience can still hear you).
* Mark Time (MT): March in place.
* Gate Turn (GTCW, GTCCW): Rotate a line (rank) about a "pivot" point that is an endpoint.
* FTA: Follow the "Leader"
* Pinwheel (PWCW, PWCCW): Rotate a line (rank) about a "pivot" point within the rank.
* Flex (Curve): Go from a straight line to a curve, or vice versa.
* Oblique: Move at an angle, a cross between a Forward and a Slide.
* Chevron: Go from a straight line to a "V", or vice versa. There are different kinds of Chevrons,
depending on how you move to or from the line (Step-To and Step-From).
* DTP: Direct to Position - usually frowned upon by the BRB as being "Scatter Band" stuff.
This is all written down on special Charting Paper that graphs out the football field. These Charts are then
given to the ranks during practice on Tuesday nights, and the show is taught by the Drum Major and the Show Committee.
Point Chart or Line Chart?
The band uses line chart. There are several reasons for this. Line chart or as the band calls it Rank Drill, allows for a relaxed attendance policy. If a couple people are missing from a rank the shape on the field is still clear from the stands. In addition to this, rank drill allows for the more experienced members (each rank has two rank leaders) to march with new members and teach them the drill (and our rank system in general). Besides all of this Rank Drill is often quicker to write, though complicated and good looking drill can still take a long time.
Past Show Committee Chairs
This is the most current list. If you remember who was Show Committee Chair while you
were in the band or happen to know any others, please click contact us and let us know
so we can update the list.
* 2016--Mary Amper '18, Jeff Crosby '18, Susan Eichhorn '18
* 2015--Victoria Dye '16 and Jason Hutzler '16
* 2014--Corey Chang '15 and Jason Hutzler '16
* 2013--Hallie Klein '14 and Corey Chang '15
* 2012--Nick "Inky" Lamson '14 and Hallie Klein '14
* 2011--John Flanagan '12 and Jen Davis '12+1
* 2010--Alec Story '12 and Alanna Durkin '12
* 2009--Justin Landy '10 and Ramya Tadipatri '10
* 2008--Shayna Gerson '10, Zach "ShardZ" Glass '09 and Adam Sorrin '10
* 2007--Tommy "Tasty Cakes" Seery '09 and Chris "RJC" John '08
* 2006--Owen Shieh '07 and Chris "RJC" John '08
* 2005--Max "Power" Aubain '07, Owen Shieh '07, and Matt Tucker '07
* 2004--Jeremy Kerman '06 and Matt Tucker '07
* 2003--Michael "Shorts" Rosenkrantz '04 and Tori Ball '05
* 2002--Jamie Manos '04, Michael "Shorts" Rosenkrantz '04, and Dan Saltzberg '03
* 2001--Steve Jessup
* 2000--Steve Jessup and Andrew Wolf
* 1999--Praveen Anumolu and Chris Payne
* 1998--Mike Puterbaugh
* 1997--Tom Crookham, Ed Hutchins, and Maggie Mellon
* 1996--Jeff Shapiro and Michelle Tuorto
* 1995--Michelle Tuorto and Larry Weintraub
* 1994--Geoffrey Schaller and Deborah Lane
* 1993--Mike Stuhlmiller and Mary Sue Page
* 1992--Rice Majors and Mary Sue Page
* 1991--Gerry Adamski and Jen Vasi
* 1990--Al Gordon and Chris Gould
* 1989--Marc Goldman and Al Gordon
* 1988--Marshall Kohen and Marci Braunstein
* 1987--Bob Dolan
* 1986--Fran Teunis and Bruce Hawkins
* 1983--Duncan Perry
* 1982--Duncan Perry
* 1980--Bob Ross
* 1979--Dana Jerrard
Contact the current chairs if you are interested in learning more about our shows.