Captain Wilfred Wilson in 1915 became a member of the faculty, to teach band instruments and conduct the band of seventy members. The next director, Mr. Larson, who served for one year, was followed by Nicholas Falcone. His work was very successful through a long period.
William D. Revelli succeeded Falcone in 1935 and under his skillful leadership the University of Michigan Band has become outstanding among all University bands of the country. “A model band” it is called by one of the most prominent conductors in the United States.
This organization is composed of three units: the Wolverine Marching Band, Varsity Band and the Concert Band. There is a combined membership of more than 250.
The Marching Band admits no women players. The other two units accept both men and women, but only those who are extremely competent can become members of any division of this university band. In addition, each member must meet all scholastic requirements and pass the physical examination. The Varsity Band is, of course, a feeder for the Concert and Marching Bands. The Wolverine Marching Band has established a wide reputation for perfect precision in marching and in making intricate formations on the football field.
The University of Michigan’s Symphonic Band numbers about one hundred members. It is rated throughout the United States as an unusually fine concert band. Dr. Edwin Franko Goldman, the famous New York bandmaster has said, “The University of Michigan Symphony Band stands without a peer among college bands.”
A late issue of a national magazine is quoted as saying: “It steps fastest and plays best of the college outfits that provide music and spectacle on football fields. The Michigan College Marching Band is to today’s football what frosting is to cake. The brassy music and resplendent uniforms are as spirited a part of the spectacle as the game itself.
“In the past few decades the country’s 500 college and university bands have perfected a type of music and military choreography that by now has become a specialized American popular art form.
“This art form reached a peak at the University of Michigan—Revelli.”
