Spirit of Gold Marching Band
Encyclopedia
The Spirit of Gold Marching Band is the collegiate marching band
organized by Vanderbilt University
.
or any students from colleges in the Nashville area. This includes Belmont
, Lipscomb
, Fisk
, Trevecca
, and Nashville Tech
.
and performs at all Vanderbilt Commodores
home football games, as well as a select number of away games.
The Spirit of Gold works with the Office of the Dean of Students to coordinate the band's performances at football games. The band has developed many traditions that help add to the exciting atmosphere of Southeastern Conference
football on game day. For example, the band leads a parade through campus before games and provides music for pre-game and in-game spirit. The band plays the university's fight song, "Dynamite", throughout the game as well.
The Spirit of Gold prepares a unique halftime show for every home game, performing from variety of musical genres and eras. Recent performances have featured music from Lady Gaga
, The Blues Brothers
, Tower of Power
, the Backstreet Boys
, and Bon Jovi
. The last halftime performance of the year is traditionally a completely student-run, student-organized show.
and women's
basketball games played in Memorial Gym
. The basketball band performs music similar to that which the football band performs, with the addition of traditional basketball season favorites such as "I Saw the Light
."
The Spirit of Gold has also established a smaller, 30-piece pep band called Encorps, that performs an indoor marching show. Encorps has been featured at home basketball games and at events around Nashville.
serves the Spirit of Gold. The co-ed chapter has a history of being one of the largest chapters in the nation and is the most recent recipient of the Grace and A. Frank Martin Chapter Leadership Award, a biennial award that honors the outstanding chapter in the nation. All members of the Spirit of Gold, regardless of university, are able to seek membership in Eta Phi.
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
organized by Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
.
Membership
A unique feature of the Spirit of Gold is that membership in the marching band is open to all students enrolled at VanderbiltVanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
or any students from colleges in the Nashville area. This includes Belmont
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
, Lipscomb
Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike on the east...
, Fisk
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
, Trevecca
Trevecca Nazarene University
Trevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary and Bible Training School"...
, and Nashville Tech
Nashville State Community College
Nashville State Community College is a comprehensive, regionally accredited, two year community college in Nashville, Tennessee operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Nashville State shares a campus with the Tennessee Technology Center at Nashville. The Nashville State facilities include of...
.
Football
The band forms the core of the student section at intercollegiate football games hosted by Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt StadiumVanderbilt Stadium
Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field is a football stadium located in Nashville, Tennessee. Completed in 1922 as the first stadium in the South to be used exclusively for college football, it is the home of the Vanderbilt University football team...
and performs at all Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
home football games, as well as a select number of away games.
The Spirit of Gold works with the Office of the Dean of Students to coordinate the band's performances at football games. The band has developed many traditions that help add to the exciting atmosphere of Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
football on game day. For example, the band leads a parade through campus before games and provides music for pre-game and in-game spirit. The band plays the university's fight song, "Dynamite", throughout the game as well.
The Spirit of Gold prepares a unique halftime show for every home game, performing from variety of musical genres and eras. Recent performances have featured music from Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
, Tower of Power
Tower of Power
Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...
, the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
, and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
. The last halftime performance of the year is traditionally a completely student-run, student-organized show.
Basketball
During the spring semester, a 50-piece pep band is formed for performances at Vanderbilt's men'sVanderbilt Commodores men's basketball
The Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team represents Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . The Commodores have won three SEC regular season titles . They have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 six times...
and women's
Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball
The Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team represents Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . The Commodores have won four SEC tournament titles . Melanie Balcomb is the current head coach of the Commodores.-Memorial Gymnasium:The Commodores play their...
basketball games played in Memorial Gym
Memorial Gymnasium (Vanderbilt University)
Memorial Gymnasium is a multi-purpose facility located in Nashville, Tennessee. Usually called Memorial Gym or simply Memorial, the building is located on the western end of the Vanderbilt University campus. It was built in 1952 and currently has a seating capacity of 14,316...
. The basketball band performs music similar to that which the football band performs, with the addition of traditional basketball season favorites such as "I Saw the Light
I Saw the Light
"I Saw the Light" is a 1948 gospel song written and first performed by Hank Williams, not to be confused with the hit song by Todd Rundgren or the No. 1 country hit by Wynonna Judd....
."
The Spirit of Gold has also established a smaller, 30-piece pep band called Encorps, that performs an indoor marching show. Encorps has been featured at home basketball games and at events around Nashville.
Tau Beta Sigma
The Eta Phi chapter of Tau Beta SigmaTau Beta Sigma
Tau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni...
serves the Spirit of Gold. The co-ed chapter has a history of being one of the largest chapters in the nation and is the most recent recipient of the Grace and A. Frank Martin Chapter Leadership Award, a biennial award that honors the outstanding chapter in the nation. All members of the Spirit of Gold, regardless of university, are able to seek membership in Eta Phi.