Bands at the University of Colorado at Boulder: A Brief History

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CU Wind Symphony in Macky Auditorium

The first mention of bands at CU was when a group of students met with the second President of the University, Horace Hale, requesting support to organize a band in 1891. Their initial efforts are not documented, but references to student performances of music began in 1893. The next reference to a band at CU came in a Regent's vote to buy the band uniforms in 1909 after the band performed in a blinding snow storm.

While there was faculty guidance of the program, it was not until the College of Music was formed in 1920 that Horace Jones served as director of the University orchestra and band. In 1936 (two years after the University adopted the Buffalo as its mascot) Hugh McMillen was hired as a fulltime faculty and Director of Bands. In those days, Marching Band served as ROTC credit and was an all-male unit.

Women participated in the concert bands, but were not allowed to join the Marching Band until World War II, when the marching band survived by allowing women into its ranks. CU was one of the first university marching bands in the country that allowed women to participate and there were a few from the men's marching band that joined the women's band on game days to perform.

Because of the growth of the College of Music and the curriculum development, an Assistant to the Director of Bands was added to the faculty in 1971. In 1978, after 42 years as Director of Bands, Hugh E. McMillen retired and Allan McMurray was hired to replace him.

In the past years, the Band Program has grown in size and diversity and now includes four concert bands, Master's and Doctoral degree programs in conducting, four graduate assistants, an administrative assistant and over 350 students annually.