The Pride Goes Viral

If it wasn’t already known for its football, basketball, or couch burning victory celebrations, West Virginia University would be remembered for its marching band. Affectionately nicknamed “The Pride of West Virginia,” the WVU marching band has been creating and playing halftime shows since its creation in 1906, when it first started out as an all-male ROTC military band. Today the band boasts over 350 members and still uses the fight songs “Hail West Virginia” and “Fight Mountaineers” that were originally composed for West Virginia University by former band conductor Bud Udell.

Today the Pride is nationally recognized for their 9/11 tribute show in 2011 that saluted those brave men and women who died helping others during the attacks and the servicemen who still protect the United States today.  The show, which was recorded by a band affiliate and then uploaded to YouTube, became a viral video with over 3,000,000 views (as of 8:10 am September 26, 2012)! Viewers embraced the field show on the comment box, thanking the band members for putting in so much creativity and effort into a tribute for the armed forces.

It’s encouraging to have WVU recognized for something so meaningful and heartwarming, rather than what the university is usually known for! The attention that the Pride has received is well-deserved; often falling into the shadow of the football and even basketball team, most people do not realize that the WVU marching band practices eight hours a week whether it’s in the heat, snow, rain, or shine! As a former member of a marching band, I can say that’s not an easy commitment. In fact, it can become an extremely long, annoying, and downright miserable commitment that you question every other practice during your only two minute water break.

But the hard work and long hours have paid off for the WVU Marching Band with the eyes of millions of YouTube viewers from around the world landing on them. Finally the respect and acknowledgement that was long deserved has come!

- R