Temple University has long recognized the many talents and contributions of its student musicians. As a result, the Temple University Band program is pleased to have an innovative scholarship program for students who perform in the Diamond Marching and Basketball Bands. Scholarships are in the form of tuition remission and may be awarded to any student accepted for membership in the Diamond Marching and Basketball Bands, regardless of academic major at the university. All students who participate in Marching Band receive scholarship money. The amount received depends on year in band and role. Contact the Bands Office for more information: [click-for-email].

Instruments are available for use while a student is a member of any Temple University Band. Contact the Band Office for more information: [click-for-email]

Students who do not need ensemble credit as a curricular requirement may receive academic credit for participation in the Diamond Marching Band, Wind Ensemble and Collegiate Band. All rehearsal and performance schedules are carefully arranged so as not to interfere with normal class schedules.

Save the Date! Homecoming and Family Weekend has been announced for October 5-11, 2026. The Homecoming game featuring the Alumni Band will take place on Saturday, October 10.

Look for registration to be opened later this summer, and the full schedule to be released by October 1.

Go Owls!

Contact Dr. Matthew Brunner with questions.

View photos from past years' Homecoming Reunions on the Diamond Marching Band Facebook page.

High school students! Save the date of November 14 for our 2026 High School Band Day.

High School Band Day gives current high school students the opportunity to be a part of the Diamond Marching Band and the experience of being in an FBS college band for a day. The day includes a rehearsal, pregame meal and performance with the Diamond Marching Band at Lincoln Financial Field during pregame and halftime, plus a T-shirt. 

Registration is open to ALL high school band students, regardless of whether or not your school has a marching band, and will be posted later in the summer. Directors, if you would like to bring your entire band, please reach out to Michael Heyer for more information.

Please email [click-for-email] with any questions.

The annual Festival of Winds on the Temple University campus invites high school bands to perform on stage in the beautiful Temple Performing Arts Center, receive recorded feedback and a post-performance clinic from outstanding music educators, and participate in master classes with Temple faculty and members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. The festival also includes performances by the Temple University Symphonic Band and the Temple University Wind Symphony.

Check back for dates.

Temple University Bands is a vital part of the artistic, athletic and social communities of the Temple University campus.

The Temple Band was formed in 1925 when Herbert E. McMahan, a senior in what was at that time the School of Commerce, created a 40-member ensemble of young men. The band was an ensemble of primarily saxophone players, was self-financed, and played for Temple University football games. Charles Golder, a member of the Philadelphia Elks Band, was the Director for the first year. The following year, George Otto Frey became the Director, and in 1927, H. Edward Pike assumed the first full-time Directorship. The tradition of forming the Temple "T" on the field was established during these formative years and is still practiced today.

In 1946, Dr. John H. Jenny replaced Pike and named the outdoor band the Diamond Band. In fact, the band's letterhead read: "The University Band built on Acres of Diamond" with rehearsals on Wednesday nights at the Temple Stadium. During the late 1940s, because many men were serving in World War II, membership in the Diamond Band opened to women. As students returned from military service after the war, the band program began to grow and flourish.

The ROTC Band was created and directed by Robert Childs and The Owl Band, (a "rookie" band), was created and directed by Howard Chivian. In 1953, Chivian replaced Jenny as the Director of the Diamond Band, and when Chivian passed away in 1957, Morry Helzner assumed the directorship. Today, an award in honor of Howard Chivian is still presented annually at Commencement. Directors in the 1960s included Larry Weed, James Coakley and James Herbert in 1970.

Arthur D. Chodoroff was Director of Bands from 1977-2011. Under his leadership, the concert and athletic bands developed and grew: the Wind Symphony became the premier wind band of the Boyer College, producing commercial recordings and performing at state and regional conferences and Symphonic an Collegiate Bands were created to serve the growing population of instrumental music students. The Diamond Marching Band continued to thrive with greater participation. With this growth, the Diamond Basketball Band emerged and a position for an Athletic Band Director was created.

Temple University Bands continue to grow under the directorship of Dr. Patricia Cornett and Dr. Matthew Brunner. The Diamond Marching Band is the largest in membership since the history of the program; the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band perform more frequently throughout the season (locally and abroad); ensembles have annual opportunities to work with guest artists and composers; and the Night Owls Campus/Community Band, open to members of the community, alumni, faculty and students.

Note: This Temple Band historical information is partially paraphrased and excerpted from an article by Maureen Walsh Scallatino, a Temple Band Alumna,  published in "The Temple Review" in 1986 in commemoration of the Diamond Band´s 60th anniversary.

Auditions are now open for the 2026 Temple University Diamond Band. Auditions are done by video and can be submitted any time, starting now!

Audition requirements and how to submit can be found here.

Submit your audition video by July 24.

Please email [click-for-email] if you have any questions. 

Time is usually people's biggest concern! In most cases, membership in the Diamond Marching Band will take less time than high school band did. The Diamond Band rehearses on-campus every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 4:00-6:00 PM, during the football season. There is also a rehearsal the mornings of home games. Performances include all home games as well as select away games, special performances, exhibitions, our TUDMB LIVE! indoor concert, and if the football team goes to a bowl game, so do we! 

You will have time for it. Only you know your own personal work ethic and what you can handle, but as far as time in your day, you WILL have it.

In a recent study, the average college student spends more than seven (7) hours per day on leisure activities (this means seven hours a day not including eating, sleeping, studying, or going to classes). On top of that, the study shows students not in Marching Band often spend less time on academics. Besides, Marching Band is often that thing that you NEED to do that makes you an integral part of the University community.

If you have a class that overlaps with Marching Band and there is not another section or different option available, it may be possible you can still schedule Band. Email [click-for-email] for more details. 

Not at all! In fact, the Diamond Marching Band is comprised of a large number of non-music majors and represents many different majors in the University, including the honors programs.

In 2025, when the Marching Band performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 75% of the band was non-music majors.

Show? You mean SHOWS! We do a different show for every home game. We have no judges and no competitions at the college level, so everything we do is for entertainment and to hype up the crowds. Most of the music we do is popular music that is suggested by the students. Past shows have featured music from Fall Out Boy, Beyonce, Chappell Roan, Harry Styles, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, Don Toliver, Imagine Dragons, and Ariana Grande to name a few. Our viral internet hit from 2016 was our Panic! At the Disco show. Our 2018 show featuring BTS’s "Idol" reached a million views in five days.

No way! Our band camp is designed to take time at the beginning and teach everyone how to march our style. We have several people every year who have never marched before who turn out to be fantastic members, including some leadership staff members. As long as you can play an instrument, we can teach you to march.

Yes, Marching Band is a class (MUS 3510, CRN 1785). You will receive one (1) academic credit for band.

Band camp is held on campus about a week before classes begin for the fall semester. Housing and most meals are provided on-campus during camp. In addition, students living on-campus during the academic year will be able to move into their assigned housing during camp and before the rest of the incoming students arrive. For 2026, drumline and colorguard move in to their fall assignments on Friday, August 14. Brass and woodwinds move in on Monday, August 17. Band camp then goes all day every day for the next week. Band camp ends with our Welcome Week Exhibition and Campus Parade on Sunday, August 23.

All members of the Diamond Marching Band receive a band scholarship! The amount varies depending on the number of years students have played in the ensemble. Additional scholarships are also available for those doing work crew, small group, or basketball band and a concert band in the spring.

The Diamond Marching Band members strive to make the band your family away from home. Being part of this group, you instantly have 200 friends on campus who are there to support you, help you, push you, and take care of you when needed. Isolation is one of the biggest causes of depression and anxiety. You will never be isolated as a member of this band. You will always have a friend!

Sorry, in order to take part in the basketball band, you must be a member of the Marching Band.

We have several commuters every year. It can work. Even Dr. Brunner is a commuter!

We have several students who have part-time jobs and participate in the band. You would just have to work it out with your employer in advance to be sure you are present at all rehearsals and performances.

Being a part of the band is something special. We are very well-known and well-respected around the University, the Philadelphia community, and around the country. Many students will tell you their closest friends have come from band (and for some, their spouses!) The band is geared to be like a family away from home, and the students take pride in that. Not many students come to college and immediately have 200 friends, but you will.

We were in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We have received internet praise from some of the groups we cover, such as Panic! At the Disco,  Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Bastille to name a few. We have appeared on the big screen in the movies Annie (2014) and the Oscar®-nominated The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). We have been on TV in the series Madam Secretary, the nationally televised TODAY Show, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, as well as all major Philadelphia news stations. The Philadelphia Inquirer did two stories on us, as did Billboard Magazine, USA Today, and Rolling Stone. We were even featured in an article from the international marching arts magazine, HALFTIME MAGAZINE.