Members of the Diamond Marching Band often meet for the first time at band camp, but the bonds they form can last for decades after their marching days are over.

On a hot, sunny August morning, while most students are off working summer internships or enjoying the last few weeks of vacation, one group of Owls is already forming connections and working together in preparation for the approaching school year.

Members of Temple’s Diamond Marching Band often refer to their work as the pride of the cherry and white. The band fulfills many important missions, like welcoming students back to campus each year, cheering on Temple athletes, entertaining crowds at sporting events, and providing a soundtrack for pep rallies and other university events. 

The band can only do this work if they operate as a cohesive group—one family made up of members who can rely on one another. Each August that family first gathers during band camp, where the crucial teambuilding process begins. 

“During band camp we spend a week together, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., outside in the heat,” said secondary history education major Rowan Milne, Class of 2025, a trumpet player in the band. The week is packed full of activities—a scavenger hunt, group dinners, a performance for the football team—all of which help the band’s new and returning members grow closer. 

“Bringing the band together is probably the most important thing we do at band camp,” said Matthew Brunner, who has served as director of the Diamond Marching Band for 16 years. “You can’t get 200 people to do all this work, spend all this time together if they don’t have a connection with each other.” 

Bonding with bandmates is especially crucial for incoming first-year and transfer students looking to find their footing at Temple. 

For music therapy major Maggie Spealman, Class of 2027, her arrival on campus last summer came with mixed feelings about being in a new place for the first time. But when she grabbed her saxophone and arrived at band camp, she was welcomed by a community of people who share her same passion for music. 

“As I spent more time during band camp, I realized that these are people that I can really connect with,” Spealman said. “They’re here to help me, and they understand where I am right now.” 

Chloe Davis, FOX ’24, still remembers how the band helped her adjust to Temple. And, when she was a senior, she looked forward to mentoring new members of the band. 

“I had a few of the first-year students come up to me and ask, hey what professor should I take? It’s nice to have those resources available to you, and it helps you adjust before the school year even starts,” Davis said. “I gave one of the first-year members of the flute section a tour of Alter Hall, because she’s a finance major. It was nice for me, too, to get to know these people in a way I probably wouldn’t have if not for the band.” 

Much like Davis, about 75% of Diamond Marching Band members are non-music-related majors. Band members talk about how that diversity allows them to expand their social circle beyond the familiar faces of their school or college, another valuable aspect of being in the band. 

“The people make this band what it is,” Milne said. “I have met some of my best friends here.” 

“Most of my friends from the band are STEM majors, liberal arts majors, music majors, they come from lots of different places,” Davis added. 

For Brunner, it’s no surprise that the band brings together students from all corners of campus.  

“Music is an important part of a lot of peoples’ lives,” he said. “There is research that shows the benefits of performing music, both mentally and emotionally, so I think it’s really important that students continue playing music in college. I think it’s great that they can do so in a big, energetic family like the Diamond Marching Band.” 

The power of the Diamond Marching Band family is perhaps most on display during Homecoming weekend. As part of the weekend’s festivities, former marching band members are invited back for a halftime performance with the current band.  

Brunner has watched the alumni turnout increase during his 16 years at Temple, and more than 250 former members returned for alumni weekend in 2023. When asked about what keeps alumni coming back, Brunner credits the lasting friendships that are formed through the band. 

“They love meeting up with old friends they haven’t seen in a while,” he said. “And it means the world to me to see so many of my former students come back.” 

The Diamond Marching Band is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025. Part of that celebration will include a performance in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, marking the band’s first appearance in the iconic annual holiday parade. The Diamond Marching Band is one of just nine bands selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants to perform in the 99th edition of the parade. 

“This could not have happened without all the hard work and dedication of the alumni of the band who came before,” Brunner said. “Their skill and perseverance over the years have paved the way for the Diamond Band be part of the 2025 Macy’s Parade.”