Marching Band

We are a family of musicians made up of students from every major across campus, from a wide variety of backgrounds who enjoy having fun and performing music. The BUMB focus on putting on a great show, cheering on our team, and taking pride in enjoying our performances. Our membership includes people who were All-State musicians in high school as well as people who haven’t picked up their instrument for years before joining us; we have people with drum corps marching experience and people who’ve never marched before in their lives, but loved music. Whatever you think your level of ability and experience is, you will have a home here with the BUMB!

You should absolutely NOT wait a year! Research shows that student grades improve by staying in music. Often, students who chose to wait do not get back into it, and regret it later. As a matter of fact, being in the band gives you instant access to a larger assortment of people who can help you with your studies! We also expect that first-year band members will have an easier time making the transition into college life since they will be on campus a week before everyone else.

Hard work, effort, commitment, and an enthusiasm for getting better. Attendance at the Band Camp is required. The BUMB covers all costs for food. We will provide you with a uniform, season shirts, and music. There is a $20 rental fee for instruments per each Athletic Band ensemble you enroll in. You would need to purchase your own Black Matte Marching Shoes ($30 roughly). Color Guard members will be contacted individually regarding their uniform requirements.

The BUMB is a great way to find lasting friendships and build your musicianship, and participation fulfills your core Well Being (WB) requirement. You have to take a gym class sometime, and you receive a $100.00 tuition reduction for participating in the BUMB. No other gym class at Butler does that! The time commitment of the BUMB is also less than that of other WB courses since class stops at the end of football season.

Rehearsals are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4:45–6:30 PM. Most of our rehearsals take place in the intramural field behind the Butler Softball Field and adjacent to I Lot. Our season ends at the end of football season up to 3 weeks before finals, so rehearsal times get put back into your “I decide how to use it” schedule just when you need it most!

Our Band Camp for the 2026 Season is the week before Welcome Week! We are going to have a 3-Day Leadership Camp from August 11-13, then a Drumline/Color Guard Weekend from August 14–16, 2026. Move-in for all remaining members is August 17 and Full Camp runs from August 17–21. Band Camp will be a great way to get prepared for the fall and will allow first-year students to acclimate to campus life and the Butler Way.

Once you register for the University Marching Band Class (WB-140) we will e-mail out links to music for the season: Warm-Ups and School Songs, as well as Halftime and Stands Tunes. We highly recommend the use of an E-Reader since for most Wind Members we use our cell-phones as our music book!

Register for band and color guard (WB 140) during your first advising meeting. Remember the band when you’re planning your schedule. It’s easier to build fun into your academic routine right from the beginning than to change your class schedule later! Be sure to fill out our online Contact Card!