Ohio State University Marching Band

[6]

The Script Ohio concept was developed and first performed by the Michigan Band in 1932. First performed by the OSUMB in 1936,[12] Script Ohio is one of the signatures of the Ohio State University Marching Band. The band begins in a “Block O” formation. Then, to the tune of “Le Regiment de Sambre et Meuse,” the drum major leads a “peeling-off” movement that snakes across the field, forming the letters “OHIO” in cursive. At the climax of this drill maneuver, the drum major leads a sousaphone player to stand as the dot of the “i.” Dotting the “i” is considered a high honor, and the privilege is generally bestowed on a senior sousaphone player.[13]

There are three versions of Script Ohio: single Script, which is most common, and double Script. The double Script features all marching members of the band, including alternates, and is made up of condensed versions of the single Script that are performed to both sides of the field. Performances of the double Script are usually reserved for away or bowl games. The third version, quadruple Script, is performed once a year with the Alumni Band during halftime of the Homecoming game.

"Dotting the 'i'" is considered the greatest honor the band can bestow to any non-band member and is a very special (and rare) event. Woody Hayes, Bob Hope, Jack Nicklaus, James "Buster" Douglas, OSU Presidents Novice Fawcett, Gordon Gee and their wives, the late composer Richard Heine, Ann Droste, wife of retired director and former OSUMB member Paul Droste, retired OSU ticket director Robert Ries, John Glenn and his wife Annie Glenn, The Limited Brands founder, chairman, and CEO Leslie Wexner (an OSU alumnus), and former football coach Earle Bruce, Portsmouth resident Stefan Greene are the select few non-band members who have had the honor of dotting the "i". The fourth- or fifth-year sousaphone player selected to dot the "i" for that specific game must give up their spot in order for an honorary member to dot the "i".

On November 19, 2011, Jon Woods, the marching band's director for the previous 28 years, dotted the "i" in his final home game directing the band, becoming the only non-band member to dot the "i" during a game where the OSUMB performed Script Ohio twice. The first Script Ohio of that game in its traditional pregame spot featured senior sousaphone player Jonathan Lampley dotting the "i". Woods dotted the "i" in a special second performance of Script Ohio during halftime.[14]

Although not the famous Script Ohio formation, John Glenn and his wife Annie Glenn returned to Ohio Stadium on September 22, 2012, to dot the "i" in the word America during a NASA-themed halftime show paying tribute to Glenn's NASA accomplishments and time as an Ohio senator.

The Diamond Ohio logo, which is created by superimposing the I over the center of the H, and making the O's into pointed triangles, was first created by the OSUMB in the late 1930s. The band continues to use this formation today at every home football game as the team entrance tunnel. The Ohio University Marching 110 has also used the Diamond Ohio logo since 1966 when director Gene Thrailkill designed a pregame set modeled after the Ohio State University Marching Band to give the newly reformed Marching 110 a symbol.[15] Photographs show former OSUMB director Manley Whitcomb (1939-1942, 1946-1951) charting this formation on a table lined with field markings, and other photographs depict the band in performance of the Diamond Ohio as far back as 1939.

The OSUMB arrives in St. John Arena for the Skull Session. The detail of the Drum Major and Assistant Drum Major uniforms can be seen.

The first Skull Session held at St. John Arena was in 1957. Prior to this, Skull Session was nothing more than a final run through of the music on the morning of the game. Originally, these were closed rehearsals that the band eventually opened up to friends and family members. Each week, more and more people showed up to hear the band rehearse that the director, Jack Evans, decided to move the rehearsal to St. John Arena across the street. Today, upwards of 14,000 people pack St. John Arena every home game to see the band and football team. Many of these people do not even have tickets to the game, yet travel hours just for a chance to see and hear the band.

During the Skull Session, fans are treated to a variety of activities. Each week the band's "cheer groups" perform a song to go along with the football team's opponent of the week. The cheer groups are selected from their respective sections: Trumpet Cheers (the oldest Cheer Group), Flugelhorn Cheers, Trombone Cheers, Horn Cheers, Baritone Cheers, Stadium Brass (an instrument from every part of the band except percussion), Percussion Cheers, and the Tuba-Fours. At some point after these performances, the football team enters to the sounds of James Swearingen's "Fanfare for a New Era". Immediately after their entrance a pre-selected senior football player speaks to the band and fans in St. John Arena followed by the head coach. The team then exits to the sounds of "Hang On, Sloopy!" Upon the football team's exit, the band commences with the traditions associated with the Skull Session. This includes performance of “(Fight the Team) Across the Field” first softly and slowly, and on the repeat of the chorus, at the well-known tempo and dynamics. The band is also known for performing “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” otherwise known as “The Navy Hymn,” to formally begin every Skull Session concert. If a visiting band is in attendance they will perform their pre-game and halftime show, followed by the OSUMB's performance of pre-game and halftime.

There is often a visiting Ohio high school band that will play before the Skull Session, as well as a feature during the Skull Session. The OSU Athletic Band also performs at a Skull Session once per season, trading off with the guest high school band. The Athletic Band is run by the same band staff as the marching band, and often has many students who perform in both. Starting in 2021, Skull Session is livestreamed on Youtube.

The ramp entrance is one of the most highly regarded traditions among band members, and is infamous for being very physically demanding. The ramp entrance starts with around 19:45 remaining on the countdown clock. A short video is shown on the scoreboard prior to the band emerging from the ramp tunnel. At the end of this video, Diamond Ohio appears on the screen. This is the cue for the percussion section to start down the ramp.

The percussion section is the first to march down the ramp, and onto the field; not to cadences, rather, silently, at a precise tempo of 180 beats per minute (bpm), and the snare drums perform a unique arm swing. A series of elaborately timed flanking maneuvers called the “power V” leads JI Row into their file in the block.

The "Ramp" cadence is then played exactly 17 times in a row, also at 180 bpm, as the other rows in the band file down the ramp, onto the field, and into their positions. Once a row is placed, the members mark time until all rows are into position.

As the final two rows, T and X file in, their squad leaders nod to the two sousaphone (KL Row) squad leaders, who then sound a loud blast on their whistles. The entire band responds to this call with a deafening yell of "Whistle!" After the last Ramp cadence, a roll-off is played, while the entire band (except JI Row) performs a conversion step maneuver, and a horns-up.

The band proceeds to play the intro of “Buckeye Battle Cry" while marking time. This is followed by the verse, while the band goes into what is referred to as a "half-time step" (mark time); one step per every two beats. During the verse, a member's leg lift (completion of a full chair step) is crucial for a clean and precise look. Also, during the verse, KL Row performs a special horn flash in which they tilt their bells slightly back, and swing their entire upper body, including their horn, to the tempo of their step. The KL row horn flash is based on the horn swing that OSUMB sousaphones did while marching until the 1970s.

After the completion of the verse, the band proceeds to march southward down the field to two choruses of Buckeye Battle Cry. The band then executes a "halt, kick, down", followed by a "step-forward about-face". At this point, the Drum Major runs back through the band, blowing a short whistle to the lead snare drummer, who initiates a roll-off to begin the rest of the pregame show, which includes playing the visiting team's fight song, Script Ohio, Carmen Ohio, and The Star-Spangled Banner, which is typically conducted by the visiting band's director, or a staff member of the OSU School of Music.

During the introduction and verse of "Buckeye Battle Cry", the drum major enters the stadium running down the ramp, then struts through the band and comes to the front of the ranks where they execute a back bend, forming their body into the shape of an O. After a dramatic pause, the drum major’s plume - or on special occasions, such as before the annual rivalry game against Michigan, the entire top of the drum major's hat - touches the turf, just before the band begins to play two choruses of “Buckeye Battle Cry” while marching toward the south end zone. The drum major reaches the end zone and tosses the baton over the goal post as the band finishes the downfield march.

Orlas King (1942-2004), also known as the Neutron Man, would burst into original dances whenever the band played the Pointer Sisters' "Neutron Dance."