The history of band at Illinois State University can be traced back more than 100 years to when a “Varsity Band” was developed to perform at sporting events and pep rallies. Out of that grew the University’s first true marching band in 1932. The marching band, above in 1958, has undergone myriad changes over the years. When band directors Ed Livingston and Roger Faulmann took over in the late 1970s and grew the band from 90 players to more than 340, it became known as the “Big Red Marching Machine” (BRMM), a play on a popular nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team at the time. Today, the BRMM performs at football games, the Homecoming Parade, as seen below in 2022, and various campus and community events.
