About Us

Who We Are

The Duke University Marching Band is open to all Duke undergraduates with the ability to play a musical instrument and the interest in supporting Duke Athletics. Past marching band experience is preferable, but not required. Anyone willing to learn to march is more than welcome!

What We Do

Along with Head Coach David Cutcliffe, a new era has arrived in Duke Football, and the marching band is an important part of the revitalization of the football program. At all home football games we perform a pregame show of Duke fight songs, the Star Spangled Banner and Dear Old Duke, the Duke University alma mater. Throughout the football season, the band will perform two or three different halftime shows featuring current popular music.

The marching band also travels to two or three away football games each season. Recent destinations include Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Navy, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Pittsburgh. The band supports other sports, including volleyball, field hockey and soccer in the fall, and lacrosse in the spring, by playing at select regular season games as well as ACC or NCAA tournament games on or near campus. 

The Duke Marching Band also serves as the basketball pep band, supporting both men’s and women’s basketball. We play at all home games, ACC tournament games, and NCAA tournament games. If you are not already a Duke basketball fan, then you will quickly become one of the screaming Cameron Crazies. The band is the heart of the Cameron Crazies, leading the cheers and keeping the energy of the crowd high. Nothing keeps the Cameron Crazies going like the band playing “Everytime We Touch” or “Mortal Kombat”. Unlike most students, however, we never have to wait in long lines for hours or camp out for weeks to get tickets to games. We simply walk in! You get all the fun and none of the freezing cold nights in a tent in Krzyzewskiville!

We travel with both the Men’s and Women’s teams to ACC and NCAA tournaments in March. With both teams consistently ranked in the Top 10, band members have many opportunities to travel with our teams. During travel season, all transportation is paid for by the university and members are given a daily per diem to cover food and other travel expenses.

Time Commitment

Clarinets alongside a Yellowjacket statue on Georgia Tech's campus.

During the fall, the band rehearses Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:15 - 7:15 PM, both on East Campus or at Pascal Field House. On home football game weeks, there is also a Monday rehearsal from 5:15 - 6:45 PM. We perform at all home football games (usually 4 to 6 games each Fall semester). Members will also be expected to attend some other events on campus, which may range from university pep rallies to volleyball games. For the spring semester you will be required to attend two rehearsals to practice pep band material. Each band member is assigned to half of the men's and women's home basketball games, but attendance at all games is encouraged!

In March, students are selected to travel to the ACC and NCAA tournaments with Duke's men’s and women’s basketball teams based on seniority, attendance, instrumentation, and service to the band. With the constant presence of Duke men's and women’s basketball at the top of the nation, most band students are invited to travel with the teams each year.

Performances

In recent years, the band has performed at a number of major events, including the 2012 Belk Bowl, the 2013 Chick-Fil-A Bowl, the 2014 Sun Bowl, the 2015 Pinstripe Bowl, the 2017 Quick Lane Bowl, and the 2013 Adrian Carroll Battle of the Bands in Durham, North Carolina. Check out some of these shows below!

Adrian Carroll Battle of the Bands
2012 Belk Bowl

The Duke University Marching Band's traditional pregame show.