The Norwich University Regimental Band and Drill Team will represent the state of Vermont and perform in the 58th presidential inauguration, Friday, Jan. 20, in Washington, D.C., for Donald J. Trump.
“The Norwich University Regimental Band and Drill Team is proud to represent the university and the state of Vermont,” Assistant Commandant and Director of Bands Todd P. Edwards said.
As the oldest collegiate band in the country, the Regimental Band carries on a long tradition of excellence musically, academically and militarily.
The Regimental Drill Team “Shock Platoon” was formed in 1937. The drill team is considered a showpiece of the university. The team is a perennial powerhouse in U.S. college and university drill competitions, with a motto of “Fierce Pride.”
Music at Norwich has been a significant part of the curriculum since its founding in 1819, and the band was formed at that time. With the arrival of William W. Baylay, the first professor of instrumental music, in 1823, the regimental band became an all-brass band and an integral part of the daily life of cadets at Norwich.
Today, the band is a full instrumentation band — woodwinds, brass, and percussion — and it continues to perform in support of the Corps of Cadets at all formations, reviews and special parades. The Regimental Band has performed for the inauguration of several United States presidents, as well as for parades and concerts throughout Vermont and New England.
The Norwich University Regimental Band has been invited to these previous presidential inauguration ceremonies: Jan. 21, 1961: Band and 90-man unit march for John F. Kennedy; Jan. 20, 1969: Band and unit march for Richard Nixon; Jan. 20, 1977: Band, color guard, regimental staff, drill team and banner carriers (100 total) march for Jimmy Carter; Jan. 21, 1985: Band and unit invited to march for Ronald Reagan (parade canceled by subzero cold); Jan. 20, 1989: Band, regimental staff and color guard march for George H.W. Bush; Jan. 20, 2005: Band march for George W. Bush; Jan. 21, 2013: Band march for Barack Obama.
Submitted Photo
The Norwich University Regimental Band and Drill Team will perform for Trump’s inauguration, Jan. 20.
