In 1979, Dr. Marchand, the Towson State Music Department, and the Towson State administration brought Mr. Robert Doster to Towson State to create a marching band. Mr. Doster earned a reputation for his work with marching bands at various schools in Frederick County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia. The band he created at Towson has performed at many exhibitions throughout the state along with the Baltimore Cavalcade of Bands. The marching band was also the host band for the Maryland Tournament of Bands in 1986, and from 1993-2004 (with the exception of 2002). From 1983 through 1999, Dr. Dana Rothlisberger, the Director of Bands, ran the marching band. Through his leadership, the band grew in size and stature within the university. Dr. Rothlisberger established the marching band as a permanent fixture in the Towson University Football experience.

In 2000, Dr. Rothlisberger turned the marching band over to Brad Zimmerman who was selected to fill a new adjunct faculty position in the band department. The nature of the adjunct faculty position created some turn over in the position. In 2001, Mark Norman replaced Mr. Zimmerman as the marching band director. When Mr. Norman left in 2002, Towson appointed Jeffery Au as the marching band director. Mr. Au served as the marching band director for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. During his tenure, he advanced the program by pushing the band to perform more then one show a year and become more entertaining during football games. The marching band’s improvement and a pending move to the Atlantic 10 football division led to Towson University President Robert Caret approving new funding for the marching band. Dr. Caret wanted the marching band to grow in size while continuing to entertain and excite the crowd during football games.

In 2004, Mr. John Miliauskas began his tenure at Towson as a full-time director of the Towson University Marching Band. Today, every member of the marching band receives a $500 scholarship for each year of participation. The band has recently purchased new uniforms, and in 2005 Yahama became the corporate sponser for the Marching Band. This allowed for the purchase of many new Yahama brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The Towson University Marching Band is currently the fastest growing collegiate marching band in the state of Maryland.

In November 2009, the Towson University Marching Band enjoyed the most public and prestigious performance of its history as a participant in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The band was selected out of approximately 200 applicants to perform for 3.5 million people on the streets of New York City and more than 50 million people watching from their TVs at home!

In 2013, the Towson University Marching Band was recognized not only for their spirit on and off campus but also for their continuous growth through numbers. The marching band reached their largest membership of 240 performers, headlining the front page of The Towerlight campus newspaper. Fall of 2014 brought great change for the Towson University Marching Band as they purchased a new uniform creating a new look unique to the University and the marching bands every changing style. Along with new uniforms, the marching band continued their partnership with Yamaha with the purchase of new percussion equipment.

In November of 2018 and again in 2022, The World Famous Towson University Marching Band performed in the Veteran’s Day Parade in New York City!

Some Past Shows of the Towson University Marching Band:

2023 “Reign Cycle”

  • Thunder Intro
  • Umbrella/Singing In The Rain
  • Golden Hour
  • Rock Lobster
  • Thunder Outro

2022 “Timeless”

  • Centuries Intro
  • Time Warp
  • Good Riddance
  • “Time’s Up” Percussion Feature
  • Centuries Closer

2021 “Unearthed”

  • Earth Song Intro
  • Welcome to Paradise
  • Radioactive
  • Till The World Ends
  • Earth Song Ending

2020 “TUMB Classics”

  • Crazy Train
  • Carry On

2019 Driven

  • Whatever it Takes
  • Life is a Highway
  • Unwell/Fight Song
  • Survivor
  • High Hopes

2018 BOLD

  • Gold/Beleiver
  • Panama
  • All of Me
  • YYZ
  • Thnks Fr Th Mmrs

2017 Beast

  • Roar
  • Welcome to the Jungle
  • Barracuda
  • Freebird

2016 Escape

  • Rocketman
  • Drops of Jupiter
  • Supermassive Blackhole
  • The Great Escape

2015 On Fire

  • Through the Fire and Flames
  • Set fire to the rain
  • The Phoenix

2014 Fade To Black

  • Paint It Black
  • Black Dog
  • Welcome to the Black Parade

2013 Crazy

  • Crazy Train

2012 Miraculous

  • Malaga
  • Jack Miraculous
  • Blink 182 Medley

2011 192

  • Numero Uno
  • Niner-two
  • Empire State of Mind

2010 The Red Effect

  • Malaguena
  • Strawberry Soup
  • 99 Red Balloons
  • Journey Medley

2009 You Can’t Stop Our Beat!

  • A Mis Abuelos
  • Tank
  • The Impression that I Get
  • You Can’t Stop the Beat

2008 Brought to you by the Letter ‘B’

  • Brass Machine
  • Black Magic Woman
  • Bon Jovi Medley
  • B-52’s Love Shack

2007 Prism, Red, Blue, and Green

  • El Toro Caliente
  • Nuttville
  • Money
  • Thriller

2006 That 70’s Show

  • Bill Chase Medley: Get it On, Open Up Wide
  • Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • September

2005 “Club Mix ’05”

  • Jazz Club: Birdland
  • Salsa Club: Livin’ La Vida Loca
  • Swing Club: Zoot Suit Riot
  • Blues Club: Soul Man

2004 “A Magical Mystery Tour”

  • A Magical Mystery Tour
  • Hey Big Spender & Luck be a Lady Tonight
  • Get on Your Feet
  • Superstition
  • Lil’ Liza Jane

2003 “Bernstein Show” & “Foo Fights Show”
2002 “A Movie Show” & “Chicago Show”
2001

  • American Celebration
  • Swing Swing Swing
  • El Torro Caliente

2000

  • Nuttville
  • Sing Sing Sing ala Cantina Band
  • Firebird

1999

  • Prolog
  • It Don’t mean a Thing if you Ain’t Got that Swing
  • Malaga