As anyone who has been in the Columbia Band knows, keeping a proper store of instruments for use by student musicians is an ongoing struggle, one that CUBAA hopes to help ease. Most immediately, several of the Marching Band’s instruments need repairs before the start of football season. The Band also could make good use of an additional trumpet or two, as well as other instruments, and needs to replenish its supply of drumsticks, reeds, brass mouthpieces, valve oil, flip folders, lyres and other accessories that make a band a band.  Continue reading →

Band alumni have been unearthing a range of Band recordings from decades past: Jazz Band tapes from the ’70s, Concert Band tapes from the ’60s, even a couple of 78 RPM records cut in 1933 by the (ahem) Columbia University Symphonic Band. The prize finds so far are tapes of two Carnegie Hall joint concerts: one with Lehigh’s band in 1963, one with Harvard’s in 1965. For alums of the sixties, we plan to release those two as CD sets, with souvenir brochures containing programs, notes, photos and – yes – lists of the performers, so you can prove to your kids and grandkids that you were there. Watch this space.