Spirit of Houston

Marching band of the University of Houston

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Spirit of Houston

School| University of Houston
Location| Houston, Texas
Conference| Big 12
Founded| 1946[1]
Director| Cameron Kubos
Members| 270[citation needed]
Fight song| "Cougar Fight Song"
Website| uhbandsandspiritgroups.com

The Spirit of Houston encompasses the Cougar Marching Band and various Spirit groups at the University of Houston, including the UH Cheer teams, the Cougar Dolls Dance Team, the UH Feature Twirlers, the Mascots, and the Cougar Brass. The Spirit of Houston operates under the leadership of Cameron Kubos,[2] who serves as the Director of Athletic Bands and Spirit Groups.

The Cougar Marching Band has a distinctive sound, influenced by previous directors such as Bill Moffit, Robert Mayes, and David Bertman.[citation needed] The band comprises approximately 270 students, with around ⅓ being music majors. Notable former directors include Marc Martin, Troy Bennefield, and John Alstrin.

## History

[edit]

The Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band, 1951

From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, the Spirit of Houston was led by Bill Moffit, who is credited with developing the Patterns in Motion marching style, which gained prominence during his time at the University of Houston. Moffit was also known for his arrangements of both traditional band music and contemporary popular songs.

After Moffit left to join Purdue University, Greg Talford became the director. Originally from Michigan, Talford introduced drum corps-style elements to the band, emphasized the memorization of all music, and implemented regular sectionals. Robert Mayes succeeded Talford, joining UH after positions at Texas Tech and the University of Wyoming. Under Mayes' leadership, the Cougar Marching Band performed internationally, with trips to Japan, England, Ireland, France, and Mexico.[3]

In 2000, David Bertman was appointed as the director of the Spirit of Houston, with the responsibility of upholding the established traditions. The Cougar Marching Band continued to support the University of Houston by performing at Houston Cougars football games. After Bertman was promoted to Director of Bands, Troy Bennefield assumed the role of marching band director in 2011. In the summer of 2018, Cameron Kubos became the director of the Spirit of Houston. The UH Drumline is led by Scott Taylor.

The Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band during a pre-game show at Robertson Stadium

In 2004, the Spirit of Houston was featured in the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.[4]

On November 14, 2015, the Spirit of Houston performed "Gwan" with the Gulf Coast Soul Band, The Suffers, during the football halftime show.[5]

During the spring 2018 semester, associate director Marc Martin resigned from his position after being found guilty in an investigation conducted by the University of inappropriate behavior toward multiple students.[6]

On September 24, 2022, the Spirit of Houston performed "Red Alert" alongside Paul Wall and Bun B, during the football halftime show.

## Music

[edit]

The Spirit of Houston's primary repertoire includes the following:

* "Cougar Fight Song", the university's official fight song
* "Eat 'Em Up", a secondary fight song of the university was originally written by director Bill Moffit, and subsequently used by most other college marching bands today
* "The Horse"
* "Womp Womp"
* “Hustlin’”
* "June 27th"

## Branch

[edit]

* The UH Cheer team is under the direction of Spirit Coordinator Khristal Harbert and Cheer Coach Tennille Williams.
* The UH Cougar Dolls are under the direction of Spirit Coordinator Khristal Harbert and Dolls Coach Tatiana Kane.
* The Cougar Brass is the University of Houston's basketball band and is currently under the direction of Cameron Kubos.
* The UH Feature Twirlers under the direction of Kayli Mickey-McIntosh.

## See also

[edit]

* Texas portal

* Moores School of Music

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jefferson, La'Nora (July 30, 2016). Pratt, Joseph A. (ed.). "Being the Spirit of Houston: The University of Houston Marching Band" (PDF). Houston History. Vol. 13, no. 3\. Houston, Texas, U.S.: Welcome Wilson Houston History Collaborative. pp. 20–24. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
2. ^ "CAMERON KUBOS". kgmca.shorthandstories.com. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
3. ^ "Multi Screen Site" (PDF).`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. ^ "Houston Bands March With Yamaha at Super Bowl XXXVIII". Yamaha. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
5. ^ "Spirit of Houston set to perform with local band the Suffers". October 7, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
6. ^ "Associate Band Director Resigns After Allegations of "Inappropriate Behavior" with Students". August 17, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to University of Houston.

* University of Houston Bands
* University of Houston - Home
* Moores School of Music - Band Profile
* Moores School of Music - Home Page

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University of Houston

Located in: Houston, Texas

Academics|

| Colleges|

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Facilities|

* Fertitta Center
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Broadcasting|

* KUHT (TV 8)
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Campus|

* A,A
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* Founded: 1927

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Houston Cougars football

Venues|

* Robertson Stadium (1946–1950, 1994–2012)
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Bowls and rivalries|

* Bowl games
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Culture & lore|

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People|

* Head coaches
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* 1946
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Houston Cougars men's basketball

Venues|

* Sam Houston Coliseum (select games; 1937–19??)
* Jeppesen Gymnasium (1946–1966)
* Delmar Fieldhouse (1966–1969)
* Fertitta Center (1969–2017; 2018–present)
* Health and Physical Education Arena (2017–2018)

Rivalries|

* Rice
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Culture & lore|

* Shasta
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* Spirit of Houston

People|

* Head coaches
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* List of seasons
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NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

* v
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Houston Cougars women's basketball

Venues|

* Fertitta Center (1975–2017; 2018–present)
* Health and Physical Education Arena (2017–2018)

Rivalries|

* Rice

Culture & lore|

* History
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* Spirit of Houston

People|

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* 1975–76
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Marching bands of the Big 12 Conference

* Pride of Arizona (Arizona)
* Sun Devil Marching Band (Arizona State)
* Golden Wave Band (Baylor)
* Cougar Marching Band (BYU)
* Bearcat Bands (Cincinnati)
* Golden Buffalo Marching Band (Colorado)
* Spirit of Houston (Houston)
* Cyclone Marching Band (Iowa State)
* Marching Jayhawks (Kansas)
* The Pride of Wildcat Land (Kansas State)
* Cowboy Marching Band (Oklahoma State)
* Horned Frog Marching Band (TCU)
* Goin' Band from Raiderland (Texas Tech)
* Marching Knights (UCF)
* Pride of Utah (Utah)
* Pride of West Virginia (West Virginia)

Authority control databases

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