United States Naval Academy Band

A United States Naval Academy Band musician plays a service song prior to the kick-off of a season home-opener football game, which pitted the Navy Midshipmen against Duke Blue Devils.

Founded| November 1852; 172 years ago (November 1852)
Country|  United States
Branch|  United States Navy
Garrison/HQ| United States Naval Academy
Nickname(s)| "The Navy's Oldest and Finest"
Website| www.usna.edu/USNABand/index.php
Commanders
Director| Commander Diane Nichols
Senior Enlisted Leader| Master Chief Petty Officer Todd Nix

Military unit

The United States Naval Academy Band was officially founded in November 1852. Previously, there had been a band since the founding of the Naval Academy in 1845, consisting of a fifer and a drummer. The band consists of US Navy career musicians. The band is required to blend tradition and change into a wide variety of musical styles.

The Naval Academy Band is one of two Navy premier bands. The Washington DC Navy Band and the Academy Band is staffed based on auditions not limited to military personnel. Winners of the auditions are required to attend boot camp. Upon completion they are awarded the rank of E-6, Petty Officer First Class. They have been granted an exemption to wear the same uniform as a Chief Petty Officer to maintain a consistent appearance. The crest on their hats are a musician's lyre. Their career can be entirely at this one duty station. The Directors are the only officers and the only members who are subject to transfers.

The band has been termed "the Chiefs Band" by midshipmen to distinguish it from the Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, which is staffed by midshipmen.

## Performances

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The United States Naval Academy Band leads a column of Midshipmen on military parade before dignitaries on Worden Field, advances into Navy/Marine Corps Stadium for a contest in American football, escorts a fallen shipmate to his final resting place, or represents the Navy and Naval Academy on “Main Street, USA” in their Memorial Day celebration.

The Concert Band performs a year-round concert series. Performances include programs of light classics, popular melodies, patriotic songs, and marches. It performs at special events including the Side-By-Side concert with local high school musicians chosen to play with the band under the baton of a special guest conductor, and the annual Finale Concert featuring all Naval Academy Band ensembles and closing with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”, complete with live cannon fire. Smaller ensembles are featured in the Chamber Music Series, a variety of recitals planned and presented by individual band members. The Electric Brigade, the Navy’s premier Top 40 Band, aids recruiting by acquainting young Americans with the Navy and the United States Armed Forces, in addition to performances for the Brigade of Midshipmen in functions ranging from formal occasions such as the Graduation Ball during Commissioning Week to informal dances, pep rallies, and company picnics. From its 66 members, the band has two jazz groups, brass and woodwind quintets, trombone and clarinet quartets, tuba and percussion ensembles, and two reception combos.

A succession of 26 leaders and hundreds of instrumentalists have been members of the band.

## See also

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* United States Navy Band
* U.S. Armed Forces School of Music
* U.S. Navy Steel Band (defunct)
* United States Naval Academy Pipes and Drums
* United States military bands
* "Anchors Aweigh"
* "Eternal Father, Strong to Save"
* United States Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps

## External links

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* United States Naval Academy Band (official site)
* Navy Music History[permanent dead link]
* USS Arizona's last band Archived August 12, 2020, at the Wayback Machine

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United States Naval Academy

Located in: Annapolis, Maryland

Academics|

* Prep School
* Small Satellite Program
* Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference

Athletics|

* Navy Midshipmen

Teams
Baseball
Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Football
Men's Lacrosse
Men's Soccer

Other
Navy–Army Cup
Navy–Army Game
Navy–Army Game (lacrosse)
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
Crab Pot Tournament (ice hockey)

Campus|

* Alumni Hall
* Bancroft Hall
* Cemetery
* Glenn Warner Soccer Facility
* Halsey Field House
* Herndon Monument
* Hubbard Hall
* McMullen Hockey Arena
* Museum

* Lejeune Hall
* Naval Academy Chapel
* Naval Academy Jewish Chapel
* Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
* Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium
* Wesley Brown Field House

History|

* Fort Severn

People|

* Alumni
* Superintendents
* Commandants

Traditions|

* Bill the Goat
* Honor Concept
* Induction day
* "Navy Blue and Gold"
* Plebe Summer

* Founded: 1845
* Students: Approximately 4,500

* v
* t
* e

Navy Midshipmen football

Venues|

* Worden Field (1890–1923)
* Thompson Stadium (1924–1958)
* Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (1959–present)
* Memorial Stadium (alternate)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Army: Army–Navy Game (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy)
* Air Force: Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
* Johns Hopkins
* Maryland: Crab Bowl Classic
* Notre Dame
* SMU: Gansz Trophy

Culture & lore|

* Bill the Goat
* "Anchors Aweigh"
* "I believe that we will win!"
* Marching band
* "Navy ends the drought"
* 2007 North Texas game
* Salute
* That Navy Spirit
* Navy Blue and Gold

People|

* Head coaches
* Statistical leaders
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1879
* 1880
* 1881
* 1882
* 1883
* 1884
* 1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

National championship seasons in bold

* v
* t
* e

Navy Midshipmen men's soccer

Venues|

* Worden Field (1921–1923)
* Thompson Stadium (1924–1958)
* Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (1959–2001)
* Glenn Warner Soccer Facility (2002–present)

Rivalries & Cups|

* Army: Army–Navy Cup

Culture & lore|

* Bill the Goat
* "Anchors Aweigh"
* "I believe that we will win!"
* Marching band

People|

* Head coaches
* Notable players

Seasons|

* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1964

National championship seasons in bold

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United States military bands

U.S. Army
(list)|

| Premier ensembles|

* Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps
* U.S. Army Band
* U.S. Army Field Band
* West Point Band

|

Specialized units of
premier ensembles|

* Downrange
* Hellcats
* Jazz Ambassadors
* U.S. Army Blues
* U.S. Army Chorus
* U.S. Army Herald Trumpets
* U.S. Army Soldiers' Chorus
* U.S. Army Strings
* Six-String Soldiers

Unit bands|

* 13th Army Band
* 25th Army Band
* 76th Army Band
* 77th Army Band
* 78th Army Band
* 100th Army Band
* 191st Army Band
* 257th Army Band
* 323rd Army Band
* 338th Army Band
* I Corps Band

Former bands|

* 404th Armed Service Forces Band
* The Jazz Knights
* Military Intelligence Corps Band
* Signal Corps Band
* U.S. Army All-American Marching Band

U.S. Navy and
U.S. Marine Corps|

| Premier ensembles|

* U.S. Marine Band
* U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps
* U.S. Naval Academy Band
* U.S. Navy Band

|

Specialized units of
premier ensembles|

* Commodores
* Country Current
* Cruisers
* Sea Chanters

Naval fleet bands|

* Naval Forces Europe Band
* Seventh Fleet Band
* Pacific Fleet Band
* Navy Band Northwest
* Navy Band Great Lakes
* Navy Band Southwest
* Navy Band Northeast
* Navy Band Mid-South
* Navy Band Southeast
* U.S. Fleet Forces Band

Marine wing /
division bands|

* United States Marine Band
* Quantico Marine Corps Band
* Parris Island Marine Band
* Marine Corps Band San Diego
* 1st Marine Division Band
* 2nd Marine Division Band
* 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band
* 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band
* Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band
* Marine Forces Reserve Band

Former bands|

* Navy Band New Orleans
* Navy Band South
* Navy Steel Band
* III Marine Amphibious Force Band
* Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms Band

U.S. Air Force
(list)|

| Premier ensembles|

* U.S. Air Force Band
* U.S. Air Force Academy Band

|

Specialized units of
premier ensembles|

* The Airmen of Note
* Max Impact

Regional bands|

* Air Force in Europe Band
* Air Force Band of Flight
* Air Force Band of the Golden West
* Air Force Band of Mid-America
* Air Force Band of the Pacific - Asia
* Air Force Band of the Pacific
* Air Force Band of the West
* Air Force Heritage of America Band
* Air Force Heartland of America Band
* Air Force Academy Drum and Bugle Corps
* Air Forces Central Command Band

Former bands|

* Air Force Band of Liberty
* Band of the Air Force Reserve
* Tops In Blue
* U.S. Air Force Pipe Band

U.S. Coast Guard|

| Premier ensembles|

* U.S. Coast Guard Band

|

Other bands|

* U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band

State defense forces|

* Maryland Defense Force Band
* Oregon State Defense Force Pipe Band

Corps of Cadets /
Midshipmen|

* Citadel Regimental Band and Pipes
* Fightin' Texas Aggie Band
* Golden Eagle Band
* Highty-Tighties
* Merchant Marine Academy Regimental Band

Authority control databases: Artists |

* MusicBrainz

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