Early formation and the Canadian Officer Training Corps In 1923, a band was formed under the direction of Sidney Kingsmill on the newly developed
University of Western Ontario campus. Kingsmill was a well-known musician at Western and developed a small group of other musicians to join in the parades down to the stadium before a Western rugby game. This group became known as the "University Band". With limited resources, the band did not develop after the fall of 1923. However in 1926, the band restarted under the direction of Bruce Wiley. This new organization had more resources due to financial and administrative assistance from Paul McKibben, the Dean of
Western's School of Medicine. During this time, the band got funding through an applied
grant and a practice space for
marching drill. Ross Willis organized the band as the director in 1928 and the
Canadian Officer Training Corps (COTC) took formal control of the band in 1929. The COTC had access to finances set aside from the
Department of National Defence and purchased instruments and sheet music. Under the direction of the COTC, the band got a full uniform and would dress same as the military unit, with the khaki-coloured tunic and pants and a brimmed cap. The band continued to play at football games and received high praise from the university during this time for increasing school spirit. In 1932, controversy arose towards the band being at football games. Ultimately the band continued to appear at football games.
Don Wright's involvement Don Wright became involved in the band, playing trumpet while getting his undergraduate degree. He became
bandleader in 1933. Although he left after 1933, he came back to direct the band in 1935 after he was asked. The band was now organized under the University Student Council. Notably during this time, the
drum major selected was female. Wright purposefully chose Beth Forbes for the position and felt strongly about having a female in the leadership role. Don Wright left the band at this time to help with the war effort. After the war however, the band reorganized for the 1945 football season. Perkins joined the band on
trumpet. Up until this point, the only female members in the band were
majorettes or colour party members. Popularity grew amongst both genders and in 1957, it was regarded that the band had an entire row of girls.
Marvin Kwitko took over as bandmaster in the 1954 season. He was composed and arranged the music the band played. The band during this time had 45 musicians. Under Kwitko's direction, practices were scheduled four times a week. Kwitko left the band in 1956.
1960s In 1959, Ron Brown became bandmaster. Under Brown's direction, he instituted daily practice. The band remained at the maximum member count of 45 men. During this time, Brown excluded women from the band as musicians. Women were only allowed in the majorette section. This idea did not change for the entirety that Brown was
bandmaster. From 1960 to 1965, Brown grew the band to a size of 65-85 members. The band at this time received positive praise from game attendees and the press.
1970s In 1970, the University Student Council president identified the marching band as an extra-curricular in need of support and lobbied the increase funding by $6,000, through the Board of Governors. The new funding provided the band new cost-effective uniforms consisting of purple sweaters with as Western crest, white Stetson hats, white pants and white shoes. In 1974, the band had 64 members in total. The Band played at the
9th Vanier Cup at CNE Stadium in Toronto, on November 22, 1973, backing up
Shirley Eikhard who sang the National Anthem. The next day, the Band marched in the Grey Cup Parade, for the
61st Grey Cup. In 1974, the band performed at the
10th Vanier Cup game at CNE Stadium in Toronto.
1980s to 2010s Brad Masters was brought on as director in 1981. Masters secured funding from various organizations, allowing for the purchase of new instruments and uniforms. By the mid-1980s, membership again dwindled, and a series of articles criticizing the band's unprofessional atmosphere began appearing in the Western Gazette. The band languished throughout this era, and would not regain their professional form until the mid-2000s, with the onset of some new instruments and newer uniforms. The band received full, professional uniforms in 2007. The annual Toronto and London Santa Claus Parades continued to be a part of the band activities every year, as well as the Montreal St. Patrick's Day Parade which was added in 2005. More activities outside of the traditional marching band circle garnered attention to the band, starting in 2007. The band participated at the request of
Marianas Trench in the
2007 MMVA's for their red-carpet entrance. The following year, the band performed with
Let's Go to War at the
2008 Virgin Mobile Music Festival in Toronto. This performance mixed both electronic and more traditional genres by utilizing the band instrumentation alongside a DJ. In recent years, the band has been in Shawn Mendes' 2014 music video for
Something Big, performed at the finale of the
2016 Toronto Fashion Week for
Greta Constantine playing an arrangement of "
Happy" by Pharrell Williams.
2017–2024 After a successful student-led referendum in February 2015, the band secured stable funding, which enabled it to transition out from under the USC. After 78 years, it became part of a new organizational structure within the Athletics Department under the umbrella of Western Student Experience. Quinn Fleming, a prominent advocate for the referendum at the time, was appointed Director. Under his leadership, the band experienced significant growth, reaching its largest size and achieving its most notable success since the 1960s. In 2019, the band performed Fleming's arrangement of
Loud Luxury's hit
Body alongside the cheerleading team as part of the opening act with
Loud Luxury at the
2019 Juno Awards. The band continues using many of Fleming's arrangements, including the Western Fight Song, the Alma Mater, the March to the Stadium, the Pregame Fanfare, I Wanna Go Back to Western U, and football cheer packs. The band declined in size from a high of 85 members in 2019 to 38 members in 2025. == Music ==