The Nebraska band program was founded in October of 1879. It owed it's initial existence to the commander of the university's military department, Lt. Isaac T. Webster. Lt. Webster felt that drilling to music would improve his battalion of cadets so he made a request to the Board of Regents for the necessary funds. After a few battles over financing, uniforms and instrument procurement, the Regents agreed to the plan. The Regents provided funding for instruments, several Lincoln businessmen provided money for uniforms, and twelve students volunteered to form the experimental group. However, the newly appointed band director, Samuel B. Hohman, found that his "bandsmen" had no musical knowledge or training. Despite this rather inauspicious beginning, the University of Nebraska Military Cadet Band made its first official performance in April, 1880, at the military department's annual dress parade.
The Cadet Band's director was actually a musical instrument salesman from Lincoln who had been hired by the University to run its Conservatory for Musical Instruction. In 1879 the conservatory was not yet operational so the Board of Regents asked Mr. Hohman to direct the band. Mr. Hohman's tenure as director of the Cadet Band was not long. The Conservatory of Music opened in 1880, forcing Hohman's resignation. Thus, Percival Everett, the director of the Lincoln City Band, was asked by the Regents to replace him. However, Everett never became a university employee and had other interests, only wielding the baton for the band for two years. In 1884 David F. Easterday joined the university faculty and was the Cadet Band's first professional full- time director. He held this position for 14 years.
In the 1880's, the university did not have an athletic department, so the band's association with sports began with an informal university baseball team. Providing entertainment at these games was the band's only contact with athletics until band member Roscoe Pound began to campaign for a football program at the university. With the help of drummer Albert Troyer and other students, a team was organized and on Thanksgiving Day, 1890, the first official Nebraska football game was played against a team from the Omaha Y.M.C.A., with the band providing musical entertainment from the sidelines. The idea of halftime shows did not evolve until later.
Gradually the band began to grow in size and quality and became an established fixture of campus life. During the 1880's most of the band's performances were at military events, with the occasional foray into sporting outlets as the athletic program grew. They also played for campus dances, official university functions, and an occasional political rally.
Lt. John J. Pershing came to the university as military commander in 1891 and helped to change the destiny of the Nebraska band. Before Pershing came on the scene the band stood in formation and played while the cadets marched. However, Pershing required the band to march as well as play during military drill. The cadets and band won several honors for their precision and began to draw large crowds at their weekly reviews. Pershing was a sports fan, however, and suggested that the cadets and band put on a review during a football game. This first "halftime" show was performed in November of 1893 and became an annual event.
As the football team gained popularity on campus, the Cadet Band became more involved with the athletic department. The band was performing at all home football games by 1900 and by 1913 the athletic department was providing travel funds for the band to accompany the team to important games, while the military department still retained responsibility for instruments, uniforms, and basic control of the unit.
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The quality of the band, along with the added incentive of travel, attracted more students to the group. The numbers were such that in 1912, auditions were held for the first time to determine the band's membership.