As a Texas Longhorn, even I get chills when the Aggie War Hymn starts. Proud to be a Texan and proud of the Aggie Band.

Former member of the Aggie band. We trained for performances like that every morning for a week with a new performance every week. On top of school and military training. Every member is trained for the military for the first two years of college

About 400 in the band. The Corps of Cadets overall is about 3000. - Class of '83

“There’s a spirit can ne’er be told!” Gig Em, Aggies! 👍🏼

While Texas A&M is not solely a military school, it certainly has a large military presence. In World War II over 14,000 commissioned officers came from Texas A&M University and over 6,000 enlisted men. Seven Texas A&M students earned the Medal of Honor.

It’s a tuba y’all. 😂 The instruments with the long “slide” in front are trombones. And yes, they are very close together. I’m loving all the college football and military vids. Thanks so much! BTW, the “T” is made up of cadets. It’s a military college.

I don't think Yass understands the difference between a trombone and sousaphone and tuba.

I am a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. My son is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. My son-in-law's brother is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. My two eldest daughters are graduates of Texas A&M University at College Station. My youngest began her education at Texas A&M in College Station, but graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). I also have experience with the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, the University of Wyoming, South Dakota State University, North Dakota State University, and the University of New Mexico. The heart and soul of Texas A&M is the Corps of Cadets, which is about 2,000 strong, and it is the Corps that composes the "block T" on the field in this video. There is no institution of higher learning I've been exposed to that has as deep and rich traditions as Texas A&M. It's not possible to explain them in these comments, but if you had any idea of what Texas A&M is really all about, you'd be blown away, and this video would have been many times more meaningful.

What you're describing is a Sousaphone which is in the Tuba family. “Created around 1893 by J. W. Pepper at the direction of American bandleader John Philip Sousa (after whom the instrument was then named), it was designed to be easier to play than the concert tuba while standing or marching, as well as to carry the sound of the instrument above the heads of the band.” - Wiki

I've seen these halftime drills hundreds of times, in person and online, and they never get old. Mesmerizing

Whoop Gig'em Aggies.

I went to THE University of Texas (Longhorns) and married to an Aggie. I greatly appreciate the Fightin’ Aggie Marching Band!

This was Texas A&M not Texas. I know it seems like it might seem like close to the same things but I don't think is any love between the 2 schools. At least not in athletic competitions.

Large instrument is called a tuba or a Sousaphone in a marching band. The trombone changes notes with the piece called a slide. The Sousaphone was a modification made to a basic tuba, to allow shifting the weight for easier holding while marching. Named after a famous band director. John Philip Sousa.😊

Large instrument is called a tuba or a Sousaphone in a marching band. The trombone changes notes with the piece called a slide.

These are kids to be proud of.

@yassandfats According to Google...Known for its precision military marching formations on the football field, the Fightin Texas Aggie Band is the largest collegiate military marching band in the nation. This 400 member Corps of Cadets unit is the official marching band of Texas A&M University. Performing at all home football games, several away games, parades and events, this organization is one of the most traveled collegiate marching bands in the nation. The Aggie Band operates under strict military guidelines as an integral part of the Corps of Cadets.

The Texas A&M Corp of Cadets is not a military service academy. It is one of six "Senior Military Colleges" and Corp members are not commissioned officers when they join. Taking a commission is optional and less than half (40-45%) will join the military. They won't become veterans until they join and then leave the military.

Well done. Fun reaction. For another marching band style, I recommend an HBCU. Historically Black College/University. Example: Southern University Human Jukebox/Halftime Show vs LSU 2022 approx. 6:30 in length. Thanks.

4:40 what you're referring to is a TUBA. Trombones have thinner retractable sliding tubes.

They mention and give their rendition of Lee Greenwood's song God Bless the USA in this video. I suggest you watch a video Greenwood made with a music group called Home Free and several members of the military ... where they all sing this song from different parts of the country then edit it all together. Its a very moving rendition. You'll love it.

The Trombone players lower the slide of the Trombone Downward for an instant so the Instrument is vertical and doesn't hit anyone or anything...then they immediately raise it up again to continue playing !

Texas A&M to some degree is a military college. It's been that way since the 1800s (I think) core of cadets. The student body is called the 12th man. (Fans in the stands) Teams have 11 players on the field and the Aggies consider their fans a 12th man because of the noise they cause.

Nobody executes a counter column march better than the Aggies

I am so lucky to have seen them in person. All of these marching band members work extremely hard. These band members spend hours practicing as well as carrying a full load of academic studies. They are all so talented.

lol Brit’s reacting to us Aggies is great! We have a Long history! I’m fighten Texas Aggie class of 2002; (‘98-‘02) I was there during 1999 bonfire and 9/11/2001. We experienced a lot back then but the band always brought us together made us proud

College football and basketball are much larger than the professional versions. A lot of loyalties go back many generations to the Civil War with sons and daughters following their parents and grandparents to the same school. Football and basketball are unifying social events even for students who don't attend the games celebrating at parties around campus. Huge rivalries exist between border states and many alums make a point to attend these events. Marching bands have evolved over the years to entertain the crowds during half-time and have become an integral part of the culture. Even high schools have marching bands that are quite good and they attend huge competitions all over the country.

I always enjoy seeing someone from the UK discovering the tradition of a halftime or pregame show at football games. And you found one of the bands that almost always manages a visually impressive show. The big thing so few people understand is how little work goes into any one show. Most of the top college marching bands will have a new halftime show for each home game, which means they only get 1-2 weeks to practice before they have to perform. And everyone out there on the field is a full-time student. I don't know how it works at Texas A&M, but I know that many schools work with only having 2-2.5 hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each week, plus some time on Saturday morning to practice/prepare. So the shows tend to not be as complex as they appear. This show is a good example. There is a lot of what are called "counter-marches", but its mostly in a block so the majority of the members just have to follow the person in front of them. Only a few members need to remember the whole show. As for the trombones, you are right, during the counter-marches they will stop playing and hold their instrument so that its facing up and down. This allows them to perform the pass-throughs. As for a single error causing a huge problem, honestly it depends on the experience of the band members around the person making the mistake. Often there will be very experienced members who just quickly adjust and hide the error as best as they can. Band members and former band members will catch these, but most of the fans won't realize that there was a problem.

Trombone has the long slide that goes in and out as they play, I think you may be speaking of the Tuba which has the large bowl

“I’m not going to lie” -- yes thank you for telling the truth 🤣 I wonder where this hugely common phrase came from.

The big round ones over the shoulder are Tubas. Trombones are the long ones ya slide back and forth 🎉

I attended Texas A & M Firefighting School at College Station and various extension classes elsewhere. It's a huge school. The biggest brass instrument carried would be the Tuba. The letters A & M stands for Agriculture & Mechanical, as it has large class studies in both, along with a massive ROTC (an acronym for Reserve Officers Training Corps) program and the Fighting Aggie (for Ag) Band wears an older style military uniform and centers its band program around military style precision drills. Notice the band is constantly playing, unlike Ohio who takes breathers as their MC narrates.

Excellent question about the trombones and other big horns, as you are correct the horizontal spacing is very limited, if you notice closely at the turns the big horns take a deeper vertical step. They trade horizontal spacing for vertical clearance. Very cleverly done.

I guarantee you this was as much fun as it looked!

American college marching bands are relics of an age when all state funded universities had compulsory ROTC (reserve officer training corps) programs. To be clear, ROTC still exists, but on a much smaller scale. The bands were considered demonstration units to showcase the cadets' skill at close order drill and marching. It harkens to an era when battlefield orders were communicated by drum beats and trumpet blasts. Of you look at the marching band uniforms of most universities, they tend to have a vaguely military, anachronistic look about them. Texas A&M is what is called a "Senior Military College". That effectively means that the ROTC cadet corps is a more prominent and visible presence on campus than at most schools. My father graduated from college in 1958 (not from Texas A&M), and he participated in his university's ROTC program. He then went on to Naval Officer Candidate School and served four years as a commissioner naval officer. During his college years, he marched at football halftimes to the cadence of the civilian marching bands. This historical link between military service and university attendance is one of the reasons college sports are so integrated into American culture. The British upper classes actually have similar traditions. Historically, an upper class British man owned only three neckties or cravats. Each bore a crest - one for his family, one for his university, and one for his military unit. A necktie which bore no crest was an indicator that the wearer was working class. American college loyalty tied all three elements in one institution, and you didn't need to be a landed aristocrat for the privilege.

Texas A&M is a regular college but has a huge Military Science program. It goes back to the 1800's and initially graduated artillery officers for the Army ( I believe). At the beginning when they were waving the flags around that emulates the way that units used to communicate with each other on the battlefield. Texas A&M also has a big Veterinary program.

Glad to see you watch this. They are great. As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.

UT lifer fan here. That s$$t gives me goosebumps. My family has a heavy military history. Many Americans are still patriotic. Texans are fiercely independent. Alot at play here. After the US Military Academies, Texas A&M has a Corp of Cadets aside from their regular student population that can go on to serve in the the Armed Services as an officer. God bless those kids. Have to admit, when y'all clapped I teared😢 up. At the end of the day Americans have each other's back. Glad to have Brits as our friends

I’ve never seen you guys before. Just watching some videos. That being said, I love that you guys are watching the Aggie band. They are a military marching band, and they are awesome. This is one halftime show ya never want to miss.

My son was in that formation. There were about 2,500 Cadets in the Corps that year. He is Class of '16. This isn't even the best halftime performance. Look for the four way cross.

During summer, marching band practice started at 6:30 in the morning, ended at 8 in the evening.

Former Student here. I am glad you enjoyed this halftime show, but you REALLY need to see them live to experience all the energy coming from the band and the fans in the stands.

Sousaphone is the extra-large tuba which is named for John Phillip Sousa the U.S. Marine Band "March King" of the late 19th Century. He made an instrument design which was easier to carry and served as a large Euphonium Tuba. Very heavy and usually played by men.

The guy starts vibing at the first note. Get him to College Station and make him an Aggie!

Graduated from UNT and SMU but have always been a Gig em Aggies fan.

Marching band halftime shows are common at college football games in this country. The reason Texas A&M's precision is top notch, is because it is composed of members of the military Core of Cadets, which can be of any branch of service, by the way.

The big ones are Tubas

If nobody else has mentioned it, the large silver-colored instruments are called tubas or as we called them in the Corps, “Basses.” The trombones are the really long horns with a slide you pull and push to play the right note. And yes, one misstep and it throws off the entire formation. That’s what it takes hours every day to learn the halftime show drill for that week. The drill changes every week and gets progressively more complex as the Freshmen (or “fish” as they’re called in the Corps) learn how to military march and memorize the music. Once they’ve memorized the music, they’re able to be more focused on the marching drill and can learn more difficult drills. You’ll notice that when they’re “turning around,” the tubas will crouch, the bass drummers will lean forward, and the trombonists will put their instruments “at attention” (i.e. perpendicular to the ground), all of which is to avoid hitting anyone as they turn around. They may brush each other, but an actual collision is rare. The fear of God is put into the “fish” and Sophomores (“pissheads” as they’re called in the Corps) because they will pay dearly for a mistake during the halftime show. I recommend watching a video of them doing the 4-way cross-through drill. That will blow your mind.

Check out some of the Texas High School Bands. It will blow your minds. Also, Prairie View A&M is always impressive. Those big tubas are called Sousaphones. Named for composer John Phillip Sousa.

Trombone is the horn that has a long slide. In most marching bands a tuba is marched as a sousaphone, which is what I suspect you meant by trombone, which is the large belled instrument that is worn like a hula hoop over the shoulders.

the big round one is called the Tuba, the trombone is the one that some of the instrument goes in and out.

Look T george straight, just broke a record

Trumpets are smaller it's trombone. But their Tubas are huge! Amazing Band!

In Great Britian, do they not have University Marching bands at sports events? We Americans love our College/University sports events!!! A burning passion for many. A matter of personal pride!! Rivalries that transcend generations;

“It’s an army!” Well, yes. Second only to the US military academies. Don’t mess with Texas. Gig ‘em!

The big ones over the shoulder are tuba's ' , the trombone normally has a slide that extends back and fourth.

All members of the marching band are members of the cadets. Around 400-500 are members of the marching band. Texas A&M University (Agricultural & Mechanical) has over 50,000 students with around 4,000 of them in the Corp of Cadets. So 10% of the Corp is in the band, and less than 10% of the students is in the Corp. Imagine the entire football field full of all the students. Wow! That’s huge.

That sousaphone turn is a classic and totally bada$$!

Sousaphone is where they can stand inside of them. It is in essence a tuba that is made for marching bands. Named after John Phillip Sousa.

The big horns are Sousaphones named for John Philipp Sousa The March King .

The instrument you seem to be referring to around the 6min mark is the tuba

Great reaction ❤

Y'all need to watch the video when they do the 4 way cross it will really blow your minds.

Check out the Kyoto Tachibana SHS (Senior High School) Marching Band. Yes, that's Kyoto, Japan. I think you'll be impressed. Don't want to give too much away, but they dance...and play.

The over the shoulder instrument is a Tuba and they do have room between them

Y’all should visit. Attend a home game in September. Lovely weather.

The trombones and flutes put their instruments facing up and down on turns to not hit anyone else. I would know as a member of a military style marching band.

For the non US viewers in America most public High Schools have marching bands grades 8 thru 12. Once your finished with High School you can apply to the University grade 12 thru 16 for a bachelors degree. Most have music degrees but it is not required to be a music major to join a marching band. You must audition. Practice is on your own time besides your regular school studies.

You need to see the Ohio State Marching Band tho... it couldnt be more different than this, but both are fantastic.

High schools also have some pretty great marching band programs as well.

Lots of good info in the comments. Was in this band during my time in college. Yes they are very close. Shoulder to shoulder when going in opposite directions. And this isn’t the most technical show. The four way cross literally has two people in one spot crossing each other in opposite direction’s while marching. We practiced every weekday for a couple of hours and yes people end up on the butts or smacked in the face when someone screws up.

That is really easy to do but it looks hard from the stands. Arlington was the first band that didn't use music as they played, I believe. First one I saw in 1955.

The band's performance is a close order drill. The small hash marks on the field are at 3 feet apart about 1 meter. So, they are painfully close.

Yall should react to Texas high school football…..they have stadiums that fit 20,000 people. It’s nuts. My high school in Illinois once had 9000 people for a game and i thought that was crazy.

In Texas A&M.....the A stands for Agriculture. The M stands Military. That's why their bad is so soldier-like.

This is NOT a "Texas" band. It's the "Texas A & M Aggies" band. There's more than one "Texas" school. Texas Texas Tech Texas A & M more...

Took me a couple of seconds to realize they were talking about the tubas haha I was so confused

Sousaphones were Tubas designed for Marching Bands by John Phillip Sousa a famous composer and Director of the United Sates Marin Corps Band

University of Texas and Texas A&M are huge rivals. We still give my uncle a hard time for being the only Aggie (someone who graduated from A&M) in the family, and he's in his 60s.😂 University of Texas is the Longhorns.

🇺🇸🦅

I’m always impressed by the Aggie Band (I was in my high school marching band back in the Dark Ages) but I am disappointed in the camera work since we don’t get to see the formation in total as it moves and flows.

It's aweomse they continnue to do traditional maching band routines!

So glad you enjoyed this. I believe marching bands is unique to America?

its actually called a Tuba, a trombone is the one with the long slide on it...

Those are not veterans they are college students that’s the marching band!! Here in Texas those kids start in Junior High then High School and then college they also compete with other schools throughout the US.

Best band, best Corps of Cadets, best university. Gig'em.

The students in uniform and the band are all pat of TxA&M's ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program. They act like an army because they actually are an army. The rest of the school specialize in agriculture and medicine. As well as other scientific fields of study. But they are not all trying to become vetrinarians.

Not a "trombone", the over the shoulder instrument is a TUBA......

You guys do realize this happens at practically every college football game in America, right? Every team has a marching band-some, of course, are better than others...

This stuff takes alot of practice lol was in marching band all through high school it’s a lot to remember but being good on ur mark is key cause u can get a trombone slide in the face or me I got hit by the colorguard once 🤣🤣🤣 not by my fault but still knowing ur place is key keeps the shapes and lines straight( have to have great peripheral vision)

They swivel or dip to avoid impacts.

Tuba and French horns

Don't worry Britts if you get into trouble again from Europe we are here to protect you

Band Geeks are amazing

Whoop, Gig Em!!!

Maybe you can react to the University of Texas Longhorn band - the Showband of the Southwest!

Texas A & M is the Harvard of the south. So excellence is expected

I hate the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, they truly have "The best damn band in the land." I have literally tried to let my prejudice against the Buckeyes cloud my appreciation for their band. I can't. They are the absolute BEST. Check them out.

They're good but their is better.The big horn is the tuba. The things banging together are symbals.

The best! 🇺🇸