OWU Marching Bishops

This is your band!

True to the Oh-Wooo spirit, the marching band puts students first.

"We want marching band to be a high note of your OWU career," says Director Mary Kate McNally. "A student-first college marching band program creates a culture of support where students can grow as leaders, have fun, and make more emotional, sincere music. Our goal is to develop you as a musician in an environment that encourages you to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them."

Director McNally’s comprehensive, detail-oriented teaching method ensures that the OWU Marching Band has an established set of standards - clearly defined motion fundamentals and attention to musical detail will allow you to thrive in a challenging yet supportive rehearsal environment.

Read the *OWU Magazine* story about the Marching Band.

Lead a new era

As an early member of the OWU Marching Bishops, you will have the rare opportunity to build upon a new foundation and shape a vision for the future. You can leave your personal mark on the band's distinct identity by shaping the fun, meaningful traditions we'll pass down to future members. The students are the ones who craft a band's identity. How will you leave your mark?

Read the "Columbus Dispatch" editorial celebrating OWU's Marching Bishops.

A community for all

A good marching band is a cross-section of an entire campus, not just music majors. The 2018 OWU Marching Bishops includes music lovers from coast to coast majoring in things like zoology, psychology, chemistry, theatre, English, international studies, and microbiology, to name just a few. You can find Marching Bishops playing in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, singing with the OWtsiders, volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, engaging in the Global Scholars program, tutoring at the Writing Center, or even honing their battle skills in Medieval Combat Club.

All backgrounds are welcome. No matter what type of band you come from or whether you have marching experience, you'll be introduced to our movement style at preseason training camp along with fellow band members in an encouraging, growth-driven environment.

Join us

Put your heart into the OWU Marching Band, and you'll grow as a musician, make friends, have fun, and leave a legacy that could last for decades.

Contact Marching Band Director Mary Kate McNally at mkmcnall@owu.edu, (740) 368-3137, or visit her at Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, Room 326.

A Classic History

OWU's band program began in 1899, and the original OWU Marching Band thrilled crowds at football games and other events from the early 1920s to the 1960s.

In 2018, after more than 50 years, the OWU Marching Bishops will begin a new era!