The Golden Wave Band or GWB is a 300-member marching band associated with

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

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. The band has gone by many names over the years including the Baylor Bear band, the Golden Wave, BUGWB (the Baylor University Golden Wave Band), and the Golden Wave Band. The band is composed of students from all over the country, studying in a wide range of majors from Math, Science, Engineering, Pre-Med, Business, Music and more. The GWB performs a new show, with both traditional and contemporary marching and music styles, at each home game and takes the current show with them to the away games and bowl games that they perform at. The band has also been known to perform at marching competitions at the regional and state level such as the Texas UIL State Marching Contest. The Golden Wave Band came together in 1902, initially taking the form of a regulation military band. This iteration of the band operated from within the university's R.O.T.C. program. With the onset of World War I, the band separated from this military division and became known as the Baylor Bear Band. The marching band struggled during the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s because, like most band programs around the nation, the world wars and years of depression led to a decline in funding and participation. However, the band began truly to flourish around mid-century as attendance at Baylor University increased and enrollment in the marching band itself expanded. The Golden Wave Band became known by its current name after new uniforms were purchased in 1928. These uniforms, first worn at a Baylor-SMU football game, were crafted using a bright, golden fabric. The origin of the name "Golden Wave Marching Band" is, nevertheless, something of a mystery. According to one source, a reporter coined the phrase in 1929 as the Band was touring West Texas. Upon seeing these new uniforms, he reportedly commented that the band was marching across the land like a golden wave. According to another legend, a reporter coined the phrase around the same time after watching a line of band members disembark from a bus for a football game, believing that they looked like a wave of gold.Baylor University , , The Golden Wave Band , , History

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Baylor University Big 12 Conference marching bands Musical groups from Texas Musical groups established in 1902 1902 establishments in Texas