GT
Band
History

"We're not miracle workers, but if you
send us a good boy to Georgia Tech,
we will send you a good boy home."
-Bobby Dodd

Est.
1908


Directors

1908‐1914
 Robert “Biddy Bidez

1914‐1928

Frank "Wop" Roman

Beginnings

1929‐1946
 In 1908, the Georgia Tech Band program was
Major A.J. Garing
 formed by fourteen students and led by Robert
"Biddy" Bidez, a textile major from Mobile, AL. The
1946‐1975
 Ben Logan Sisk
 band found its first official bandleader in M.A. "Mike"
Greenblatt who took over the band for two years and
1976‐1983
 Edd Bridges in his time as director, wrote the first arrangement
and score of Georgia Tech's most famous fight song,
Ken Durham "Ramblin' Wreck". The lyrics were then added by
Billy Walthall, a member of the
1983‐2002
 Bucky Johnson first graduating class at Tech.


2002‐2008
 Andrea Strauss

2008‐Present
 Chris Moore




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Wop Era
Frank "Wop" Roman was the next to
oversee the band program in 1914 and
stayed until his death in 1928. Under
Roman's tenure as director, the Georgia
Tech Band Club was formed, and the
Iota chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi,
national honorary band fraternity, was
founded. Roman is credited with having
arranged and copyrighted “Ramblin'
Wreck” and “Up with the White and
Gold” still performed today. Roman also
composed Georgia Tech's Alma Mater.
Roman’s Tech Band became the first
band to broadcast live dance music
over the radio, playing a dance concert
on campus that was


Major A.J Garing
transmitted via wireless radio to the
Georgia Terrace Hotel in Atlanta.
Major A.J. Garing was hired as director of
the Georgia Tech Band in 1929. He
brought with him sixteen years of
experience as a member of the Sousa
Band. During a tour with the Sousa Band,
he visited the city of Atlanta for a
performance and vowed that he would
one day return to Atlanta. Indeed, he did
return and developed the Tech Band
through his impeccable direction and
passion for music. During Garing’s
tenure, students played throughout
Atlanta in the dance orchestra, known as
“The Ramblers”, with notable
performances at the Grand Ballroom of
the Biltmore Hotel and the Egyptian
Room at the Fox Theater. “The
Ramblers” also performed on board
an ocean liner for a voyage across
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Ben Logan Sisk
Ben Logan Sisk was hired
as Director of the Tech
Band in 1946 upon the
retirement of Major A.J.
Garing. In 1954 Teresa
Thomas and Paula
Stevenson became the
first women to join the
Georgia Tech band. They
were two of th1946e first
nine women admitted to Georgia
Tech. Also during this time, the
Music Department, under the
leadership of Ben Logan Sisk, was
created in 1963 under Tech’s
General College with the intention
of bringing institutional support to
the band and the glee club. For
the first time, academic credit was
given for participation in the band.
The first permanent home of the
Band was established at the old
Church of God building on the
corner of Hemphill and Ferst
Streets. The Epsilon Theta chapter
of Tau Beta Sigma, honorary band
sorority, was founded in 1973.


Ed Bridges
Ed Bridges
joined the Music
Department faculty
in the summer of
1975 as director
and Head of the
Music Department
upon the retirement
of Sisk. The music
department moved to
its current home in
the Couch building,
and early 1900’s
elementary school, in 1975
as well. Ken Durham was
hired as assistant band
director in fall of 1975 and
became Director of bands the
following year until 1983. Mr.
Durham was given the
nickname "Uncle Kenny"
during his time at Georgia
Tech due, in part, to
the fact that he
organized an annual
Thanksgiving
celebration for those
band students who
were unable to go
home for the holiday.
Don Eubanks joined
the band program in
1975 as an assistant
director of the marching band and later the
director of the basketball band. The Jazz
Ensemble was founded as well in 1977.
Ron Mendola was hired as director of the
Jazz Ensemble in 1979 and continues to
direct it to this day.
The GT music department entered a new
era of growth in the 80's with the addition
of the Symphonic Band and the Orchestra
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Continued
 Yesterday to Today

as well as several new music

history and music technology Following James “Bucky” Johnson’s departure in
classes. James "Bucky" Johnson 2002, Dr. Andrea Strauss was promoted to
was hired in 1983 as Tech's first Director of Bands and Chris Moore was promoted
full-time band director. To help to Director of Athletic Bands. The growth and
manage this expansion and vigor of the bands at Tech expanded rapidly at
improvement in the bands, Carlisle this time. In 2001, the Marching and Symphonic
Dent joined the staff as an Bands traveled to Dublin, Ireland to perform in
assistant director in 1988. Leading the St. Patrick's Day festivities.
up to the 1996 Olympic Games,
Bucky Johnson was the director of
the Atlanta Olympic Band in
addition to being the director of
the Georgia Tech Band. The band
marched in the parade celebrating
Atlanta's selection as the 1996
Olympic

The middle of the first decade of the new

century has seen the band perform in such
notable venues as the Shanghai Chamber
Music Festival in 2006 and a performance
tour of Sydney and surrounding New South
Wales, Australia in 2007. In 2008, after the
departure of Dr. Andrea Strauss, Benjamin
Diden was added to the music faculty as
Assistant Director of Bands. The Georgia
Tech Bands celebrated their Centennial in
2008 in a number of ways. In the fall, the
Wind Ensemble premiered a new work by
renowned composer Julie Giroux, entitled
Hard Drive, which was commissioned by the
Iota Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. The
Marching Band participated in the Macy's
Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City in
2008 to cap off a celebration of one hundred
years of band at Georgia Tech. Shortly there
after; in 2010, Andrea Brown joined the
band as assistant director of bands.



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