About the Alumni Band

The ‘Best Dressed Band in the Land’, the Hub of SMU Spirit, the first college band in the nation to play jazz at a football game- that’s the Mustang Band of Southern Methodist University. Evolving from that long tradition of jazz on the Hilltop, graduates from the 1950s all the way up to 2007 have banded together to form the SMU Alumni Band, recreating the wide-screen explosion of brass and percussion that is the trademark of Mustang Jazz.

The Alums play Texas-type jazz- big and rich, with all the subtlety of a brick through a plate-glass window. And make no mistake: this is NOT a college band organization trying to play a few jazz tunes as a novelty. This is a genuine jazz band in every sense of the word. If, like many jazz fans, you are weary of straining to catch obscure passages from sunken-chested musicians through dim lights and incessant chatter, you’ll find the Mustang approach a welcome relief. The Alumni Band features some of the greatest tunes of jazz and sacred music, whether strolling down the boulevard or neatly parked on the concert stage. Yes, the tradition of Mustang Jazz- swinging out in that solid, jaunty style- is always exciting and refreshing when they ‘Strike-up the Band!’

The Alumni Band Mission:
1. To actively and visably support the SMU Mustang Band.
2. To preserve the musical history and traditions of the Mustang Band.
3. To provide performance opportunities for all Mustang Band alumni.