About Tau Beta Sigma
Tau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and band programs. The sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, OK, numbers 3,000 active members in 140 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni.
Tau Beta Sigma operates primarily as a student service and leadership recognition society whose chief aim is to assist the Director of Bands in developing the leadership and enthusiasm that they require of their band. Our goals are not only to provide the band with organized and concentrated service activities, but to give our membership valid and wholesome experiences in organization, leadership, and social contacts. The honorary nature of membership is based on our premise that "it is an honor to be selected to serve"—this band, its department of music, its sponsoring institution, and the cause of band music in the nation's colleges and universities.
What We Do
We provide exceptional service to collegiate bands and promote equity and diversity, including empowering women in the band profession. We cultivate leadership, academic achievement, music appreciation, and community development.
Where We Came From
In 1896, a group of students formed the Michigan Marching Band. Though at that time it was just a student group, it only took two years before they became official.
Fifty years later, the director the marching band (and the only person to ever conduct the National Intercollegiate Band twice), Dr. William D. Revelli, helped initiate the first 12 members of the 11th chapter of the National Honorary Band Service Sorority. On May 18th, 1948, the Lambda chapter was officially on its way.
In 1972, nearly seventy five years after the first official MMB began marching, the first women were allowed to join, allowing the chapter to flourish even more.
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Click here to learn more about the official chartering of the Lambda chapter >>>
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Dr. William D. Revelli
