The bandsmen today must be musicians of ability and of great endurance. In parade days they often played as many as fifty marches, but now the larger circus bands play more than 200 pieces during a three-hour performance. Frequently they must change tempo and score to follow the change of routine in some animal act. If a panther decides to “slink” instead of taking a bow as he usually does at that time, the band must instantly synchronize its music to the panther’s movements. It must be ready and alert to meet any emergency. There is not a moment’s relaxation during the two shows a day. However a circus bandsman, like other members of the Big Top family, gets one whiff of tanbark and sawdust in his nostrils and is lost to other fields of music forever. _College and University Bands_ Almost every college has its football team and its band, and every year some of these bands put on exhibitions which rival great Broadway shows. But these organizations have come a long way since college bands began. The first entertainments staged by the bands at football games usually consisted of formation of the initials of the opposing teams. Year by year their efforts became more ambitious and the results grew more elaborate. Today they carry out intricate designs with perfect precision while the appropriate music rolls on directed by one or more strutting drum majors whirling their gleaming batons high in the air. Spectacular formations have included a flag with a “C” inside it, which waved as the band played “Wave the Flag for Old Chicago.” Another was a stalk of corn that “grew” on the fifty-yard line in honor of the University of Iowa. A giant clock was portrayed with a second-hand that moved around telling the time accurately. The word “Ohio” appeared changing into “Auto” with the O’s as wheels so it rolled down the field. Other figures showed a “Gopher” for Minnesota, a “Mustang” for Southern Methodist, a “Trojan Horse” for Southern California and a “Wildcat” for Northwestern. These shows have to be exactly timed to a split-second for there are just fifteen minutes in the period between halves. When both college bands are present, each one has only a brief 7½ minutes for its performance although there must have been hours and hours of practicing both the marching and the music. In addition to the marching band many colleges and universities have concert bands and often well-trained orchestras. These band departments are under full-time conductors and bandmasters and the players receive full college credits. THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BAND For many years the University of Illinois Band has been called the “largest, finest college band in the world.” 360 to 380 members are on its rolls. It consists of three organizations: the concert band and the first and second regimental bands. The highest ranking unit is the concert band of from 115 to 125 pieces. Membership in the three bands is based on the student’s proficiency.