[4] Since 1972, the band has held a bi-annual march in New York City which takes place on dates when the Cornell football team travels to Columbia,[5] known as the Sy Katz '31 Parade.

David Conn served as music advisor from the late 90s through 2004, succeeded by James Miller through 2006 and then Erin Otto.

For over a century, the Big Red Band was housed in a cramped room in Barton Hall.

[14] New uniforms in bright red, with white belts and black and gold helmets were ordered that year by ROTC commandant Col. Joseph Beacham '97, at a cost of $2,500.

It has since evolved into a display during which the aardvarker, suspended from a railing, ladder, or other fixed object, warbles a series of shrill, upper register pitches as he bends his spine backward and shakes his arms wildly.

In 1947, as a result of an unfortunate incident which occurred during a gridiron encounter, the marching band started the tradition of a post game concert.

[17] After the game, the jubilant members of the Big Red Band commenced to file out with the crowd as usual, but were beset by hecklers.

The next time the Big Red Band appeared at Princeton, it remained for an impromptu concert until the main body of spectators had filed out.

The first Alumni Band in 1982 was the brainchild of Drum Major Dwight Vicks III and Head Manager Bob Geise.

The band grows in size each year as bandsmen from seven decades renew old friendships and find common bonds with fellow bandies from other eras.

[19] Recently, the saxophone section has begun a similar tradition by lifting their saxes in the air while counting the points scored.

The bones (trombone and baritone players) have a number of longstanding traditions to show their Big Red spirit and enthusiasm.

The oldest of the section traditions,[20] after the Big Red Band's final home halftime show of the season, the bones strip down into Hawaiian/loud shirts, shorts, and bare feet run around the track circling the football field and play the theme song to "Hawaii 5-O" as fast as possible.

The Sy Katz '31 Parade is a biennial march in New York City which takes place on dates when the Cornell football team travels to Columbia.

[23] The Cornell Big Red Pep Band is Cornell University's student-run pep band that performs primarily at Cornell Men's ice hockey, with frequent appearances at Women's ice hockey, Men's and Women's lacrosse and basketball, and occasional appearances at a diverse array of other events, such as wrestling, soccer, field hockey, building dedications, and other university events.

This gives new members of the band a chance to accumulate priority points quickly and helps assure good instrumentation at less popular events.

The actual pieces are widely varied, from traditional Cornell songs such as "Give my Regards to Davy"(the official fight song), the Alma Mater "Far Above Cayuga's Waters", and "My Old Cornell", to more modern pieces, such as The Who's "Pinball Wizard", "Everybody's Everything", "Rock & Roll part 2", "España", "Paradise City", and "Gonna Fly Now".