A nearly two-minute trailer for “TBDBITL 141” premiered at halftime of the annual Spring Game at Ohio Stadium. The documentary will take viewers inside the 141st season of the marching band, from summer practice to tryouts to the makings of their legendary halftime shows.

“The Ohio State University Marching Band now has 141 years of history behind it, and every season is, in its own right, a story of the remarkable accomplishments of our students," band director Christopher Hoch said. "Our 141^st season was an incredible journey, and I’m thrilled that ‘TBDBITL 141’ will feature our students and the tradition of excellence they maintain.” 

The documentary is a passion project for filmmaker and University Communications Director of National Broadcast Media Joe Camoriano. A former national anchor and reporter, video producer and director, Camoriano wrote, produced, directed and edited three previous documentaries: “Jewels of the Sun,” “Vanessa’s Story” and “Prodigy Brothers.”

“Millions of people are familiar with The Ohio State University Marching Band as a result of their jaw-dropping halftime performances on YouTube. But not very many people are aware of how much time and effort goes into these shows,” Camoriano said. “With ‘TBDBITL 141,’ I wanted to pull back the curtain and give the public an opportunity to go on a personal journey with these students. I hope after watching the film, viewers will be able to feel what I felt after seven months of spending time with them. That is, how special and unique this program is – there really is nothing quite like it.”

The season was a special one for the marching band, featuring historic trips to New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and to the Rose Bowl. The Macy’s parade was a first for TBDBITL.

Camoriano and his team had exclusive access on the trip to New York and followed the band members throughout the special week, which culminated in a halftime show during Ohio State’s 62-39 drubbing of Michigan and Urban Meyer’s last home game as head football coach.

Konner Barr, a fourth-year strategic communication major, was selected as drum major for the 2018 season. He’s one of the central characters in the documentary.

“It was a really cool experience and the thing I’m looking forward to from this documentary is just being able to go back and look at these memories,” Barr said. “Because the seasons are a very long period of time and you forget a lot of things that happen.”

The documentary is currently in post-production and will have a theatrical debut in the fall.

Reik, a rising third-year majoring in middle childhood education, feels she’s experienced enough to mentor students trying to make the band this summer.

“I feel comfortable dedicating myself to the new people. I feel that when I put myself out there and I’m helping them learn their stuff for the first time it helps them,” she said. “But it helps me make sure I know my stuff too. It’s kind of a test for me.

Reik has focused on music or marching band since she was a child. She’s played trombone since the fifth grade but learned piano when she was five years old.

“I’ve been in various orchestras, bands and choirs throughout my entire life,” she said. “Having that musical background, that’s mainly what I bring to the table.”

Reik is also preparing to be in the spotlight for another reason. Her experience in the 141st season of the marching band will soon appear on the silver screen.

A new documentary “TBDBITL 141” will have a theatrical debut in the fall and Reik is featured prominently in the movie. “TBDBITL 141” takes viewers inside the 141st season of the marching band, from summer practice to tryouts to the makings of their legendary halftime shows.

The season was a special one for the marching band, featuring historic trips to New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and to the Rose Bowl. The Macy’s parade was a first for TBDBITL.

Reik hasn’t seen the full movie but she has previewed some of the clips in which she appears and the trailer promoting the film.

“It’s just incredible to watch yourself on the big screen, to see yourself reflected,” she said. “It’s nice to have all these memories to look back on.”

The documentary is currently in post-production. University Communications Director of National Broadcast Media Joe Camoriano is the producer and director of the film.

“We were fortunate to witness this special season through the experiences and emotions of students like Sydney,” Camoriano said. “It’s really their story and we’re excited for everyone to see their hard work and dedication.”

An experienced filmmaker, he and his team had exclusive access on the marching band from the start of summer practice, to tryouts, to New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“To be able to remember all those times, with those specific friends, doing those specific shows, to have that in my memory forever and now on film, on the screen, in photos… it’s just magical,” she said.

Reik is preparing for a new season while waiting to see the premiere of “TBDBITL 141.” She said she’s ready for another challenging but rewarding season.

“Going in, you know beforehand as you’re prepping for this marching band program that it’s intense,” she said. “You know it. You dedicate yourself to it. You dedicate your time. So you just got to do it.”

Proceeds from "TBDBITL 141" will support Ohio State Marching Band scholarship funds.

The marching band performed in the 130th Rose Parade and the 105th Rose Bowl Game. TBDBITL’s 2018 highlights included the band celebrating their debut in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

For the Rose Parade, the marching band entertained crowds in southern California across the 5-mile parade route. They joined marching bands from across the country and floral-decorated floats. Pop star Chaka Khan served as the grand marshal and performed as the parade began.

For the Rose Bowl, the marching band will perform on the field facing the west side of the stadium.

The Washington band will perform first at pregame, followed by a performance of "God Bless America" by both bands. Ohio State’s pregame show will include double Script Ohio performed to both sides of the stadium. As Ohio State is the home team, the marching band will also perform the national anthem.

TBDBITL will perform first at halftime.

Thousands of fans in scarlet and gray celebrated a win over the Northwestern Wildcats. And they were not alone, as they were entertained in Indianapolis by the Ohio State Marching Band.

Buckeye Nation showed up strong at the Indiana Convention Center near Lucas Oil Stadium. At the Big Ten Fan Fest, the marching band played holiday-themed music including “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Carol of the Bells.”

Michael Cagg, a Buckeye fan from Gallatin, Tennessee, attended his first Big Ten Championship game.

“Buckeye Nation is strong. We’re going to be around for a long time,” he said. “Oh I’m excited. This is over the top. Ten out of ten.”

Following the fan festival, the marching band and fans celebrated at the Buckeye Bash. The alumni association’s official pep rally and tailgate featured Brutus, the spirit squad and TBDBITL.

Annaleese Timns, an Ohio State fan from Indianapolis, attended the game with her family. She had watched the marching band on video after one of their halftime shows featuring a popular dance move went viral. Timms was thrilled to see them in person.

“They’re really good. I saw the video of them doing the ‘Floss,’ with all their instruments. So that’s cool,” she said.

Her brother Grant is also a faithful follower of his Buckeyes.

“The Buckeyes are my favorite team and I pretty much watched almost every game this season,” he said. “I'm just excited to see the culmination of all this coming up.”

The halftime show during the game against Michigan was a celebration of the holidays. Although it was fitting that the game against Ohio State’s rivals up north included a visit from the Grinch.

The band marched in formations that resembled the Grinch, Buddy the Elf, the train from Polar Express and a holiday bells. The marching band closed out their show by spelling out “Happy Holidays.”

Music from the show was a mix of classical and modern from “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Carol of the Bells” to the theme from “Elf” and “the Polar Express.”

It proved to be a busy week for the marching band. They returned on Friday following their debut appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Thomas Unger, from Cincinnati, Ohio, dotted the ‘i’ this week. Unger is an electrical and computer engineering major who joined the marching band from La Salle High School.

Stepping off at West 77th Street and Central Park West, the band performed to more than 3.5 million live spectators along the 2.5-mile parade route before ending at Macy’s Herald Square. More than 50 million viewers around the world were expected to watch the 92^nd annual parade.

Christopher Hoch, assistant professor and director of the Ohio State Marching and Athletic Bands said it was always a dream to be a part of the Thanksgiving Day parade. Hoch last year he worked with the band’s staff to prepare an application to be a part of the tradition.

“I thought it was a great time to come play for everyone in New York,” said fourth-year student Michael Rueda. “It was great to have so many Buckeyes here supporting us for our concert.”

The band performed Harry Warren’s “Lullaby of Broadway.” Hoch said he wanted a performance and music that captured the spirit of the holiday season.

Organizers chose Ohio State from among more than 100 applicants as one of a dozen bands in this year’s show. Macy’s staff flew to Columbus for a Skull Session last September to announce the news in St. John Arena.

The performance in the parade is the start of a busy weekend for the marching band. They are back at Ohio Stadium Saturday for one last performance of the regular season to cheer the Buckeyes to victory over That Team Up North.

The theme of this week’s show was Happily Ever After.

As part of an annual tradition, the halftime show faced the east end of the stadium for the first time this season. The band marched in formations like a big, bad wolf huffing and puffing to blow a house down. A knight in shining scarlet and gray climbed up a princess’s hair as the band played music from the movie “Tangled.”

One of the band’s drills featured a princess’s kiss transforming a frog into a prince as they played Randy Newman’s “Friends on the Other Side” from “The Princess and the Frog.” And in a nod to more modern fantasy, the marching band played their version of the theme song to the popular HBO series “Game of Thrones.”

Lindsay Hostetler, from West Liberty, Ohio, dotted the ‘i’ this week. Hostetler is a geographic information systems graduate who joined the marching band from West Liberty-Salem High School.

The marching band celebrated all things about dance while playing songs like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” They even moved one degree closer to Kevin Bacon by playing their version of “Footloose.”

Fans on both sides of the stadium were entertained by the marching band’s formations. The band mimicked a pair of dancing shoes while facing the east side of the stadium and marched as Michael Jackson’s hat and gloves toward the west side.

Anna Hurley, from Delaware, Ohio, dotted the ‘i’ this week. Hurley is a city and regional planning major who graduated from Rutherford B. Hayes High School.

King was assassinated in April 1968 and just days later the Civil Rights Act was signed into law.

The marching band spelled out “Free at Last” and “1968” and recreated the Lincoln Memorial, site of the “I Have a Dream” speech. Music for the halftime show included “We Shall Overcome,” “People Got to Be Free,” and “Pride (In the Name of Love).”

Taylor Thompson, from Marysville, Ohio, dotted the ‘i’ this week. Thompson is an accounting major who graduated from Marysville High School.

100-year-old Ohio State alumnus Anthony Violi of Steubenville, Ohio, a lifelong music educator who played trumpet in the band from 1937-1942, dotted the i in the home-side Script Ohio at the conclusion of halftime.

While sousaphone players are typically the only ones to dot the i, both in the student and alumni bands, on rare occasions exceptions are made for exceptional individuals.

Violi joins the ranks of other honorary i-dotters selected by the band’s alumni for the reunion game, including former band directors Jack Evans and Paul Droste (along with their wives Carol and Anne, respectively), John and Annie Glenn, and Les Wexner.

Others selected as i-dotters for the student band over the years include former coaches Woody Hayes and Earle Bruce, Bob Hope, Jack Nicklaus, and former band director Jon Woods. In all, the honor has been extended to fewer than 20 individuals over Script Ohio’s 82-year history.

With Saturday’s 52-3 victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the Ohio State football program earned its 900th victory in program history, becoming only the second team to reach that plateau.

“Nine hundred wins in Ohio State football history – it’s humbling to be part of a tradition like that. To see our student section out there, to all the Buckeye Nation coming out to a game like this in the rain in the fourth quarter, the student section on both sides is going crazy, chanting and they're staying in there having a blast,” acting head coach Ryan Day said following the game. “Again, really honored to be representing such a great university and a great football tradition.”

To learn more about the milestones in Buckeye football history, click here for a timeline detailing the number of times the team has hit the century mark.

The 1980 movie, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, is a tribute to blues and soul and provided a wealth of hits for the marching band to play during the game against Rutgers.

From “Sweet Home Chicago” to “Minnie the Moocher” to “Jail House Rock,” the marching band blistered through some of the movie’s greatest hits. Special formations highlighted the trademark fedoras and sunglasses worn by the Blues Brothers, the city of Chicago skyline and the police chases that make up much of the movie.

One of the drills was especially poignant. While the band played “Think,” the musicians spelled out a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who passed away last month.

Abigail Pryor, from New Albany, Ohio, dotted the ‘i’ this week. Pryor is a music education major who graduated from New Albany High School.

For the season opener against Oregon State University, the marching band played some of the greatest hits of the British rock band. “We Will Rock You,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and other songs filled Ohio Stadium.

The band marched in formations that spelled out Queen and honored Mercury and May. Band director Christopher Hoch designed the drill for the show.

Cody Faist, from Columbus, Ohio, dotted the ‘i’ this week. Faist is a civil engineering major who graduated from Bishop Ready High School.

The 20,000-pound monument rests on the edge of Buckeye Grove, south of Ohio Stadium. Its location is adjacent to the fields where the marching band practices.

“There’s nothing that highlights the tradition of Script Ohio outside of that game day experience or the band,” said Austin Cool, a biophysics graduate research assistant. “So we wanted to make sure everybody on campus was able to be a part of the great tradition that is Script Ohio.”

Cool has been working on the project as a member of Ohio Staters, Inc. since he was an undergraduate student. Ohio Staters is a student, faculty and staff service organization that promotes the welfare and traditions of Ohio State.

Cool, who worked on the project with Madalynn Conkle, an English literature and economics major, said he was inspired to give fellow Buckeyes a chance to dot the ‘i’ on Script Ohio. The statue stands 8 feet tall and 14 feet wide and is very deliberately missing a dot where the ‘i’ should rest.

“We wanted to invite everybody to be a part of that tradition and not just remember its amazing effect of bringing the entire Ohio State crew together. So we removed the dot of the ‘i’ off of the sculpture and are inviting everybody to be able dot the ‘i’ on their own,” Cool said.

It’s likely the new statue will become a favored location for selfies. Cool said he already snapped a picture of himself behind Script Ohio. Funding for the sculpture came from the sale of stadium seat cushions.

Ohio Staters were assisted by the university’s Office of Facilities Operations and Development. Project manager Karin Murillo-Kirlangitis helped guide the project from design to construction and worked with Ohio Staters and Columbus Art Memorial to build the monument.

Band director Christopher Hoch and his team selected the 228 brass and percussion instrumentalists to make up the marching band for the 2018 season Monday night. The selection comes after two days of musical and marching auditions. The final roster was chosen shortly before midnight.

“Congratulations to one and all. Fantastic job. This is going to be a fantastic season,” Hoch told the new members of the marching band. “I’m really excited and it’s going to be awesome.”

Summer sessions to practice and prepare for tryouts began in June. Would-be band members rehearsed music and marching on hot practice fields as squad leaders banged jam blocks or cow bells in metronomic cadence.

In addition to the celebrated half-time shows for Buckeye football games, the marching band was selected to perform in the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This will mark the first Parade appearance by the band.

Over the course of his band career Thomas Unger, a fourth-year electrical and computer engineering major, has worked through every level of the tryout process. This year he was a squad leader, responsible for helping the evaluation process that led to the selection of the band.

“It’s not as physically demanding for the squad leaders, but it’s definitely mentally demanding,” Unger said. “We have to be on our game all the time to make sure we are catching every detail of marching that we can.”

Unger said it was a great way to cap off what will be his final season in the marching band.

Konner Barr, a fourth-year strategic communication major, was selected as drum major for the 2018 season in April. He said now that tryouts are over, the work for the season can begin in earnest.

“I’m very excited to start the season. Picking the 141st edition of the marching band was awesome. It’s one of my favorite parts of the season,” Barr said. “Then the first practice [Tuesday] is my second favorite part of the season. You have all these wide-eyed people who get to experience the marching band for the first time. That practice is always special. Everybody is always laser-focused even though they are running on a couple hours of sleep.”

Unger agreed.

“It’s just been a really exhilarating day. I’m very excited to get the season started.”

The Ohio State University Marching Band turned back time today for the halftime show of the football game against one of the Buckeyes’ oldest rivals.

The marching band played the works of classical composers including Beethoven and Tchaikovsky as the Buckeyes faced off against the Illinois Fighting Illini for the famous Illibuck Trophy.

Under the baton of band director Christopher Hoch, the band performed Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4,” parts of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5” and “Symphony No. 9,” and “Largo from Symphony No. 9” by Antonin Dvořák.

The band marched in formations that mimicked a conductor, a classical musical instrument and notes of sheet music.

Mitchell Kahn, from Sylvania, Ohio, dotted the ‘i’ this week. Kahn is a senior majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in music. 

The Best Damn Band in the Land honored one of the biggest bands in history today during halftime of the football game against Michigan State.

The Ohio State University Marching Band celebrated the 50th anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Beatles’ eighth studio album was released in May 1967.

The marching band blasted out hits “A Day in the Life,” “Getting Better,” “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

The formations of the marching band included a replication of the iconic walk across Abbey Road and The Beatles’ famous Yellow Submarine.

The halftime show also featured an annual twist. The marching band performed facing east. This move is for season ticket holders and fans who regularly sit on the east side of the stadium to get the full effect of a halftime show.

Maddie Mischler, from Upper Arlington, dotted the ‘i’ this week. Mischler is a senior majoring in environmental science with a minor in Spanish.

“I never thought that I would be good enough to be in this band back in high school, and dotting the ‘i’ is like the payoff for the work I put in to make the band my first time,” she said.

From James Bond to Beauty and the Beast, the Ohio State University Marching Band celebrated the hits of Hollywood during halftime of the highly anticipated football matchup between Ohio State and Penn State.

The marching band paid homage to some of the biggest movies of the last 50 years, memorializing You Only Live Twice (1967), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Dirty Dancing (1987), Titanic (1997), Transformers (2007), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). Formations included a silhouette of John Travolta striking a disco pose, the ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic and Lumière, the singing candelabra from Beauty and the Beast.

Musical selections included the “James Bond Theme,” “Stayin’ Alive” and “My Heart Will Go On.”

The i-dotter this week was George Hoeferlin of Canfield. Hoeferlin is a senior majoring in biomedical engineering.

“Having four years of hard work pay off this way, along with having friends and family watch me perform this honor, means everything to me,” he said.

Brutus did his best Rocky impersonation during a halftime show that celebrated boxing as the Buckeyes took on the Maryland Terrapins Saturday.

The Ohio State University Marching Band marching in formations that featured Brutus working out, sharpening his skills on the punching bag and duking it out with a challenger from the team up north. The band dipped into musical selections like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky as well as the Simon and Garfunkel classic “The Boxer.”

Andrew Harstein, a graduate from Beachwood, returned this weekend as the i-dotter. Harstein works at MedColumbus as a medical assistant.

The marching band also announced a new push to help make college more affordable. Jack and Barbara Nicklaus helped launch 100% TBDBITL at Skull Session. The scholarship initiative will benefit the members of the Ohio State Marching Band — those who give 100 percent on and off the field.

The 100% TBDBITL campaign aims to raise $10 million in endowed scholarship funds, so that every Marching Band member — now and in the future — will receive the financial support they need. The university will match the distribution on the first $6 million of eligible gifts.

Jack and Barbara Nicklaus will serve as honorary co-chairs of the campaign. Learn more about 100% TBDBITL at tbdbitl.osu.edu/give.

Halftime featured a Western flavor for The Ohio State University Marching Band Saturday as the Buckeyes faced off against the UNLV Running Rebels.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the marching band’s journey west across the country by train for the January 1958 Rose Bowl. The four-day trip took nearly 250 band members and university officials from Columbus to Dallas to Phoenix to Pasadena for the bowl game. A five-day journey home followed the Buckeyes’ 10-7 victory over Oregon.

To celebrate the trip, the marching band reeled off the theme songs to the Magnificent Seven, Silverado and Lonesome Dove as they presented formations in the shape of a train, a rose and coyote.

Saturday was also the reunion game for the marching band’s alumni. More than 800 alumni registered for the reunion and more than 560 members marched. Alumni members joined the marching band to perform the famous quadruple Script Ohio for all four sides of Ohio Stadium.

Matthew Heard, a fourth-year student from Dallas, joined graduates Thomas Rench, Drew Smith and Jane Van Wormer as i-dotters for the day.

At 99 years old, Steubenville’s Anthony Violi was the oldest member of the alumni band to march this weekend.

Before the game, the TBDBITL Alumni Club presented honorary life club membership awards to Urban Meyer, Shelley Meyer and Jack Park.

Today, The Ohio State University Marching Band was selected to perform in the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, representing the state of Ohio. This will mark the first Parade appearance by the band.

The Ohio State University Marching Band will join the parade to the call of “Let’s Have a Parade,” the iconic phrase that has signaled the start of every Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1924.

Each year, the Macy’s Parade Band Committee looks for bands that have the stage presence and musical and marching abilities to captivate more than 3.5 million live spectators and more than 50 million viewers. The Ohio State University Marching Band was selected from more than 100 applicants as one of 10 bands to march in the 92^nd edition of the annual holiday spectacle.

The band will join the revelry along with other iconic Macy’s staples: floats, giant character balloons, clowns and superstar performers galore on Thanksgiving Day 2018, helping to create an unforgettable experience for millions.

“For decades, The Ohio State University Marching Band has entertained stadiums of football lovers and most recently millions of fans on YouTube with their spectacular showmanship, ingenious field show designs and impressive big sound and even bigger school spirit,” said Wesley Whatley, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade creative director. “Macy’s Band Selection Committee is proud to welcome ‘The Best Damn Band in the Land’ to the streets of New York City in 2018 for their inaugural appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!”

“The Ohio State University Marching Band is near and dear to the hearts of Buckeyes across the nation and around the world,” said Ohio State President Michael V. Drake. “We are thrilled that the nation will experience the hard work, focus, creativity and brilliance of our students at one of the country’s most cherished holiday celebrations.”

“We are thrilled to represent the state of Ohio in our first-ever Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance,” said Christopher Hoch, director of Marching and Athletic Bands at Ohio State. “This will be a once-in-a-lifetime performance experience for our students, and I’m excited that we will be able to showcase our tradition of excellence on the streets of New York City for viewers around the globe.”

To coincide with this announcement, the Ohio State Marching Band will perform a New York-themed halftime show at today’s Ohio State versus Army football game in Ohio Stadium. The show will feature New York City imagery and music, including the “Theme from New York, New York,” “On Broadway” and “New York State of Mind.” 

Music from the First Lady of Song and the High Priest of Bop filled Ohio Stadium Saturday night during a tribute to America’s truly original art form: Jazz.

The Ohio State University Marching Band honored four jazz legends during the halftime show of the Ohio State versus Oklahoma football game. Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonious Monk and Buddy Rich were all born 100 years ago, in 1917.

Christopher Hoch , director of Ohio State’s Marching and Athletic Bands, designed the drill honoring the musicians. He said it was a great way to start the new season for the band.

“I’m very excited for our fans in Columbus and around the country to see what the 140th edition of the Ohio State Marching Band has in store for them this season,” Hoch said. “Our students work tirelessly on and off the field, and, after weeks of preparation, it’s finally time to showcase our tradition of excellence in front of a home crowd in Ohio Stadium.”

The drill featured formations mimicking Gillespie as he blasted his trumpet, spelling out “Monk” with a nod to his trademark glasses and “Ella” with an image of the legendary singer, and the shape of a drummer in tribute to Rich. The band played samples of “Groovin’ High” and “Round Midnight” as part of the show.

Jazz musicians from the Ohio State School of Music were featured in the performance.

The i-dotter this week was Canton native Tim Hogue. Hogue graduated from Ohio State in May with a major in security and intelligence from the Department of International Studies and with minors in Russian and aviation studies.

He returned to the band this year for his fourth season. Hogue says he is excited to dot the “i” to complete a dream he’s had since he was a student at Canton McKinley High School.