Enrollment at Purdue Bands & Orchestras hit 830 student musicians this fall, an all-time high for the department. “In the last few years we’ve been hovering just under 700 students for the fall semester,” says Dept. Head Jay Gephart. “This increase is significant. It’s a happy problem to have.”

Marching Band membership, which has been limited to 340 in recent years, jumped. When 140 students qualified for Fall Concert Band the band had to be split in two sections. Steve Cotten, Band Director at Harrison High School and Orchestra Director Andrew King are directing those groups.

Sixty students were accepted into Wind Ensemble, directed by Jay Gephart; 104 into the department’s four jazz bands, directed by Mo Trout; and a total of 129 into the Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras directed by Andrew King. Another 25 students are enrolled in Applied Music.