Photo courtesy of Purdue University
Students from the Purdue University “All-American” Marching Band from West Lafayette, Indiana, performed on the daytime television series “Steve Harvey” in the show’s inaugural “College Town Hall” in November 2014. The episode presented segments that pertain to college students.
Six Midwest colleges appeared in the studio audience, but Purdue was the only one to bring its band. “When Purdue was approached about sending students there, the band office approached them about bringing the band,” says Purdue band director Jay Gephart. “My students were really excited about it.”
The Purdue Band performed at the very opening of the show. They marched across a street and a park area with Steve Harvey acting as drum major while the band played the university fight school, “Hail Purdue.”
Harvey also signed the band’s celebrity big bass drumhead.
Gephart believes that this performance gave the marching band an incredible opportunity to showcase its talent. “One of the great things about our performance is that we got to showcase what I think is one of the great Big 10 college bands in the country,” he says. “To be part of the ‘Steve Harvey’ show as a representative of the Big 10 was very important.”
