FAMU Spirit: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An unopened, cellophane wrapped, “FAMU Spirit” compact disc of performances by the Florida A&M University Marching Band. The FAMU Spirit disc features an orange front and back cover background with black typeface. The front cover image shows the Marching 100 captured by camera during an evening performance. At the bottom right corner of the image is a pyramid logo with white staggered letters [FSR] overlaying a swirling music measure. Above the image, a graphic design of the FAMU mascot rattlesnake is depicted with orange, green, black, and white tribal patterning throughout its body. One side of the snake reads [FAMU], the other, [SPIRIT] in italicized bold green uppercase print.

The disc’s case back track-lists 12 major marches and their original composers. At the top, in bold white italicized typeface is: [FAMU SPIRIT / FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY MARCHING BAND]. Below in black typeface is: [Dr. William P. Foster, Director]. In the upper right corner, in black typeface is: [FSRCD-1286 / Vintage Series] and the compact disc digital audio logo. The bottom right corner features the same black pyramid logo as on the front, with orange color type. Below the pyramid is: FIDELITY SOUND RECORDINGS / P.O. BOX 802 / REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA 94064 / U.S.A.

The album’s tracklist includes: “Drum Entrance & Fight Fanfare”, “FAMU Spirit”, “Armed Forces Medley”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, “U.S. Field Artillery March”, “Anchors Aweigh”, “God Bless America”, “Trumpet Fanfare #1”, “I’m from FAMU”, “Mighty Rattler”, “If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right”, “Where Is The Love?”, “Circus Bee”, “FAMU Alma Mater”, “Drums and 20th Century Fox Fanfare”, “Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite”, “Trumpet Fanfare #2”, “Oh Happy Day”, “A Hot Time In The Old Town”, “Point After Cheer (Johnnie’s Theme)”, “Back Stabbers”, “Get It All”, “People”, Theme from “The Men”, “Hey Big Brother”, “Hot Pants Road”, “I’ll Take You There”, “Florida Song (Far Above Cayuga’s Waters)”.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1973
• Published by: Fidelity Sound Recordings, American
• Recorded by: Florida A&M University, American, founded 1887
• Subject of: Florida A&M University, American, founded 1887
• Owned by: William Patrick Foster, American, 1919 - 2010
• Type: sound recordings
• Type: compact disks
• Medium: plastic, cellophane and paper (fiber product)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (Case): 4 15/16 × 5 5/8 × 3/8 in. (12.5 × 14.3 × 1 cm)
• Place used: Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Design
• Topic: Education
• Topic: Graphic design
• Topic: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Topic: Marching bands (Music)
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Musicians
• Object number: 2019.94.6
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from Anthony Foster in memory of William P. Foster
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Florida A&M University Marching Band Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.