Traditions - The Trumpet T-Shirt

The Trumpet T-Shirt

Like the other sections in the Notre Dame Band, the Trumpets have a tradition of establishing some official clothing item each season. Usually we make it a T-shirt, though occasionally it's something else.

When the official garment is a T-shirt, tradition then dictates that every Trumpet wear it during all Friday step-offs from the Dome. This means that on the Friday before every home game, when the Band marches from the Golden Dome to our practice field, all the Trumpets are wearing the same kind of shirt. Since we always get about 500 or more alumni to watch us practice, this tradition ensures lots of attention for the Trumpet T-shirt.

Below is a description of every Trumpet clothing article that we know of.

2000's

1990's

1980's

2007

A camouflage shirt that said "March Together Dye Alone" on the front. On the back of the shirt was a picture of Che Guevara and a modified version of the Marine Rifleman's creed. This shirt was subsequently banned due to an alumni complaint. A replacement shirt is currently in the works.

2006

A black shirt that said "Parental Advisory ND Trumpets" on the front. On the back was a stick figure drawing of a trumpet player along with some text with choice phrases blanked out. You can fill in the blanks for yourself.

2005

A gray shirt that said "Notre Dame Trumpets 21.6% by Volume" (the percentage of the band that was trumpets). On the back there was a picture of an arch with the caption "The Keystone of the Band. Case Closed."

2004

A gray shirt that said "Trumpets of the Carribean" on the front. The back had a picture of the Leprechaun dressed as a pirate.

For the Insight Bowl against Oregon State, a blue shirt that said "Trumpets vs Beavers Insight Bowl 2004" on the front. On the back there was a picture of a jolly beaver saying "It's not a log, It's not a stick..."

2003

A blue shirt that said "Notre Dame Trumpets 2003" on the front. The back had a picture of a guy wheeling a large wheelbarrow with the caption "Carrying the band since 1845."

2002

The Year of the Sausage - It's a red t-shirt with the ND Trumpets logo on the front. On the back is the quote "They're the Sausage Kings of Notre Dame.", attributed to Abe Froman (The Sausage King of Chicago from the Ferris Bueller movie). Beneath this is a rendering of a Jumbo Sausage from Notre Dame Stadium.

For the 2002 Band Reunion - the trumpets created a yellow t-shirt with the Evolution of a Trumpet on the back, showing silhouettes with the progression of a trumpet's "marching style" through their years.

For the 2003 Toyota Gator Bowl - the trumpets created a white t-shirt which holds special meaning to us. If you want to find out what it meant ask a present section member.

2001

This year's shirts is a classier design with the large monogram "ND" on the front, framed by "Notre Dame Trumpets" The left sleeve has a small "ND" with 2001 underneath it.

2000

Due to the fact that the football gods graced us with a trip to a BCS bowl this year, we were able to create two trumpet t-shirts.

The regular season shirt used the theme from a MasterCard commercial incorporated on a kelly green shirt:

Front: ND Trumpets 2000 (with blue & gold MasterCard logo)
Back: B-flat Trumpet: $2000
Mouthpiece: $32
Valve Oil: $2
Knowing you're better than everyone else: PRICELESS

The shirts designed for our Fiesta Bowl match up against the Oregon State Beavers were subsequently banned by the band directors soon after their unveiling. It features a smiling, winking, cartoon tree character with the phrase "Save A Tree" To find out what was on the back, you'll have to come listen to the trumpets during a Friday night pep rally marchout.

1999

This year Michael Earley decided upon a baseball jersey-style t-shirt, gray with "Trumpets" in blue script across the chest. On the back was " '99 " and personalized with each trumpet's nickname.

1998

The Year of the Buddha - A light gray t-shirt with a picture of a Buddha on the back drinking a Duff Beer and holding a trumpet.

1997

It's another white shirt with "1997 Trumpets" on the front, and a Penguin saying "Dooby-Dooby Dit/BEWARE OF THE TRUMPET". In case you've fallen behind in beer advertisements, this is a reference to a Bud-Ice commercial combined with Fr. George's music descriptions.

1996

It's a white shirt with a dreary eyed smiley face on the front. The back has a beautiful glass of Guinness and the saying "151 Years of Good Head".

1995

It's a sort of gray shirt with a "150" surrounded by "University of Notre Dame Trumpet Dominance" on the front in green lettering, and a picture of the Leprechaun playing a trumpet on the back. This shirt marks the 150th anniversary of the Notre Dame Trumpet Section (and the Band, too). The careful observer will note the Leprechaun plays his trumpet with the correct horn angle.

1994

It's a white T-shirt again, with "Just Blow It." on the front and the phrase "Waiting for the Band Out Back Behind the Barn" on the back, with a picture of a barn and a Trumpet. This is a strange inside joke - You really don't want to know.

1993

It's one of those baseball helmet beer-drinking things, with room for two cans of beer and a straw to drink out of. These were painted in gold. They were awkward to use, and weren't all that popular. Nice try, though.

1992

It's a pair of blue gym shorts, with "Notre Dame Trumpets 1992" on the front of the left leg. Pretty tame, but upon request you could get your pair with "Kiss My Brass" across the ass. Few did.

1991

It's a white T-shirt, with a trumpet player and the phrase "Naked Trumpet 2 1/2: The Smell of Beer" on the front and the phrase "Notre Dame Trumpets 1991" on the back with a big CENSORED stamped across it. These shirts were legal to wear.

1990

It's a red T-shirt, with a trumpet on the front and a creative phrase (ask an alum) on the back. These were also immediately censored by the University.

1989

It's a yellow T-shirt, with a car or something on the front and the phrase "I'm a Trumpet so Blow Me" on the back. These shirts were censored by the University after the first Friday march-out.

1988

It's a teal T-shirt, with Hoppy--the kangaroo/dinosaur pet of the Rubbles--yelling "Haump!" with a beer in his hand ("Haump" was the rallying cry that year--National Championship).

1987

It's a dark blue T-shirt. On the front it read, "Over a century of unparalleled straight lines."

1986

In 1986 we had two trumpet t-shirts. The first shirt was for the entire trumpet section. It was designed by Rob Oppenborn ('86). It was purple with white artwork. The front had Zeus standing on a cloud and holding a trumpet. Below the cloud was printed "Appointed by God, Predicted in Myth, a Prophecy Fulfilled." On the back was Notre Dame and the letters "TRPTS" formed in the shape of a trumpet. Also on the back were signatures of all of the trumpet players.

The second t-shirt was only for the third trumpets. It was kelly green and had the first line of the 3rd trumpets' part of the Victory March. Since when Father George wanted to insult a section he would compare them to the "scuzzy third trumpets," we wrote "Father George digs us." The shirt also had the signatures of all of the third trumpets.

More Trumpet Traditions

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Dave Rider (3rd trumpet '86) who provided information the 1986 t-shirts.

Thanks goes to Chris Scherzinger (trumpet '91) who informed us of the 1987 and 1988 t-shirts and who coined the phrase appearing on the '90 shirt.

Thanks also goes to Jim "Merc" Mercurio (trumpet '92) who corrected the Scherz on the wording of the 1987 shirt.