Go ahead, toot your own horn.

The MOB is the world-known, signature performance group of Rice University open to all Rice students (and other community members, by approval). Take your traditional sense of a marching band and turn it upside down. As one of only a handful of scatter bands in the country — and one of the few found west of the Mississippi River — The MOB is a truly unique experience.

While most bands focus on perfecting a precision drill routine, we look for innovative ways to entertain our audiences with a unique show at every performance. With Rice Stadium as our primary venue, The MOB provides the opportunity to perform on the largest stage Rice has to offer.

Our shows employ traditional wind and percussion instruments, but we welcome and encourage participation by musicians of all types*. We also need performers with non-musical talents; our Show Assistants add additional dramatic and comedic flair. Writers, comics, actors, choreographers, visual artists, theatre technicians — we have a place for nearly anyone! So join us, and find a way to relieve some stress from your academic rigors.

BOB keeps all the fun and attitude of The MOB, but changes into a pep band for the NCAA basketball season. The basketball band offers more opportunities to play the music you love, cheer more Rice Owls to victory, and enjoy the company of other great musicians like yourself. Rice Athletics also provides an expenses-paid trip to the conference and NCAA postseason events for regular BOB participants (subject to instrumentation needs and space availability).

The Rice Symphonic Band is a traditional ensemble that performs the finest concert wind literature. RSB is open to all academic majors and requires one rehearsal per week in the Fall and two in the Spring.

The RSB is a visible part of the Rice fine arts community, performing at least two public concerts each semester. Members are recruited and encouraged to play for Matriculation and Commencement ceremonies, as their schedules permit. Also, RSB hosts clinics for local school bands in the spring, helping them jump-start their concert and contest seasons.

Rice offers two jazz groups under the instruction of accomplished jazz musician Larry Slezak. Both ensembles operate in a structured, yet personal and flexible setting. Interested students will be asked to a short, informal interview to place you in the group that best matches your interests, talents, and background.

• Rice Jazz Ensemble – performs Big Band and contemporary jazz, utilizing full sections of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and rhythm.
• Jazz Lab Band – its small-group jazz combo style offers each member more opportunities for improvization and solos.

Both bands perform on-campus each semester, including featured annual concerts celebrating Black History Month and Latin Jazz. The bands also benefit from participation by local, professional Jazz artists, providing an invaluable first-hand glimpse into the real world of jazz.

The is a music program for non-music majors. We welcome whole ensembles (e.g. brass quartets, string trios, etc.) and offer connection services to place individuals with other interested students to form new groups. Our ensembles perform a recital and a community outreach concert each semester; outreach venues include local schools, hospitals, and assisted-living centers.

Your chamber music ensemble will be self-motivated, with at least one weekly rehearsal scheduled at your convenience. Each ensemble also makes an appointment for structured coaching from an instructor each week.

This community band, independent of Rice University Bands, rehearses on the Rice University campus and is composed of musicians of all ages from the Houston area.

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