The Spirit of the Mountain
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| The Spirit of the Mountain | |
|---|---|
| School | Liberty University |
| Location | Lynchburg, Virginia, US |
| Conference | Conference USA |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Director | Larry Seipp |
| Assistant Director | Josh Detwiler |
| Members | 250 |
| Fight song | "Fan the Flames!" |
| Website | Liberty University Marching Band: The Spirit of the Mountain |
The Spirit of the Mountain (SOTM) is the marching band of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. The ensemble performs at home football games and other campus events. It has appeared at national events including the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, the planned 60th Presidential Inaugural Parade in January 2025, and the Xfinity 500 in October 2025.
The Liberty University Marching Band began "unofficially" as a student-sponsor-led group of musicians in the Fall of 1974. Liberty played their football games at Lynchburg City Stadium. The band's official "first year" was 1977, under the direction of Raymond Locy. It began with only 48 students, and they practiced at Thomas Road Baptist Church in the lower parking lot. They did not have uniforms in the first year. By 1978, the band performed in their LBC Red, Royal Blue, and White uniforms with white "Q-tip" hats.
The band has grown from this small ensemble to a 250-member drum corps influenced marching band that includes brass, woodwinds, drumline and front ensemble, accented by a full color guard. Members audition by video and receive a scholarship once accepted.
Notable performances
As Liberty Baptist College, the band performed in the 1983 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[1]
The Liberty University Marching Band performed in exhibition for the Atlanta Bands of America Super-Regional in 2014[2] and later hosted the 2019 Virginia Bands of America Regional. Since 2016, the SOTM band has hosted the VMBC State Championships at Williams Stadium.[3]
The band has traveled to support Flames Nation for the 2019 Cure Bowl, the 2021 Lending Tree Bowl, the 2022 Boca Raton Bowl, and the 2024 Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, AZ.[4]
In 2024, the SOTM was chosen to march in the 2025 Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. Due to extreme cold, the parade was cancelled and the band did not perform.[5][6][7][8]
The band performed the National Anthem for the Xfinity 500 in October 2025.[9]