Buckeye Boys State Band

Buckeye Boys State Band This is the official page for the Buckeye Boys State Band at Buckeye Boys State

Annually, the delegates of the Buckeye Boys State program form a band to provide musical entertainment for evening assemblies and special events. The band is one of the largest in the nation, with nearly 150 members participating each year. All traditional band instruments (woodwinds, brass and percussion) are participants in the group. The group practices about for about 1 hour each day and plays

a different playlist each night of rock, jazz, classical and concert/marching band classics. Jeff Jordan, Director
Dierre Upshaw, Assistant Director
Richard Alberts, Director Emeritus

Former Band directors include:

WL "Pete" DeWeese - 1936 to 1981 (46 years)
Paul Lewis - 1982 to 1986 (5 years)
Richard Alberts - 1987 to 2017 (30 years)

POV: You go from playing bass under Director Jordan at Buckeye Boys State to conducting HIM in a community band two year...
08/11/2026

POV: You go from playing bass under Director Jordan at Buckeye Boys State to conducting HIM in a community band two years later. 🤯🎺

Huge shoutout to Drew Topy (BBS ‘24) for taking the baton at a community band performance in Licking County earlier today. From BBS Band delegate to holding it down with the legendary Ohio University Marching 110, Drew is living proof of where this program can take you and your instrument.

Talk about a legendary surprise reunion! We’re so proud of Drew and all the exemplary alumni like him! 🙌🎶

07/28/2026

It’s been a minute since Mr. Brightside made the BBS Band setlist, but we officially pulled it out of storage to play at the program last month.

23 years later, and this hit song by The Killers still has us shouting every lyric. What classic track should we pull out of the vault next? Tell us below!

07/04/2026

Each of us longs for home. Whether it’s nostalgia for the place you grew up or a desire to be surrounded by people who truly accept you, we all want a place to belong. 🏡
That’s why a song like Take Me Home, Country Roads, resonates so deeply—whether you’re a Buckeye Boys State delegate or a fan in a packed World Cup stadium. The desire for home transcends our differences, and the arbitrary divisions of our geography and political identities melt away when we lift our voices together.

On this historic Independence Day—marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—let’s celebrate the ideals, the promises, and the incredible people of the United States. Our home. 🇺🇸✨

07/03/2026

Before your time, but still on repeat. 📢🎺

Escaping the heat wave today with a little help from the 2026 Buckeye Boys State Band! 🥵☀️

Fun fact: Two of our most popular stand tunes this year—Seven Nation Army and Take Me Home, Country Roads—are older than the entire Class of 2026 delegates. True classics never go out of style!

07/03/2026

Campaigns, city jobs, twice-daily practices, and zero downtime. The ultimate weeklong adrenaline rush. 🥵🎶🏃‍♂️

Huge shoutout to the Buckeye Boys State Band delegates who absolutely crushed the juggle this year! Balancing your political campaigns, jobs, city obligations while holding down the backbeat of the entire BBS program is no small feat.

Hopefully, everyone has officially caught up on sleep just in time to hit the reset button for Independence Day this weekend. You earned every bit of it! 🇺🇸🎆

06/22/2026

It’s impossible to encapsulate the past week in just a few words. 🎺🥁 We made so many unforgettable memories together and are incredibly grateful for the hard work put in by this ensemble.

Stay tuned as we share some of our favorite moments from the week and showcase the talent of the amazing young men who made up the 2026 Buckeye Boys State Band! 🇺🇸✨

Checking in with the bari sax section before the evening assembly.
06/20/2026

Checking in with the bari sax section before the evening assembly.

We’re excited to have 4 French horns in the Band this week!
06/19/2026

We’re excited to have 4 French horns in the Band this week!

06/16/2026

50 minutes of rehearsal. 7 songs performed. First 2 days officially in the books. 🤯🔥

Talk about rising to the occasion! The Buckeye Boys State 2026 Band delegates hit the ground running on Sunday. After a lightning-fast 50-minute rehearsal, they went straight into the opening assembly and absolutely crushed a 7-song setlist.

This crew is on fire. Stay tuned. We’re just getting started and have plenty of highlights dropping all week long! 🎷🥁

06/06/2026

We aren't bragging when we say we're the best group ever to perform this arrangement of This is Our Country! It was arranged for the Buckeye Boys State Band, and we premiered the piece a couple of years ago. We look forward to pulling it out in just over a week when the 2026 Buckeye Boys State Band plays together for the first time!

Get those instruments ready!

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Oxford, OH

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