Above: Former University of Delaware trumpet player Dan Kane has found a home moonlighting with the Baltimore Marching Ravens. Photo courtesy Dan Kane.
By Ryan Neave
Marching bands are a staple of college football, but they’re rare in the NFL. In fact, only two of the league’s 32 teams boast full-sized marching bands — the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore’s Marching Ravens (BMR) were founded in 1947 as the Baltimore Colts’ Marching Band, and they are nothing if not resilient. In 1984, the band lost the team it played for when the Baltimore Colts abruptly relocated to Indianapolis. The musicians, however, refused to disband.
Instead, they operated independently as the Baltimore Colts’ Band and performed for NFL and Canadian Football League games along with a host of parades and civic events. All the while, they led the charge for an NFL franchise to return to Baltimore. Those efforts were rewarded in 1996 with the creation of the Baltimore Ravens.
In 2009, filmmaker and Baltimore native Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Good Morning, Vietnam) chronicled the Marching Ravens’ journey in the acclaimed film The Band That Wouldn’t Die.
Ironically, Delaware — more specifically, the University of Delaware — has played an integral role in keeping this band marching forward. Among the band’s current 150 members — the largest in the NFL — are a total of 35 UD alumni for both the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
“[Delaware] has always been good to us, says John Ziemann, who has been the Ravens’ band president since 1984 and a Ravens band member since 1962. “For as long as the team has existed, UD has sent us some fantastic musicians and equipment crew.”
Bri Licciardi is now in her third season with the Marching Ravens. Photo provided.
Each operation has a secret weapon, and in this case, it is 2023 UD grad Kambria Rogalski.
“She is our human recruitment machine,” says Ziemann. “She represents us by getting our recruitment messages sent throughout the UD campus. We also have UD alumni and students recruit throughout the campus, distributing information and contacting fellow musicians who have played in the UD Marching Band.”
As both assistant band director and pep band manager, UD graduate Kristin Monroe is a key component to the Marching Ravens’ success. Her job entails collaborating with the band director daily to plan rehearsals, select songs, and set goals for the band.
“Being with Baltimore’s Marching Ravens for the past 20 seasons has been beyond an amazing experience,” says Monroe, who performs with the Delaware-based funk group Universal Funk Order. “It’s a great way for recent graduates to continue participating in marching band beyond high school or college, which is probably why we have so many UD alumni flocking to Baltimore.”
During his final year at UD, Dan Kane joined the Marching Ravens and became an official NFL employee. While playing trumpet in the UD marching band, he heard about the gig through one of his bandmates.
“When my friend told me that I could get paid to be in a marching band, I replied, ‘That’s the dream!’ So, I auditioned that year and got accepted, and have been with them ever since,” says Kane, who plays locally with the band What The Funk.
Having aced her audition in 2024, tuba player Bri Licciardi is looking forward to starting her third season with the Marching Ravens.
Dan Kane, Kristin Monroe and Haley Will in their Baltimore Marching Ravens colors. Photo provided.
“I had been with band for the majority of my academic career,” says Licciardi, who was a section leader and played in UD’s pep band Blue Thunder. “Most of my peers have gone on to perform with BMR with the band.”
“I first joined the Ravens Marching Band back in high school,” adds trumpeter Haley Will. “I worked for the Ravens throughout high school and part of college, then took a few seasons off while finishing my degree at UD to begin my career as a teacher. I rejoined this past spring, and I’m excited to be back playing trumpet again in the band.”
Indeed, it appears Baltimore’s Marching Ravens has created quite a pipeline to University of Delaware talent.
“Recruitment is our lifeline in keeping the band strong,” says Ziemann.
“[We] have a very strong relationship with the University of Delaware,” adds BMR senior manager Tory Nymick. “They give us musicians that never fail to entertain the fans.”
