Though the Blue Band celebrates its 125th anniversary, a subsection of the group, the Blue Band Silks, will be celebrating 50 years this year.

The current Silk Squad can trace its beginnings to 1974, when Colleen Schaeffer Rickenbacher created the group. Before 1974, there were “Flag Bearers” in the Blue Band, but the group rarely did any type of drills and were filled with Blue Band musician alternates. An alternate in the Blue Band is a person good enough to be in the Blue Band, but due to the drill size of pregame or halftime, they do not have a permanent spot. Currently you will see alternates holding ladders, placing yard markers or simply standing where the Blue Band sits during pregame.

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, these alternates would be on the field holding large flags to help the other musicians orient themselves.

In 1974, after seeing this Blue Band Flag Corp “perform” at a game, Schaeffer Rickenbacher made an offhand comment to Dr. Dunlop, Director of the Blue Band. She stated that she could do a much better job with the flag group. Dunlop then simply replied, “Fine, then do it!”

She immediately shortened the poles so the flags could be twirled and then created drills for the newly formed Blue Band Silks.

Since female musicians had just joined the Blue Band in 1973, the Silks were very male oriented, but over the years, it has become mostly female.

If Schaeffer Rickenbacher is known as the founder and the brains behind the Silks, Kathy (Smith) Seaward Bamat would be considered the heart and soul.

Seaward Bamat took over the reins of the silks when she became the Blue Band Silk Coordinator during the 1982 season and would retire in 2019. That is 37 years out of the total of 50 years the Blue Band Silks have existed and hence, she is the longest tenured Silk Coordinator. During her tenure, the Silks expanded and would perform more intricate drills. The Silks would often change uniforms during those years as well.

She would also ask alumni Silks to help with the squads. Both Blue Band Silk Alumni Russel Bloom and Charlie Robey have assisted Seaward Bamat over the years.

Bloom was in the Silk Squad in 1983 as an undergraduate student and then again in 1987 as a grad student. He would then be on staff as an Assistant Silk Coordinator for the 1988. 1989, 1990 and 1991 seasons.

Robey was in the Silk Line during the 1976 and 1977 seasons and would become Assistant Silk Instructor during the 1990’s. Upon Seaward Bamet’s retirement in 2019, Robey would be elevated to Silk Coordinator.

Currently, Kristy Bagley is the Blue Band Silk’s Coordinator. In college, Baley marched with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps for 3 years. She spent one season on staff with Beatrix Drums Corps, Hilversum Netherlands. Bagley also worked with numerous high school marching bands in Maryland and North Carolina. Though she did not attend Penn State, her husband Brendan (BS '92, MPS'18), son Christopher (BA '22), and daughter Elizabeth (BS '23) have fostered her love of Penn State.

Over the next 50 years, the Blue Band Silks will continue to raise their flags and show their support for Dear Ol' State!

This article was originally published on statecollege.com.

For more information about the Penn State Blue Band, the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau at 204 W. Beaver will be hosting a book signing with three Blue Band Alumni on Sunday, September 29, 2024, from 10 am to noon.