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Established by students in 1896, the University of Michigan Band had its first salaried director in 1915. The William Revelli era (1935-1971) brought the Band to prominence as the marching, concert, and symphony bands toured and performed extensively, including a tour of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union by the Symphony band in 1961, the Jazz Band's 1965 tour of Latin American, and the Symphony Band 2011 tour of China. Records include scrapbooks of band activities (including photographs); bound volumes ("Blue Books"), 1936-present, containing band formations, newsletters, and announcements of band activities, also topical files relating to band tours and concerts. The Marching Band is best documented, although concert band, symphony band, and related ensembles are represented.

The University of Michigan Band records are divided into eight series: Tours and Concerts, Yearbooks, Photographs and Posters, Audio-Visual Material, Band Books ("Blue Books"), Scrapbooks, Publications, and Director's Records. The majority of the records consist of bound volumes of band formations, announcements, and publications, and oversized scrapbooks of band activities. Additional material includes topical files documenting tours and performances. The bulk of the documentation pertains to the Marching Band.

Jimmie Howard Reynolds (1925-2013) was a band director from Louisiana who taught and directed music programs at the high school and collegiate level. During the 1970/1971 academic year, Reynolds took a sabbatical leave from his position as Director of Bands at Louisiana Polytechnic University to serve as a graduate assistant under Dr. William D. Revelli during his final year as Director of Bands at the University of Michigan. Reynolds kept a journal of rehearsals and performances from that time and wrote extensively about the pedagogical practices Revelli employed as Director. This diary is a digital transcription of the entire diary as written, prepared by Reynolds' son, Dr. Patrick Allen Reynolds, in 2021.

The Jimmie Howard Reynolds diary, titled "Rehearsals with WRD", was maintained by Reynolds during the 1970-1971 academic year at the University of Michigan. Reynolds was a graduate student assistant for William D. Revelli during his last year as Director of Bands. The diary held by the Bentley Historical Library is a transcription, prepared and edited by Reynold's son, Dr. Patrick Reynolds, in 2021. Dr. Reynolds transcribed the diary as written, with minor changes to punctuation and grammar to aid in clarity. Dr. Reynolds also added some additional information to the text, usually to clarify names, dates, or events as written about by his father; these additions are added in brackets.

While Reynolds and Revelli maintained a close professional relationship for forty years, the diary documents criticisms Reynolds had of Revelli's conducting and pedagogy. In some entries, names have been removed by Dr. Reynolds to avoid embarrassment on behalf of the performers. A full note regarding Dr. Reynolds' transcription work is included in the digital file.

The collection contains materials collected by the University of Michigan Symphony Band Tour members during the Band's international tour through the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and the Near East, February through June, 1961. Also, materials created during the 2011-2012, and 2019 Band reunions. Collection materials include clippings, correspondence, photographs, video recordings, programs, and scrapbooks.

The collection is composed of four series, the content of which includes clippings, correspondence, photographs, programs, and scrapbooks. The 1961 Tour series contains materials created and collected during the tour. A small amount of material is related to the 1981 and 1984 reunions. The 50th Anniversary Reunion and Return to Russia Tour series contains materials created and collected during the 2012 reunion tour to Moscow and St. Petersburg. One folder containing obituaries. The final series documents the 58th anniversary reunion, held at the University of Michigan in 2019.