LOS ANGELES – The University of Southern California is a school filled with many traditions, especially when it comes to rivalry week. 

But one of the best and most well-known is the presence of the Trojan Marching Band - a unit that was revolutionized by one man, Dr. Arthur C. Bartner. 

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Bartner began his career as a high school band director after graduating from the University of Michigan. In 1970, he was ready for a new challenge. 

“Michigan had just played USC in the Rose Bowl. USC won the football game, but the Michigan band was so superior they said, 'let’s go find a Michigan guy,'” Bartner explained. 

At that time, Bartner inherited an 80 person all-male band that was mostly made up of music majors. 

This year, the band has nearly 300 members and is run with a discipline pretty unique to a college marching band. 

Over the last 50 years, Bartner has taken the band from a feature at football games, to a fixture in and around campus and across the globe. The Spirit of Troy has multiple platinum selling records, has performed at the Academy and Grammy awards, and recorded with the likes of Fleetwood Mac. 

“Getting to record with them not once but twice, and having that tune, "Tusk," go platinum is still the biggest thrill and unprecedented in this country," he said. 

It's a lot for any band director to handle, but that's just Bartner's personality. He goes big and he never seems to stop. 

According to him, that's the only way he's survived 50 years.  

“Nobody ever grows up wanting to be a marching band director," Bartner said with a smile. "It’s too much work and you don’t get paid enough. I think the secret is I come out every day and I’m excited to be out here.”

And while Bartner may be retiring after five decades as the band's leader, there are no doubts as to where his allegiances will forever lie. 

“I am a Trojan for life. It is in my blood," he said. "I’ve been back to Michigan once in 50 years to defend my dissertation. Other than that, I’m a Trojan.”