Why did the band aboard Titanic keep playing?

Because in that age, it was women and children first, and it is a well known fact that music has a calming affect on a tragedy, ever notice the music played at funerals, taps for soldiers/militia, when you know your about to die ppl do the strangest things, a good film to watch is a Night to Remember, it shows the band calling it a night and started to move towards the lifeboats, then one man started playing and the rest came back and joined him, knowing full well, what was to happen.

There are many instances through History, of courageous ppl who stayed behind knowing their fate, to save others, the mighty 300 Spartans, 100 redcoats against 4000 Zulus, 13 VC's were won in that action, the men who fought a rear-guard action against over whelming German soldiers in a Bridge Too Far, the men who throw them selves onto grenades, saving their buddies.

The 15 yo boy in Queensland last year, when thrown a rope by rescuers, gave it to his 13 yo brother and tied him up, then he was swept away and drowned.

The soldiers who blew up the bridge on their side, to stop the Japanese advancing, all were killed, but they took out 200 Japs with them

They had an extraordinary sense of duty to their passengers. Theirs is a story of honor and courage that is at the same time deeply saddening and brilliantly uplifting.

There weren't enough lifeboats, and since they were part of the crew, they knew they weren't going be getting on one.

Facing certain death they did the only thing they knew how to do - play music.

We will probably never know for sure but I would imagine its because it was their job, so they selflessly carried on.

They knew they wouldn’t be able to get on a boat so just made the best of it.

It was a nice way to keep people calm, maybe.

To keep people calm.

They were trying to make the passengers feel a little at ease throughout the ordeal

They were order to play cheery music to reduce the panic which obviously didn't help. But they were gentlemen and felt they needed to go down with the ship as they were part of it. It's really sad actually.