You may not see them at sports games, but the Cal Poly Mustang Marching Band has plenty of work to do recruiting new members and participating in other music ensembles this spring.
Although marching band classes are not taught during spring quarter, band director Bill Johnson said the students practice year-round. Many of them take part in the university jazz band, wind orchestra and other music groups in the department.
“We encourage them to keep playing,” said Johnson, who’s been teaching at Cal Poly for 40 years.
The band, also known as the Pride of the Pacific, is most often seen during the fall “in all its grandeur and glory, performing at football games,” Johnson said. However, they break into smaller groups, called pep bands, to perform for women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball games during both fall and winter quarters.
“They’re an outstanding group,” Johnson said, “They put on a spectacular display.”
Many of the band’s musicians are members of the Pep Band Club, which functions year-round, and is headed by Johnson and student officers. The club uses methods like calling and e-mailing high seniors to recruit prospective students.