Ryan ChartrandWhether you enjoy the Romantic strains of Tchaikovsky or the buoyant tunes of a marching band, there is something to be enjoyed among the Cal Poly music department’s numerous bands.
Although each performs differently, their shared love of music which will bring many of the university’s band together in several upcoming performances throughout the fall quarter.
Mustang Band
The Mustang Band is a marching band made up of 120 members, including large groups of brass, woodwind, percussion and color guard performers. Each performer must study the marching drill and the music that is to be performed.
The Mustang Band, also named “The Pride of the Pacific,” performs at pep rallies, alumni functions, parades, and athletic events, while a smaller group performs at volleyball and basketball games.
“Technically, we call it a band marching,” said William Johnson, professor of music and director of bands at Cal Poly. “To most of the public it’s a marching band, but to us it’s a band marching, where the music is just as important as the stepping and choreography.”
The band also features color guard performers, who perform with flags and rifles, and a crowd-pleasing fire baton twirler. “We have a very special young lady who is the sole baton twirler,” said Johnson, speaking of political science freshman Kristen Man. “She twirls two fire batons at the same time.”
The Mustang Band is always interested in recruiting new members, as the program continues to expand. They perform at Open House and Admitted Students Day, among other events, to create student interest and possibly recruit new members for the following year.
Johnson, who has been at Cal Poly for 42 years, has studied a wide range of instruments, but specializes in low brass, specifically large brass instruments like the trombone and tuba. He emphasizes the importance of being a skilled musician prior to joining the band.
“You have to be an accomplished musician,” Johnson said. “Most of our students have been playing for eight years, before they ever get (to Cal Poly).”
“This year we were very fortunate to have a huge number of very talented new students come into our program,” Johnson said. “It was the largest number of new students we’ve seen in years. They’ve brought in a lot of enthusiasm, talent, expertise, and rejuvenated all of our ensembles.”
Students who wish to audition for the Mustang Band perform one at a time for the directors, who look to see the skill the musicians have in playing their instrument, their ability to read music fluently and a desire to perform well.
“We could have a 500 piece band, if we didn’t have standards,” Johnson said. “Our standards are very high, so only 120 make it in the marching band. We need 120 to look good and sound good.”
University Jazz Bands
The Cal Poly University Jazz Bands are made up of students who take special classes open to all Cal Poly students. The classes are ensembles that perform specialized repertoire, including big band compositions, world music, cartoon jazz, swing dance and funk. They also perform the themes to television programs like “I Love Lucy,” “Batman” and “The Pink Panther.”
The University Jazz Bands program is made up of two bands. Band No. 1 has the more experienced players and Band No. 2 is perfect for those who wish to practice and learn more.
There is no required major for participating in the jazz band. Students from a variety of colleges and majors like engineering, architecture and liberal studies are represented. Classes for band members are offered through the music department and are open to any student at Cal Poly.
“We are really happy that we have so many non-music majors in the jazz bands because they are often times really excellent musicians,” said Paul Rinzler, professor of music and director of jazz studies at Cal Poly since 1997. “It’s a great resource that the bands have to draw on so we have a good pool of musicians to choose from.”
The jazz bands also perform at events throughout the community, which teaches them the value of performing at different types of venues, while at the same time allowing new audiences to hear the bands perform.
“I really like the fact that we have so many of these paid gigs for the bands because it does help to instill that sense of professionalism in the students,” Rinzler said.
For the fourth year, the band will be performing swing dances in Santa Barbara and plan to play regionally throughout California, including a Bay Area tour later this year.
“It’s really nice for the band to play in front of a bunch of dancers because they love it,” Rinzler said. “The music is great to dance to, it’s fun and it’s also really good jazz.”
Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble
The Cal Poly Wind Orchestra program combines more than 115 student musicians in two ensembles, which only use the woodwind, brass and percussion sections of a traditional orchestra.
The Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble consist of students who have performed in many concert halls around the world including Beethoven Hall at the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, the Michael Fowler Performing Arts Centre in Wellington, New Zealand, and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, among others. They have an excellent musical reputation both nationally and internationally.
The band debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2003 as part if the New York City wind Band Festival. Most recently, the Cal Poly Wind Ensemble and Choir performed in concert halls in Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague for a European tour.
Upcoming Events
The University Jazz Bands will perform at the Alumni Homecoming Barbeque and Wine Tasting on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. The University Jazz Band Swing Dance in Santa Barbara will take place from 9 p.m. to midnight at the Carrillo Recreation Center on Friday, Nov. 21. Free dance lessons will be given at 8 p.m.
On Dec. 5, the jazz bands will perform in their Fall Jazz Concert in Spanos Theatre. The concert will feature a diverse mix of jazz standards and compositions. The show begins at 8 p.m. and student tickets cost $6.
The Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and the Mustang Band will unite for Cal Poly’s Annual Bandfest ’08 Concert. This year’s theme for the festival is entitled “Mi Alma Latina” (My Latin Soul), which will showcase the rhythms of Spain, Cuba and Latin America.
“It’s a concert that students will really enjoy,” Johnson said. “It’s an opportunity to go hear a big performance in the concert hall. It will be absolutely outstanding.”
Bandfest will take place Nov. 15 in Harman Hall in the Performing Arts Center. The concert begins at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $8 to $19.
Each band also has upcoming individual performances throughout the quarter and holiday season.