Photo by: Cal Poly Athletics
Mustang Spotlight: 'One Band, One Sound'
9/21/2020 3:43:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball
Many factors can contribute to a homecourt or homefield advantage: vocal support from fans, the surroundings of familiar settings and sightlines, and a good night's sleep in one's own bed rather than evenings spent in hotels or on buses, just to name a few. Certainly in college sports, there's one extra piece to that puzzle: the band.
"I think what I enjoy most about playing in Spanos and Mott is how much energy there is. We feed off of the fans and the fans feed off of us," said Katherine Hanson, a Cal Poly Political Science major and AEO of Mustang Band. "It is one of the best feelings in the world."
For years, Cal Poly coaches have gushed with effusive praise for everything Mustang Band brings to their games. "There is a lot of pride and camaraderie that comes from supporting the teams," Hanson said. "We love being able to be a part of the action and to help our teams succeed. There's so much respect between the fans, the teams, and us. It is very humbling to be a part of something bigger than ourselves."
On some occasions, even, the homecourt advantage boost travels with a team, such as in 2019 for the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Facing Georgia inside Stanford's Maples Pavilion, the Mustangs rallied back from an 0-2 deficit, sweeping the next three sets in seldom-seen fashion. For Madi Glozer, Mustang Band CEO and a Materials Engineering major, the night is her favorite memory in band.
"Although we were just a fraction of our normal numbers, the passion we put into the music and cheers converted the atmosphere to the likeness of a homecourt advantage, showing that it's possible to bring our famous 'Mott Magic' anywhere," Glozer said.
Joining Mustang Band starts with an audition process — usually beginning the same weekend as Open House and closing circa the end of July — as every member must audition each year to be placed onto the roster prior to Band Camp. Already being able to play an instrument and read music are prerequisites.
From a course catalogue standpoint, it's broken up into four activity or lab sections: Music 176 & 376 (Mustang Band) and Music 178 & 378 (Field Show Marching Skills), worth 1 unit apiece with total credit limited to 6 units per. Typically, students take the course(s) for eight quarters across the standard four years of matriculation. There aren't scholarships awarded specifically for being in Band. "It's not about the money for any of us," Hanson says. "It's about the experience and doing what we love with the people we love."
In a normal fall quarter with crowded sporting events, the band rehearses for games about 5 hours per week (spread out over two days' worth of separate sessions), with an additional 9 a.m. rehearsal on Saturday mornings for football.
"Football game days are typically an all-day endeavor, but you can ask anyone — we would not have it any other way," Hanson said. "I feel so lucky that I am able to a part of something as special as Mustang Band."
The tailgating section lining South Perimeter Road has become accustomed to seeing the band march down to the stadium in a uniquely festive manner on game days, including the dance-like shuffle Cal Poly fans would recognize known as "Georging". As for etymology, according to accounts of oral history, director of bands Christopher Woodruff explains, one of the older drum cadences serving as part of the parade sequence was entitled "George," hence, the derivation of the term.
"The kinetic creativity on the part of the non-percussionists in the band spread to the other cadences and has become an important part of our visual identity," Woodruff says. "There's something special about the energy that comes with it," Hanson added of the Stampede Parade display. "If the spirit of Cal Poly had a physical form, it would be 'Georging.' "
Although the choreography of Georging has evolved over the years through student creativity and spontaneity, assistant director Len Kawamoto noted, the basics remain unchanged.
When it comes to song selections, football performances on the field are typically decided through a suggestion process from the students in the previous spring quarter. Then, ideas are whittled down while determining what arrangements are available — as all music performed must be legally purchased and arranged in accordance with copyrights.
Band's playbook of about 70 charts consists of a variety of genres. As the upcoming year's planning process starts around March, current pop hits topping rotation as well as scores from upcoming summer movies are considered as additions to the repertoire.
"The students in the band have a huge say," Woodruff said. "They're the ones who have to live with the music through hours of rehearsal and performance. If a chart doesn't have a compelling melody or if the arrangement doesn't provide enough of a challenge, it won't survive the first read-down."
Other songs fans hear from the east bleachers at Alex G. Spanos Stadium are set for certain situations, such as most prominently "Ride High, You Mustangs," Cal Poly's fight song (written by H.P. Davidson — namesake of the music building), after every touchdown.
Usually by summer, roughly three or four shows are pinpointed for summer prep leading into August, at which point the full roster is announced. From that point, Dr. Nick Waldron, associate director of bands, designs drill sheets of visual instruction for the students to follow.
Then, each venue has subtleties to account for when performing. For example, at Spanos, band members performing on the field are coached to aim the bells of their instruments slightly higher than parallel to the ground in order to avoid playing directly into the vertical concrete wall at the base of the home-side stands. The field is also "crowned" — meaning the spine of the field itself is ever-so slightly elevated compared to the sidelines — so musicians need to be aware of the bell angle if they are playing perpendicular and facing the bleachers, Kawamoto explained.
Meanwhile, along the north-side 15-yard line, about halfway up the lower seats on the home side, reflections hit at slightly different times, resulting in an echo effect different from other parts of the stands.
For volleyball and basketball, the band is grouped into three to four smaller pep bands incorporating each section such as trumpets, flutes, alto saxes and drums. Students coordinate with their section leaders on pep band assignments, taking into consideration class or work schedules.
As the year segues into winter quarter, rehearsal takes about 2 hours per week. By then, drum major candidates are also introduced, while requests from the Cheer & Stunt squads are also mixed into the playlist. For other numbers in Mott, student leadership picks a few songs at a time and writes them on a dry-erase board so that band members have time to gather their sheet music.
Mott is especially conducive to brass and bass drums, while its high ceiling tends to suck up snare drum and piccolo sounds. Consequently, depending on the number of snare drummers present, fans may notice students attaching plastic reflectors onto the bottom of their drums to help direct some of their sound closer toward the court and seats.
Despite the different size of the band at either Spanos or Mott, it's still "One band, one sound," Woodruff said, as the students seen at basketball and volleyball games are the same students from football and other university functions.
Aside from games, Band typically also attends annual events such as the Poly Royal Parade during Open House, Week of Welcome, the SLO Holiday Parade and the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco. Their unity carries over away from the instruments, as Mustang Band also has a cycling group, a racquetball group and a boardgame club.
Kawamoto recalls the first performance at San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade as one of his most exciting memories, estimating it's probably the largest crowd for which the band has ever performed. "Since we're not normally a parade band, we scheduled extra weekend rehearsals to clean up our technique and showmanship, and the results at the parade were wonderful," he reflected. "The students showed so much spirit and energy and represented Cal Poly well."
Looking to the unusual year ahead (which commenced with auditions conducted online), in addition to meeting over Zoom, eventually Band will meet in much smaller groups, with special protective precautions and social distancing implemented.
"Our concepts, techniques, beliefs and family-like atmosphere will still be cultivated no matter the capacity in which we meet," Waldron said.
"Our priority has always been our students' success, and Dr. Waldron and Len have earned their trust as we navigate this strange territory," Woodruff added. "The directors and students are fast learners and Mustang Band is an organization that is accustomed to making fast adjustments in an environment that is exciting and can throw curveballs at any moment."
An example of such a curveball occurred several years ago at the Big West Conference Basketball Tournament, which Kawamoto today recalls as an especially fond memory. At the neutral-site arena in Anaheim, a marketing coordinator with the league encountered a sudden change of plans, and pivoted to asking Kawamoto if Cal Poly would be able to play the national anthem on short notice. "He came up to me after the game and said how happy he was with our performance," Kawamoto remembered, "and that from working with us, he knew that our band would be able to pull it off without a hitch."
Midway through April, the band shared on social media a clip of "Ride High, You Mustangs" being performed individually at home, with nearly 60 separate members playing their instruments pictured together on one screen. Each performer recorded their individual piece synced to a tempo track, before Davis Zamboanga mixed the tracks to harmony.
"Even though this year will be different, I feel very lucky to still have the opportunity to play music with people that I love," Hanson adds. "I think the biggest challenge will be continuing to foster that sense of community, but knowing Mustang Band, we will find a way." Glozer added that band hopes to achieve that by hosting more opportunities for newcomers to get to know returning members.
Woodruff says his biggest reward as an instructor comes when an alum identifies a moment in band that impacted them.
"This happened just recently when one of our graduates who works with a large entertainment company shared on her podcast that her fondest memory of Cal Poly was of a halftime show in 2010, during a game for which we hosted the UC Davis band," Woodruff retold. "It was a tough show incorporating tricky drill, fancy colorguard choreography and some advanced Latin jazz. But all the work put into preparing that design clearly paid off. Her vivid memory is how the east stands erupted with enthusiasm as the band closed the show with a 'bum rush' across the east sideline and played up into the faces of the student section."
"Since students come to us with fundamental musical and visual skills already in place, only part of our job is to bring their musicianship to the next level," Woodruff said. "A bigger part is the cultivation of behaviors that contribute to teamwork and citizenship: listening, leadership & followership, time management, respect, goal-setting, and learning from 'failure.' During their time with us, while we are working to inculcate these practices with our students, it's inevitable that amazing, memorable experiences will result."
@CPMustangs • #RideHigh
By Donovan Aird • Photos Courtesy of Owen Main / Joe Johnston / Ian Billings / Alexander Bohlen
"I think what I enjoy most about playing in Spanos and Mott is how much energy there is. We feed off of the fans and the fans feed off of us," said Katherine Hanson, a Cal Poly Political Science major and AEO of Mustang Band. "It is one of the best feelings in the world."
For years, Cal Poly coaches have gushed with effusive praise for everything Mustang Band brings to their games. "There is a lot of pride and camaraderie that comes from supporting the teams," Hanson said. "We love being able to be a part of the action and to help our teams succeed. There's so much respect between the fans, the teams, and us. It is very humbling to be a part of something bigger than ourselves."
On some occasions, even, the homecourt advantage boost travels with a team, such as in 2019 for the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Facing Georgia inside Stanford's Maples Pavilion, the Mustangs rallied back from an 0-2 deficit, sweeping the next three sets in seldom-seen fashion. For Madi Glozer, Mustang Band CEO and a Materials Engineering major, the night is her favorite memory in band."Although we were just a fraction of our normal numbers, the passion we put into the music and cheers converted the atmosphere to the likeness of a homecourt advantage, showing that it's possible to bring our famous 'Mott Magic' anywhere," Glozer said.
Joining Mustang Band starts with an audition process — usually beginning the same weekend as Open House and closing circa the end of July — as every member must audition each year to be placed onto the roster prior to Band Camp. Already being able to play an instrument and read music are prerequisites.
From a course catalogue standpoint, it's broken up into four activity or lab sections: Music 176 & 376 (Mustang Band) and Music 178 & 378 (Field Show Marching Skills), worth 1 unit apiece with total credit limited to 6 units per. Typically, students take the course(s) for eight quarters across the standard four years of matriculation. There aren't scholarships awarded specifically for being in Band. "It's not about the money for any of us," Hanson says. "It's about the experience and doing what we love with the people we love."
In a normal fall quarter with crowded sporting events, the band rehearses for games about 5 hours per week (spread out over two days' worth of separate sessions), with an additional 9 a.m. rehearsal on Saturday mornings for football.
"Football game days are typically an all-day endeavor, but you can ask anyone — we would not have it any other way," Hanson said. "I feel so lucky that I am able to a part of something as special as Mustang Band."
The tailgating section lining South Perimeter Road has become accustomed to seeing the band march down to the stadium in a uniquely festive manner on game days, including the dance-like shuffle Cal Poly fans would recognize known as "Georging". As for etymology, according to accounts of oral history, director of bands Christopher Woodruff explains, one of the older drum cadences serving as part of the parade sequence was entitled "George," hence, the derivation of the term.
"The kinetic creativity on the part of the non-percussionists in the band spread to the other cadences and has become an important part of our visual identity," Woodruff says. "There's something special about the energy that comes with it," Hanson added of the Stampede Parade display. "If the spirit of Cal Poly had a physical form, it would be 'Georging.' "
Although the choreography of Georging has evolved over the years through student creativity and spontaneity, assistant director Len Kawamoto noted, the basics remain unchanged.
When it comes to song selections, football performances on the field are typically decided through a suggestion process from the students in the previous spring quarter. Then, ideas are whittled down while determining what arrangements are available — as all music performed must be legally purchased and arranged in accordance with copyrights.Band's playbook of about 70 charts consists of a variety of genres. As the upcoming year's planning process starts around March, current pop hits topping rotation as well as scores from upcoming summer movies are considered as additions to the repertoire.
"The students in the band have a huge say," Woodruff said. "They're the ones who have to live with the music through hours of rehearsal and performance. If a chart doesn't have a compelling melody or if the arrangement doesn't provide enough of a challenge, it won't survive the first read-down."
Other songs fans hear from the east bleachers at Alex G. Spanos Stadium are set for certain situations, such as most prominently "Ride High, You Mustangs," Cal Poly's fight song (written by H.P. Davidson — namesake of the music building), after every touchdown.
Usually by summer, roughly three or four shows are pinpointed for summer prep leading into August, at which point the full roster is announced. From that point, Dr. Nick Waldron, associate director of bands, designs drill sheets of visual instruction for the students to follow.
Then, each venue has subtleties to account for when performing. For example, at Spanos, band members performing on the field are coached to aim the bells of their instruments slightly higher than parallel to the ground in order to avoid playing directly into the vertical concrete wall at the base of the home-side stands. The field is also "crowned" — meaning the spine of the field itself is ever-so slightly elevated compared to the sidelines — so musicians need to be aware of the bell angle if they are playing perpendicular and facing the bleachers, Kawamoto explained.
Meanwhile, along the north-side 15-yard line, about halfway up the lower seats on the home side, reflections hit at slightly different times, resulting in an echo effect different from other parts of the stands.
For volleyball and basketball, the band is grouped into three to four smaller pep bands incorporating each section such as trumpets, flutes, alto saxes and drums. Students coordinate with their section leaders on pep band assignments, taking into consideration class or work schedules.
As the year segues into winter quarter, rehearsal takes about 2 hours per week. By then, drum major candidates are also introduced, while requests from the Cheer & Stunt squads are also mixed into the playlist. For other numbers in Mott, student leadership picks a few songs at a time and writes them on a dry-erase board so that band members have time to gather their sheet music.Mott is especially conducive to brass and bass drums, while its high ceiling tends to suck up snare drum and piccolo sounds. Consequently, depending on the number of snare drummers present, fans may notice students attaching plastic reflectors onto the bottom of their drums to help direct some of their sound closer toward the court and seats.
Despite the different size of the band at either Spanos or Mott, it's still "One band, one sound," Woodruff said, as the students seen at basketball and volleyball games are the same students from football and other university functions.
Aside from games, Band typically also attends annual events such as the Poly Royal Parade during Open House, Week of Welcome, the SLO Holiday Parade and the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco. Their unity carries over away from the instruments, as Mustang Band also has a cycling group, a racquetball group and a boardgame club.
Kawamoto recalls the first performance at San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade as one of his most exciting memories, estimating it's probably the largest crowd for which the band has ever performed. "Since we're not normally a parade band, we scheduled extra weekend rehearsals to clean up our technique and showmanship, and the results at the parade were wonderful," he reflected. "The students showed so much spirit and energy and represented Cal Poly well."
Looking to the unusual year ahead (which commenced with auditions conducted online), in addition to meeting over Zoom, eventually Band will meet in much smaller groups, with special protective precautions and social distancing implemented.
"Our concepts, techniques, beliefs and family-like atmosphere will still be cultivated no matter the capacity in which we meet," Waldron said.
"Our priority has always been our students' success, and Dr. Waldron and Len have earned their trust as we navigate this strange territory," Woodruff added. "The directors and students are fast learners and Mustang Band is an organization that is accustomed to making fast adjustments in an environment that is exciting and can throw curveballs at any moment."
An example of such a curveball occurred several years ago at the Big West Conference Basketball Tournament, which Kawamoto today recalls as an especially fond memory. At the neutral-site arena in Anaheim, a marketing coordinator with the league encountered a sudden change of plans, and pivoted to asking Kawamoto if Cal Poly would be able to play the national anthem on short notice. "He came up to me after the game and said how happy he was with our performance," Kawamoto remembered, "and that from working with us, he knew that our band would be able to pull it off without a hitch."
Midway through April, the band shared on social media a clip of "Ride High, You Mustangs" being performed individually at home, with nearly 60 separate members playing their instruments pictured together on one screen. Each performer recorded their individual piece synced to a tempo track, before Davis Zamboanga mixed the tracks to harmony.
Sending greetings to Cal Poly Mustangs near and far! @CalPolyCLA @CalPolyVolley @calpolymbb @CalPolyWBB @calpolyfootball @calpolycheer #RideHigh pic.twitter.com/EolVgWrApD
— Cal Poly Mustang Band (@CPMustangBand) April 18, 2020
"Even though this year will be different, I feel very lucky to still have the opportunity to play music with people that I love," Hanson adds. "I think the biggest challenge will be continuing to foster that sense of community, but knowing Mustang Band, we will find a way." Glozer added that band hopes to achieve that by hosting more opportunities for newcomers to get to know returning members.
Woodruff says his biggest reward as an instructor comes when an alum identifies a moment in band that impacted them."This happened just recently when one of our graduates who works with a large entertainment company shared on her podcast that her fondest memory of Cal Poly was of a halftime show in 2010, during a game for which we hosted the UC Davis band," Woodruff retold. "It was a tough show incorporating tricky drill, fancy colorguard choreography and some advanced Latin jazz. But all the work put into preparing that design clearly paid off. Her vivid memory is how the east stands erupted with enthusiasm as the band closed the show with a 'bum rush' across the east sideline and played up into the faces of the student section."
"Since students come to us with fundamental musical and visual skills already in place, only part of our job is to bring their musicianship to the next level," Woodruff said. "A bigger part is the cultivation of behaviors that contribute to teamwork and citizenship: listening, leadership & followership, time management, respect, goal-setting, and learning from 'failure.' During their time with us, while we are working to inculcate these practices with our students, it's inevitable that amazing, memorable experiences will result."
@CPMustangs • #RideHigh
By Donovan Aird • Photos Courtesy of Owen Main / Joe Johnston / Ian Billings / Alexander Bohlen
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