University of California Marching Band

Being from southern California, I always had the urge to escape the LA trend and head north for college. I only knew the traditions of local schools, and even after being accepted, Cal seemed foreign. Cal Day changed that. Filled with blue, gold and GO BEARS, the spirit of Cal became one of the biggest reasons I would choose Cal over smaller liberal arts schools, and the same reason I would join the band.

I thought that after four years of high school band I would want to do something different in college. After seeing several performances, from Cal Day to CalSO, and talking to various people, I decided to at least try. I showed up to FTP expecting it to be similar to high school-but it was so much more! Although in the beginning learning was difficult, it didn't take long to realize how amazing the group was. My section became my immediate family and oldmen were more than eager to make my transition as fun as possible. The first year is packed with non-stop excitement from the thrill of your first football game to the playing on a moving cable car.

From the friends to the game days to the incredible travel experiences, I can't imagine my life without the Cal Band. I always have a familiar face in class, an older mentor, and crazy good times! As I enter my final year at Cal, I know that joining the Cal Band is one of the best decisions I've made. Not only have had the privilege of attending the best public university in the nation, but I have also gotten to march the best halftime shows on Youtube, witness nail-biting ESPN highlight games, conduct 250 people and share this all with my best friends.

I hope to see you in August as a part the newmen class of 2009!

Malia McPherson
Clarinet
4th Year, Molecular and Cell Biology

When I visited colleges the spring break my senior year of high school, I had heard of UC Berkeley’s high academic rankings, and my dad had heard of Cal from watching The Play on television. My first walk on campus took me from the BART station on the west side to central campus and the Campanile. As I walked by the tennis center, I noticed there were bear paws proclaiming “Cal Bears” stamped on the sidewalk. “Maybe Berkeley and Cal are rivals,” I thought to myself. Imagine my surprise when my tour guide told me that UC Berkeley and Cal were the same school!

Going to elementary and middle school on the east coast and then to high school in southern California did not expose me to the University of California very often. I was not interested in attending until I participated in an overnight stay program the night before Cal Day. That night, I climbed the rugged eastern foothills abutting campus and sat atop the Big C. Visibility seemed infinite, and I could see thousands of sparkling lights stretching from downtown Berkeley, over the bay bridge to San Francisco, and across the Golden Gate. As I contemplated the endless novel experiences I could have at Berkeley, I knew it was the place for me.

Groggy and excited, I awoke the next day. Although there are hundreds of free seminars and informational booths set up on Cal Day, the highlight of my day was watching the Straw Hat band rock to the Black Eyed Peas on the steps of Sproul Hall. I proceeded to enjoy a free lunch with current bandsmen and filled out an interest form.

Looking back on my college decision process, I know I made the right decision to attend Berkeley. This school has been a perfect fit for me, from my great professors to all the amazing people I have met in band. I didn’t have a hard time adjusting to college, as I already had 200 friends I met at FTP before class even started. I have participated as much as possible in band activities and student leadership, serving as a section leader, a member of the Musical Activities Committee, and now the recruiting coordinator. I know band will remain a part of my life forever.

Kyle Barlow
Trumpet
4th Year, Molecular and Cell Biology

Everyone is looking for a place to grow, a place to love, and a place to find lifelong friends. Cal Band makes that easy. Band has been a defining experience throughout my life, but Cal Band has taught me how to have fun in every situation.

UC Berkeley can be an intimidating place. I'm originally from Southern California and coming to NorCal was like coming to a different state. When I first arrived, I was still referring to my summers as "back home in California." I had no idea what "hella" meant, I had never been to the Bay Area at all, and campus was this giant hill that I couldn't imagine climbing every day.

But then I found the Cal Band. Gathered around Sather Gate at Cal Day, they became the smile on my face. It was the awesome stickers, the crazy trombones, and the infamous Come On Eileen solo that made me realize I had found my destination. Much to my mother's disappointment, I said no to UCLA and signed my first interest form. From then on, my college experience has been amazing!

In my time here so far I've been on some crazy road trips, envy-worthy away games, and have gotten the opportunity to meet some truly incredible people. Aside from the social aspect, Cal Band has also improved my playing ability, as well as my appreciation for all types of music.

Your time at Cal is really what you choose to make it, so why wouldn't you want to make it the very best? Cal band is my home away from home and it was the perfect choice!

Alexandra Braverman
Mellophone
3rd Year, Anthropology and Political Science

When I was applying for colleges, I knew I would be happiest in the college that gave me an environment where my nerdy self can feel at home. However, this conflicted with my other love of life: marching band. Through my many college visits, I didn't find an ideal combination of the two, and I thought I would eventually have to give up band in college for my education. However, I had not visited Cal, having gone to high school in SoCal. When acceptance letters came, my gut told me I should take a closer look into UC Berkeley. Visiting on Cal Day after we got acceptance letters and seeing both the awesome engineering department and the Cal Band rocking out, I knew this was the perfect place for me. I wasted no time writing my SIR and letting everybody know that I was going to be a Golden Bear.

Going to Cal and joining the Cal Band have been the two best decisions of my life so far. I have learned so much from other people in the Cal Band, most of whom I wouldn't have met had I just been stuck to my classes. Beyond being my other nerdy love, band provided a social atmosphere so college didn't feel like just work, which it does at times when you're an engineer. In fact, Cal Band, coupled with an education I am extremely proud of, made me love this institution more than any other. Not a day goes by that I don’t look up to the Campanile and think to myself "Man, I love this place."

David Clarino
Mellophone
3rd Year, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

When I decided to go back to school as an adult re-entry student and study architecture, I thought since I played the clarinet in my high school marching band, it might fun to try out for the Cal Band. Like many students in the band, I have a strong family connection to Cal. My grandfather played football at Cal on Andy Smith’s Wonder Team in the 20’s and my Father, one of ‘Pappy’s Boys’, played football at Cal for Pappy Waldorf in the 50’s. Playing in the band seemed like the perfect way to continue that family heritage. My experience with Cal Band has been as fun and exciting as I imagined it would be, but the real surprise was the bond and friendship I felt with the entire band membership. The most amazing part about being in the band is not running through the tunnel, not marching on the field to great music with 79,000 fans watching, not playing Palms of Victory after a great win. The most amazing part of being in the band is the bond and friendship with a group of unbelievably special human beings…compassionate, clever, talented, mischievous, hilariously funny, loving, giving, grounded, smart…soooo smart…and dedicated to their family, their friends, their band and to living life with open eyes and arms.

My experience with the Cal band is something that I will never forget. I am grateful to have been a part of it, even in this unconventional way.

Cynthia Erb
Clarinet
3rd Year, Architecture

For most of my high school years, I was convinced that Berkeley was one of the places I least wanted to go to college. Having only visited campus during mid-February, when it was perpetually rainy and overcast, I thought the campus was ugly, the students only cared about studying, and the food was… well, I always knew the food was awesome. In any case, I never imagined that I would end up at Berkeley—and then I visited when it wasn’t raining, fell in love with the campus, and, after hanging out with my cousin and his friends, decided that Berkeley students were actually pretty friendly people. Even after deciding to come to Cal, though, I was almost positive that I wasn’t going to join the band. After doing marching band for four years in high school, I just didn’t think I could continue to invest that amount of time and effort into band, while still studying and maybe, possibly having a social life. The fact that college bands learned a new show for every single home game also seemed a little intimidating, considering that it took my high school band several months just to learn one. I didn’t really know anything specific about the Cal Band, but I figured that band in college just wouldn’t be something I would pursue.

The first time I saw the Cal Band was during my CalSO (because unfortunately, I missed Cal Day), and they were nothing like what I expected them to be. I figured that college bands would be extremely intense and hardcore, like most drum corps, but the band I saw was having a great time, rocking out to a bunch of different tunes—and they still sounded good! After talking to a few band members, I figured that I would at least give the Cal Band a shot before I decided it wasn’t for me, and I filled out an interest form. I ended up going to the Fall Training Program in Davis, and by the time I moved into the Berkeley dorms after FTP, I already knew I had made the right decision. While everyone around me was still trying to figure out how college life worked, I had an instant network of friends to help me with the transition. Since then, my experience with the Cal Band has only gotten better. From marching shows in front of sold-out crowds of 70,000 to going on amazing, unforgettable road trips, my two years in the Cal Band have already provided me with a collection of memories and experiences that I will always cherish. In addition, most of my closest friends here at Cal are people I’ve met through the band, and I know I will keep in touch with them long after we’ve graduated. Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that I almost never became a part of the Cal Band (or even came to Berkeley in the first place), but I couldn’t be happier with how things have turned out. To all you potential recruits, I can only urge you to give the Cal Band a chance, just as I did, and see where it takes you.

I hope to see you all in the fall, and go Bears!

Ananth Kasturiraman
Bass
3rd Year, Economics and Psychology

I have lived my whole life in Northern California and never thought I would end up anywhere close like Berkeley. But when it was time to make that final decision, the band was my deal breaker. I was active in my high school band and knew that I wanted to have that same sense of belonging in college. I loved the spirit and traditions that Cal Band offered and they contributed to the overall sense I got of the campus and the university. I am so glad I chose Berkeley. There is nothing quite like walking through campus on a sunny clear day and seeing the beautiful Campanile or the Golden Gate Bridge across the bay. I also love when I buy a textbook that my professor wrote or see the Nobel Laureate parking spaces. It speaks of the tradition of academic awesomeness that goes along with the great sports, arts, and civil rights traditions of our university.

One of the greatest bonuses about joining Cal Band is the family you get in the process. It is one of the many ways that you can make such a great big university like Cal seem smaller. I found that I have made some of the best friends ever just from goofing off at practice, sitting next to someone on a bus ride, or finding that other Cal Band person in lecture and making fun of the professor together. The opportunity to form these types of friendships is one of my favorite aspects of the band and it translates into a lot of fun at any and all band activities.

Running onto the field in Memorial Stadium with the explosion going off and thousands of people cheering is a thrilling experience. Even more exciting is dancing around in your wool uniform and soggy shoes at a particularly rainy game or seeing yourself or your friends on the big screen or even better on national television. There are so many experiences that UC Berkeley and Cal Band offer that you can’t find anywhere else. I wouldn’t trade the time and energy I’ve put into Cal Band for anything and it was the best decision of my life when I submitted my SIR and decided that I wanted to be a member of “the best damn band in the land.”

Becky Prock
Phonez (Alto Saxophone)
3rd Year, Political Science and Media Studies