History

At the start of the year, the band performed for Cal Poly Pomona’s Welcome Week for incoming students. Recruitment was successful in the fall as multiple students enlisted at the club fair in August. Additionally, the band created a Drumline that increased the number of percussionists. August flew by and September came with many exciting events such as the LA county fair, and the Pomona 5k. The pep band also held its first joint rehearsal with members of Kappa Kappa Psi.

As volleyball season began, the band proceeded to support the women’s volleyball team and showered them with love and spirit. The annual Midnight Madness took place in October and went splendid. From dodgeball games, kahoot, yoga, and karaoke, our members were actively involved in some way.

In an attempt to meet new members and create long lasting friendships, the Bronco Pep band held its very first Mid-day Madness in the Spring that included a rehearsal and fun bonding activities. Additionally, the musical repertoire expanded as new songs were incorporated into the library.

Basketball season was boisterous and full of endless fun. This year, the Men’s basketball team traveled to San Diego for the semi-finals and of course we followed along to support. The San Diego away trip was a weekend with lots of energy and bonding. Although our team lost, we remain hopeful that we will win next time.

The Bronco Pep Band planned to attend the UC Davis Battle of the Bands event and other events, but due to unforeseen circumstances that were caused by COVID-19, the spring semester rapidly transitioned from in person courses to fully online which affected our participation in those events.

Although the COVID-19 situation impacted our bronco family and members, we persevered by planning activities for our members. We hosted our very first virtual Banquet, The Billys, as well as recorded a fight song video to provide a sense of community, promote our organization, and most importantly brighten up the school with our Bronco spirit amidst the terrible situation. Because of the virtual fight song video, the pep band received more support and recognition from many organizations within our school and the school itself.

We have faith and hope that the new E-board will continue to plan activities and incorporate new ideas for the 2020-2021 school year under the direction of Omar Arellano to further expand our goals as a band and remain united despite these challenging times.

With Kingsley once again holding the reigns, the Bronco Pep Band galloped into a new year filled with gusto and good ol' "just won the Olympics" level pep. Summer recruitment was an overwhelming success as members old and new joined together at sauna-like outdoor rehearsals which culminated in a parade performance at the L.A. County Fair!

Summer was such a smashing hit, or rather, a splashing hit, that we entered the fall quarter with pride for what we had accomplished and hope for even more successes to come. As our numbers grew, so did our sound- we developed a full and rambunctious timbre to accompany our extensive repertoire of dance moves and entered the volleyball season as a force to be reckoned with! Our new and improved song selection and relentless cheering impressed the crowds and the team alike! It seemed as though the season was over before we could even shout CAL-POL-EEE!

Never fear, basketball season was here! In a record-breaking run for our Broncos, the men's basketball team made it to the championship game of their division and we cheered them along the entire way! Our winter season stretched on weeks longer than anticipated as the team proved themselves victorious again and again, culminating in an intense final game against UCSD where the Broncos lost by the slimmest of margins. Although they did not reign supreme in the end, it was thrilling for the band to be so active for so long in the winter quarter! In true pep band fashion, several new cheers and moves were quickly created to accommodate for the extended time period. People have called us a lot of things, but boring is not one of them. It was during this time that we packed our bags and traveled with the men's and women's teams to CSU East Bay and CSU Monterey Bay. Our stamina was at an all-time high as we cheered for four games in one weekend! Needless to say, the car ride home was filled with cough drops and strained vocal chords, but we wouldn't have traded it for a second.

Throughout our journey this year, we carried on many traditions from years past, as well as introducing several new events and gigs! Midnight Madness was as thrilling as ever- dodgeballs flew, capes were adorned, and sleeping bags were considered a thing of the past as nearly half of the band successfully stayed awake for an entire night in Kellogg Gym! We also performed at various u-hours, and participated in the school's homecoming parade! Our presence and recognizability at the school grew as our number of performances skyrocketed. However, our pep had breadth outside of our campus as well. In the fall we were given the honor of performing at the inaugural We Run Pomona 5k. In the spring we found ourselves bringing music to an elementary school walk-a-thon, Knott's Berry Farm, and, for the first time ever, Disney's California Adventure! Our spring quarter was dominated by our preparation for and attendance of these off-campus events, and we closed the year feeling incredibly satisfied. With a little faith, trust, and pixie dust, hopefully our next year will be filled with more performances, more members, and even more pep!

With Kingsley at the helm, the band was once again hard at work recruiting at summer orientations. This resulted in another strong group of new players to continue the Bronco Pep Band’s legacy. Members new and old jumped right in to play at summer rehearsals and again at the LA County Fair and other Fall events around campus. The band also got to return to their old rehearsal area in front of Kellogg Gym, reducing travel times for practice and making access to facilities easier.

The band continued to work closely with the Athletics Department to support the Broncos sports teams, including Volleyball in the Fall and Basketball in the Winter. The band also saw significant growth socially and within the Music Department, as Dr. Rickey Badua continued to advise the Bronco Pep Band and oversee the first year of Kappa Kappa Psi, the National Honorary Band Fraternity, at Cal Poly Pomona. With the rise of the fraternity came an increase of shared attendance between the Pep Band and the Concert Band and other band classes, as well as an increase in musical community among all the band organizations on campus.

A different CCAA schedule caused the band to travel to Monterey Bay and East Bay for the annual NorCal trip. The Bronco Pep Band was welcomed and praised at the opposing teams’ schools, with extra enthusiasm and appreciation for the band’s music at Monterey Bay. The changed schedule also allowed for a return to UCSD, where the Broncos got to have a friendly musical battle with the UCSD Pep Band. This was an exciting trip that allowed for some rare musical rivalry, despite the torrential rain storm that slowed travel on the way.

Spring quarter was more relaxed as usual following an emptier schedule, so the band made a trip to appear as audience members on television as a fundraiser. They also got to return to Knott’s Berry Farm for another fun performance. Spring also marked the debut of the University Hour performances; Kingsley had the band perform in front of the Music Building at lunch to liven up people’s lunch time and increase publicity about the Bronco Pep Band. Finally, elections were held and some brainstorming for next year began as the Bronco Pep Band wrapped up another strong year.

It was now Ramiro’s last year as director of the Bronco Pep Band, but he was not about to rest on last year’s laurels. The band started the year with summer rehearsals again to prepare for the LA County Fair, BroncoFusion, and Welcome Week performances. Relentless summer recruiting at the Orientation Club Fairs also brought in a strong group of new members.

The successes of the band and the basketball teams the year before had spread the name of the Bronco Pep Band throughout CPP, and the band was asked to play for many school events in addition to the volleyball games; they could be found at events all around campus, including the Pumpkin Festival, Matt’s Run, and Cross Country events.

The Bronco Pep Band also added a new activity to their already busy fall quarter as they cheered on the Men’s Soccer team. Cal Poly Pomona hosted the NCAA West Regional Men’s Soccer Semifinal Championship, and the band cheered the Broncos to regional victory! As the team advanced to the National Championships in Florida, the band was unable to follow them but cheered from afar and welcomed them back as they returned with their hard-earned second place national title.

As usual, there was no rest as the band went straight into basketball season. With the Super Bowl 50 occurring in Santa Clara, CA, the Bronco Pep Band decided to attend the away games in Chico and Stanislaus to avoid the traffic and costs of the Bay Area. The away games up north were all close with incredible fan support for both sides, with a narrow victory for the men at Chico and unfortunate losses for the men and women the rest of the weekend.

The band ended the school year with some more fun activities, including performing at the Strawberry Festival by the Farm store and a trip to perform at Knott’s Berry Farm. As the school year came to a close, the Bronco Pep Band paid their farewells to Ramiro Casteñeda as he became more focused on his music education career. Following the yearly band officer elections, the new Executive board began planning for 2016-2017 under the direction of Kingsley Hickman.

Branden and Professor Amaya came and went; then, it was Ramiro’s chance to shine as the Bronco Pep Band’s newest band director. The Pep Band also introduced their newest academic advisor, Dr. Ricky Badua. With already having a few summer rehearsals and CPP Day at LACF, where they bid their farewells to a retiring Dr. Ortiz, under their hooves, the Pep Band was already on to a great start!

The year was off to a great start until someone lodged a noise complaint against the Pep Band during their scheduled rehearsal time. As a result, the band left the location they had rehearsed at for the past 11 years and relocated to the Darlene May Gym, where they had a little more privacy but a much longer walk from the band room. While some were surely upset, the band remembered that changes are not bad; they just present greater opportunity.

September blew past to make room for November’s month of fun. Volleyball was going well, but nothing out of the ordinary. The Pep Band continued to participate in school wide functions including performing at the music department’s Steinway Initiative. It’s always great to see the music community expanding and gain support and recognition they deserve! The end of November brought the Pep Band to Let’s Make a Deal as a fundraising event for the group. The group dressed up and although no one brought home big prizes, still had tons of fun.

The new year brought lots of fun things for the Pep Band to look forward to. The annual Northern California trip came and went without a hitch. Double wins from both the men’s and women’s basketball teams is what the band always looks forward to. Following the trip, the Pep Band was offered and amazing opportunity. For the first time in Pep Band history, the band was invited to join the men’s basketball team in Stockton for CCAA championships. Of course, the band jumped on the opportunity as soon as it arose!

At the beginning of March, the Pep Band found themselves on a second road trip as they headed to Stockton to cheer on their beloved men’s basketball team. The trip was not made in vain as the men’s basketball team made it all the way and scored the CCAA Championship! Fast forward a few weeks, the Pep Band found themselves at the Ontario Citizens Bank Arena cheering on both the men and women’s basketball team in the NCAA Western Regionals. Extraordinary things happen to extraordinary teams. The men took a buzzer beater win that was featured on FoxLA News, with a cameo by nonother than the Bronco Pep Band. The men’s team continued to the next rounds, but fell short in the semi finals.

As the year came to an end, new E-Board positions were voted on and Ramiro took on his own assistant director for the 2015-2016 school year. The Bronco Pep Band welcomed alto saxophone musician, Kingsley Hickman, as their new assistant director. He was excited to take on this new adventure with the band and see what was in store for the next year.

Again, another year down. The Bronco Pep Band, as always, is eager to get on the saddle for the year to come.

As Branden Herron took on his last year at CPP, he also took on Ramiro Castaneda as assistant-director of the pep band. Professor Amaya hopped on board and became this year’s academic advisor.

Volleyball games sped past the band faster than usual and they suddenly found themselves knees deep in basketball season. Months flew by and the annual Northern California trip was already in their midst. There were no cars broken in to on this trip, so of course that automatically made it a success!

This year the band seemed to get even more support and recognition from the sports teams, parents of athletes, and various other groups. They were recognized and praised at the NorCal games, and it was great for the band to hear they are appreciated.

It looks like they are becoming essential to every home game and away game they can make it to. The games continued when the band returned home and the women’s basketball team pushed against all odds and took the CCAA Championship Title. This year, the Pep Band was honored to be the CCAA Band of the Tournament, performing at all the NCAA West games.

The band saw it necessary to be more proactive in their community and outside communities. They were invited to perform at a special ceremony at the Arcadia City Hall. This was the first of many community events the pep band would perform at.

The slowed to an end as they said good bye to many of their graduating seniors, as well as their great director, Branden Herron. The Herron term was over and it was time for Castaneda to take over and see what he could do to make the band even greater.