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After our first exhibition game against the University of South Dakota which UCI lost, by the way, we went to Pizza Hut in Newport Beach and communed with one another. Food was being provided by the Band and most people showed up. In one of my conversations, I talked about us being in a third golden age, though it seemed a bit premature to designate it as such. It was, after all, still early in the season and it remained to be seen what attrition we would ultimately suffer. |
| Happily, I can report that our attrition has been very low and if anything, we have added more people since the first rehearsal. As of today, we have 57 people on the official roles (www.pepband.uci.edu) including four (4) horns, nine (9) trumpets, ten (10) saxes, and six (6) trombones. The last time we had more than two horns in this band was the mid-1980s, our previous golden age. Furthermore, most of the people who show up consistently are from UCI, i.e. our growth and numbers are not because a bunch of people from the Legacy band are sitting in. At the games, we have consistently had over 40 people. This is incredible, considering that last year, our average attendance was close to 20. Thus, in just one year, we have nearly doubled in size. |
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| What makes this a golden age is that the band itself has self-sustaining momentum. People are now joining this band because we are being perceived as one of the best at UCI. The Band has more enrolled students than any other instrumental group at UCI. It helps that we are now being funded by ASAR. Mark Hamamura wisely used most of this year's money for instrument procurement. Because of this, we have been able to add more horns, trombones, and saxes that would have otherwise never joined for lack of instrument. We will likely be using most of next year's ASAR funds to procure more instruments. |
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| The UCI Band is entering its 26th year of existence and I am in my 20th year of service. The first golden age occurred during its early, initial founding stages. When UCI became division I, the Band dwindled to a hard core nucleus. In the mid-1980s, we grew to where we had over 50 people at the games, over 40 going on a road trip to Las Vegas, and routinely more than 30 going out for pizza after every game. |
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| As I have documented in my UCI Band History page, the Band grew steadily under the direction of Bill Saichek starting in the 1982/83 season and continuing into the 1985/86 season. The music department then, shall I say, staged a palace coup, and gave the band council the choice of either accepting being run by the Music Department or not getting University credit for the class. The council chose to replace Bill Saichek with the music department's choice, Buddy Lang. The Band seemed fine with this choice, flourishing during the 1986/87 season. Highlights included an away trip to Las Vegas. A smaller group of us also planned and went on a trip to Mazatlan. |
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| Everything seemed fine until the 1988/89 basketball season. By this season, the Band Council had been dissolved and the basketball team was well on its way to an 8th place finish. In the following 1989/90 season, the basketball team fell apart, finishing dead last in the conference and winning only 5 games that season. The hard-core basketball fans within the Band quit and the band was left with a small whining core. For a while, I stopped attending because it had gotten so depressing. |
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Buddy Lang handed over the leadership of the band back to the students in the early 1990s. For a while, the Band would perform only when convenient, usually on the weekend. In the mid 1990s, the Band began to recover. Rob Shetland inspired many in the 1994/95, the Band's 20th year of existence. We grew to a respectable number, and attended most of the men's basketball games. The highlight of that year was a Band Reunion, where numerous band alumni showed up and performed at the game. That night we swelled from our usual 15-20 to an amazing 40. This brought back memories of the good old days to me. The following year, Albert took over and happily, we survived with the help of many Legacy Band members. Mike Odello led the group for three years, and we grew slightly, becoming more respectable with each passing year.
Happily I can report that I no longer long for those days of past, but firmly believe that our best days are ahead of us, right here and right now. The basketball team is improving steadily, and the Band is under solid and firm leadership. Also, there is virtually no chance of Music Department meddling since the director is appointed jointly by the Athletic and Music Departments and the Band is also seen more at service to the Athletic Department. I would still like to see more student leadership, perhaps through a resurrection of a band council. I have always felt that this band did best when run by students. We seem to have the best of both worlds right now with the two directors (Mark and Eric) both being former regular band members.
