Cal Poly Mustang Band
| The Cal Poly Marching Band | |
|---|---|
| School | California Polytechnic State University |
| Location | San Luis Obispo, California |
| Conference | Big Sky / Big West |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Director | Andrew McMahan, Christopher J. Woodruff, Len Kawamoto |
| Members | 220+ |
| Fight song | "Ride High You Mustangs" |
| Uniform | |
| Dark green wool trousers and coat with green, gold, and white trim; green & gold capes on the left shoulder; white shoes; white gloves; and white Shako hats with gold 12" feather plumes. | |
The Cal Poly Mustang Band, also known as The Pride of the Pacific, is the official marching band of California Polytechnic State University in the city of San Luis Obispo, California. Although the band is not a competitive marching band they serve as a school spirit organization. The band functions in two different forms throughout the year. In the fall the band marches as The Mustang Marching Band and during Cal Poly's winter quarter they function as a pep band. The band attends many athletic events during the year to encourage the school's athletic teams and audience support/involvement. The marching band is well-known around campus as an exciting and spirited group that brings pep, passion, and tradition to every performance. The marching band is conducted by three directors: Andrew McMahan (Director of Bands), Christopher Woodruff (Associate Director), and Len Kawamoto (Assistant Director).
Under Johnson's direction, the band gained prominence performing in the first indoor Marching Band concert, Band-O-Rama. In 1970, the band performed at professional football games, only to later perform for the L.A. Lakers in 1978. This year also represents the addition of the Brass Band, complementing the already polished, more traditional sections. Johnson is currently the coordinator of instrumental music, also conducting the university Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. Between 1993 and 1995, Johnson served as the President of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE). Preceding his presidency, he was the secretary from 1987 to 1991. Johnson was instrumental in the formation WASBE as the Executive Director for the International Conference for Conductors, Composers and Publishers, held in Manchester—an event resulting in the formation of WASBE. Unsurprisingly, Johnson served as the Conference Chairman for the 9th WASBE Conference held in San Luis Obispo, California, July 5–11, 1999. Currently he is the Chairperson of the WASBE Foundation. Johnson received his Bachelor's Degree in music from Indiana University School of Music studying the euphonium with the late William Bell, a former tuba virtuoso of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi national band fraternity and is the Sponsor of Cal Poly's Iota Pi Chapter.
A native of Modesto, California, Rackley received his bachelor of music and master of arts degrees in theory and composition from San Francisco State University, studying conducting with Lazlo Varga and composition with Luigi Zaninnelli, Roger Nixon, Peter Sacco, Carl Sitton, and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Wayne Peterson. Upon completion of his studies, Rackley entered the United States Air Force Bands and Music Program rising to commander and conductor of Air Force Bands. A published and award winning composer, Rackley has scored video and film productions for the Library of Congress, the A&E Channel, CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, and the Discovery Channel. His production music credits include Days of Our Lives, America's Most Wanted, Cheers, Nurses, Picket Fences, L.A. Law, All My Children, General Hospital, Home Improvement, Quantum Leap, and Seinfeld. He has received six Telly Awards, two Onmi Awards, a CINE Golden Eagle Award, the Gold Apple Award from the National Education Media Network, a Gold CINDY from the International Association of Audio-Visual Communicators, and a Bronze Award from the WorldFest-Charleston International Film and Video Competition.
...
Wikipedia