On a warm, Saturday evening in Sept. 2023, then-freshman Taylor Smith took in the energy of 1,000 pairs of feet rumbling the metal bleachers of the Mustang Memorial Field student section for the 2023 Homecoming football game against UC Davis.
“It was so fun. It was a mix of being exhausting but also just so thrilling” Smith said.
This was this moment that solidified Smith’s decision to join the Mustang Band; next fall she’ll be one of its leaders. Her experience is an example of something unique about Mustang Band as students are invited to join before they even start their fall classes. In fact, the process starts now.
For Smith, as well as 200 plus members, the Mustang Band is much more than an outlet for continuing the pursuit of playing an instrument; the band becomes a family.
“It is a lot easier to make friends outside of your major and outside of your year,” Smith, a mechanical engineering student, said. “Most of my friends are engineers, but like I know a bunch of people that aren’t because of the band.”
Smith, who played flute in for her first chapter with the band, will be assuming a leadership role of drum major in the fall of 2024, demonstrating that the band offers students from all years the opportunity to be actively involved in this supportive community.
Many are not aware that the opportunity to join Mustang Band begins as early as this coming summer and is not limited to returning students — freshmen are very much encouraged to join. The only requirement is a confident proficiency with your instrument and no marching experience is required. Director of Mustang Band Dr. Nick P. Waldron echoes this inclusivity.
“We have several students every year who join us without any marching experience. And that is something we welcome. The marching band is all about sound quality, so if you can play, we can teach the marching,” Waldron said.
The first step for students who are curious about joining the band is filling out a short questionnaire located on the Mustang Band website. Freshman political science major, Brigitte Pollet, who will be joining Smith in the leadership role of drum major, encourages anyone even moderately interested to fill out the interest form.
“I filled out the interest form and then I got emails about instructions for auditioning. The audition process for me I finished in like two hours,” Pollet said of the process. “You choose, I think, two pieces from a packet and play some scales. The auditions are very low stakes because they know that for some people it’s their first audition.”
Auditions for the fall quarter of the band can be submitted anytime prior to the deadline of July 31.
For both incoming freshman and current students, adding an extracurricular activity can seem like a challenge. Combined with acclimating to a new town, new friends, and a new coursework schedule, joining the band offers students an opportunity to immediately hone their time management skills in a welcoming and fun environment.
“I’d say the fall quarter was a little bit rough because I mean that was my first college quarter ever and I was just learning how to time-manage in general. But I think it’s definitely manageable,” Smith said.
The sacrifice of a small amount of free time comes with a wealth of opportunities that are exclusive to the Mustang Band. In addition to marching at Cal Poly football, volleyball and basketball home games, there are opportunities to perform at away games which provides students a chance to meet marching band students from neighboring universities who share a common interest in the art of music.
“Our athletic rival is UC Davis. So when that football game is away, we try to go there. And then they usually come here as well,” Waldron said. “So it’s a great opportunity for our kids to see other bands right, because we’re all kind of nerds at heart a little bit so even though we go to different schools we have a lot of similar personalities in both groups.”
In addition to performing at sanctioned university athletic events, the Mustang Band annually performs at the San Luis Obispo Holiday parade as well as the San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival, which is the largest celebration of the lunar new year outside of mainland China, with crowds of over 2 million people in attendance.
“I think probably my favorite memory, as my high school never did parades, was the holiday parade just in downtown SLO. And finishing that I was like, oh my gosh, that was so much fun,” Smith said.
These events not only showcase the band’s talent but also provide members with unforgettable experiences and opportunities for personal growth. Addressing any worries about being able to fulfill the time obligations for this event, Pollet ensures that there is more than enough flexibility within the program to meet expectations.
“You only have to go to a third of the events we go to. And you can always find subs for that so if you have a time conflict you can make it work there’s a lot of opportunities to do what you need to do well,” Pollet said.
For Pollet, the camaraderie within the band has been a highlight of her university experience thus far.
“Mustang Band really helped with that because if I had questions about my classes, like I could just ask someone, you know, like and everyone there is so friendly. You feel like you have a family from the start and it’s really helpful in adjusting,” Pollet said.
The sense of community within the Mustang Band extends far beyond the confines of rehearsals and performances.
“I could not be more grateful for the friends I’ve met in Mustang Band. I know so many people and every time, like every single day I see someone from Mustang Band on campus. It’s hard to not run into someone from Mustang Band,” Pollet said.
For those considering joining this tight-knit community, Pollet has some advice.
“Come here with a good attitude and a willingness to learn and just have fun with it, you know? It’s meant to be fun. I think it’s really great to be able to continue a hobby in college, you know? Like it’s easy to forget your hobbies and your interests outside of school once you get to college, but Mustang Band’s a nice blend of social time and also learning and also an outlet for art,” Pollet said.
Students from all interest levels are encouraged to fill out the questionnaire located on the Mustang Band website. The deadline for video auditions is July 31.