…And the Band Marched On!

by Mary Mijares, Phonez ’17, Drum Major ’20 The 2020 season for the Cal Band was unlike any other. As an organization that is dependent on being together physically, whether it be marching during halftime shows or rehearsing music altogether, transitioning into a virtual format proved to be a challenge that required some innovation, frequent […]

Senior Spotlight #4!

Hiya bears! Welcome back to our fourth Senior Spotlight. This month we’re focusing on a current fourth year, Mika Post! What’s your major(s), year in school, what do you play?“Integrative Biology, 4th year, cymbals” What’s your favorite Cal Band Memory?“I enjoy all the times when the section casually bonds after a long day of practice […]

Senior Spotlight #3!

Welcome back to our third Senior Spotlight! This month we’re focusing on a recent grad, Joe Gordon! He discusses his awesome research position, his favorite quote, and tips about the stock market. What’s your major, year in school, what do you play?  Cognitive Science, 4th year, Net 2 Favorite Cal Band Memory? Definitely my first real conversation […]

Senior Spotlight #2!

Welcome back to our senior spotlights! Starting last month, we’ve been showing off our amazing senior members of the band that have dedicated countless hours to this organization.  Our second senior spotlight of the semester is Kathy Benson, a clarinet player and soon-to-be Cal grad in Molecular and Cell Biology! Below are some answers to […]

Senior Spotlight #1

With spring semester now in full swing, the reality of marching their very last season is now hitting our senior band members. The Cal Band would like to take the time to honor our graduating band members who have dedicated the majority of their college careers to this organization. To do this, we are introducing […]

Pete Alvarez Rap

Consider the Wizard of Oz. In the movie, the person playing the Guard at the gates of the Emerald City appears again in a different scene just moments later, this time as the Great and Powerful Oz himself.Undergraduates don’t immediately realize institutions are made of living people as much as history and granite. To me, […]

Student Spotlight: A Capella!

I’ve been a singer since day one. That isn’t to say I was a good singer that whole time — my mom likes to say that when I was a baby, my crying sounded similar to “a pterodactyl with laryngitis.” Charming, I know. After I moved past my hoarse dinosaur stage and made it to […]

Student Spotlight: Figure Skating!

In second grade, my Girl Scout troop went skating at a local ice skating rink. It was my first time stepping onto the ice, and I spent the majority of the time falling down or clinging to the wall, but was completely mesmerized by the older girls doing spins and jumps in the center of […]

Student Spotlight: Studying Abroad in Argentina!

I may or may not have cried on the plane to Buenos Aires. It was my first time leaving the United States, and I was flying alone across the world to a country where I didn’t know the language. As someone who prides herself on quick comebacks and loves recounting funny stories and correcting the […]

Student Spotlight: Studying Abroad in Ireland!

The promise of excitement and adventure drew my application for a semester abroad in Dublin, Ireland this spring. Tales of new found perspectives and geographical treasures sounded unlike anything offered at Berkeley; I was fascinated by elaborate stories of personal growth and different types of challenges people faced being away from everything familiar. While I’ve […]