About the Band

The University of California, Davis Marching Band is the official marching band on the UC Davis campus. Known as the "Pride of the Regents of the University of California" and the "Spirit of the Davis Campus," the UC Davis Marching Band performs at a number of events throughout the year. The band currently boasts a membership of over 175 students and marches using the traditional high-step form. Our instrumentation includes piccolos, flutes, clarinets, alto saxophones, tenor saxophones, baritone saxophones, trumpets, mellophones, trombones, baritones, sousaphones, snare drums, tenor drums (quads), bass drums, cymbals, and glockenspiels. We do not march a color guard or front-line ensemble.

Known as the Pride of the Regents of the University of California and the Spirit of the Davis Campus.

The Aggie Band is a show-style band, presenting a traditional pregame and halftime show for each home football game. We also perform at men’s and women’s basketball games, additional athletic events, events on campus, as well as events out in the community. Major performances include the annual UC Davis Picnic Day Parade and Battle of the Bands, as well as the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade.

Rehearsal Schedule:

The Aggie Band rehearses at different times throughout the academic year depending on what type of performance we are preparing for. We hold our weekly indoor music rehearsal on Monday evenings from 7:10pm - 9:00pm in the ARC Ballroom, which we call MNR (Monday Night Rehearsal). Additional rehearsals are only required if you are participating in the performance we are preparing for (i.e. upcoming football game).

During football season, we rehearse on Wednesdays (6:30pm - 8:00pm) and Fridays (6:30pm - 8:30pm) at UC Davis Health Stadium to prepare for upcoming halftime shows. We also hold a mandatory final rehearsal on game days (Saturday) from 7:00am - 9:00am.

We occasionally have one or two parades during Winter quarter, which may require additional rehearsals in the weeks leading up to the performance. These rehearsals often take place on Wednesday and Friday evenings (6:10pm - 8:00pm).

Picnic Day season takes place at the start of Spring quarter in the weeks leading up to Picnic Day (UC Davis open house event). We prepare an entire show to kick-off the parade. In addition to MNR, we rehearse on Wednesday (4:10pm - 6:00pm), Friday (4:10pm - 6:00pm), and Saturdays (9:00am - 1:00pm).

Band History

Founding
In August 1929, the University of California sent J. Price Gittinger to the University Farm in Davis, CA to establish a music program. His first accomplishment was the formation of a pep band to play for campus football games. This laid the foundation for what would become the California Aggie Marching Band.

The Band remained an in-the-stands pep band until 1938 when J.R. "Doc" King, a Pomology professor, taught them how to march. The Band was known for being led by a Drum Majorette rather than a Drum Major from 1939-1943. Then World War II suspended Band activities while the U.S. Army Signal Corps took over the campus. After the war, Drs. Gittinger and King reformed the Band as school started up again. The first year back, 1946, the Band was led by Drum Majorette Evelyne Rower. In the 1950s, the Band became student run. The positions of Student Director, Drum Major, Librarian and Stunts Committee Chair were elected from the Band by its members.

1960's–Early 2000's
Consistent with the national trend at the time, UCD's student body voted in 1961 to make the Cal Aggie Marching Band an all-male band. The Band would not be coed again until 1972. The Band's alter ego was formed in 1963. Known as the Mav'rik Band, this looser version of the Band played at basketball games and
many other informal events.

The University’s transition to division one status caused adjustments in the way the band operated that continue to this day. Between 2003/4 and 2006/7 school years, as the football team competed against increasingly tougher opponents, the band found itself traveling longer distances to maintain the tradition of attending each away game. In 2006, the Band traveled over 13,000 total miles to support the UC Davis football team alone. In 2009, the general financial strain dictated that the Band miss its first game in decades.

Present Day
In September 2019, the Band transitioned from a student-run organization to a university-directed organization. The new organization is now known as the UC Davis Marching Band. This led to a wide range of changes for the Band, including the adoption of a new mission, vision, and set of values. With this transition, there has been a renewed focus on musical excellence, student well-being, and positive community-building.

Band Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission Statement

The band is a volunteer organization that exists to serve, promote and represent the UC Davis community by striving for excellence in musical performance. Our mission is to cultivate a welcoming space for student well-being, growth and development while embracing diversity and individuality.

Vision Statement

We are committed to providing an inclusive environment to support UC Davis and its community through entertainment and the embodiment of Aggie Pride.

UCDMB Values

Welcoming
Integrity
Passion
Individuality
Spirit
Voluntary
Unique
Student Centric
Musicality
Responsibility

Diversity & Land Acknowledgement

UC Davis Land Acknowledgement

UCDMB Diversity Statement

The University of California, Davis Marching Band (UCDMB) actively works to increasingly foster diversity, equity and inclusion in its organization in alignment with the University of California Diversity Statement and the University of California, Davis Principles of Community. The UCDMB is committed to sharing its love of playing music with all, as it continues to be the spirit of the UC Davis campus. In order to fulfill this commitment, it must create a welcoming environment for people of any race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, ability/disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, and geographic region, or other aspect of personal identity.

The UCDMB on behalf of itself, previous iterations of its organization, and the greater communities to which it belongs acknowledges the injustices it has knowingly and unknowingly participated in or perpetuated and accepts responsibility to influence change within itself and the communities to which it belongs in order to better serve people of all backgrounds.

In order to achieve these goals, the UCDMB is committed to the following: (1) removing barriers to participation (e.g. physical, financial, or social) (2) actively engaging with the work/media of creators with diverse identities (3) providing resources and training for our members to foster an environment of allyship, growth, and expression. (4) paying homage to the Indigenous people and land on which the Davis campus is located.

This diversity statement was created by a committee of UC Davis Marching Band students and staff and submitted for review and feedback to the band’s membership. The UCDMB is committed to reviewing and revising this statement annually to ensure its pledge continues to meet the evolving needs of its members and the greater communities to which it belongs.

DEI Committee

The UCDMB Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee works to foster a welcoming and inclusive community for all UCDMB members. This committee of students and staff meets throughout the quarter to consider, recommend, and coordinate approaches that improve our organization. Band members who are interested in making the UCDMB a more inclusive place are encouraged to join the DEI committee.

Band Leadership

UC Davis Marching Band Staff

Director: Dr. Garrett Rigsby

Phone: 530-752-9239

Email: garigsby@ucdavis.edu

Assistant Director: Matthew Okumoto

Phone: 530-754-2253

Email: mokumoto@ucdavis.edu

Drumline Instructor: Rudy Garcia

Email: rudgarcia@ucdavis.edu

UC Davis Marching Band Student Staff

Student Manager: Daniel Husher

Student Director: Christian Cuevillas

Drum Major: Talia Conn

History and Publicity Managers: Finnegan Jarrell & Minnie Traslavina

Instrument Manager: Danny Bui

Uniform Manager: Garret Roth

Librarian: Mateo Rocha

Stunts Coordinator: Miles Bardin & Meadow Grant

*IT = in training during football season

UC Davis Marching Band Section Leaders

Flutes: Ellie Chen & Yvette Martinez

Clarinets: Erica Cheung & Lila Higley

Alto Saxophones: Kasey Baysa & Sophia Wright

Tenor Saxophones: Sam Feigelman & Chinmay Arora

Baritax: Nathan Wang & Rhea Dignadice

Trumpets: Ethan Negus & Justine Kadota

Mellophones: Geromi Moran & Finn Lee

Trombones: Logan Oscarson & Minnie Traslavina

Sousaphones: Joey Lieberman & Kayla Fernandes

Drums: David Elgourt & Michelle Fan