Pep Band Auditions
Fall Pep Band Auditions
Spring Pep Band Auditions
Auditions for Spring Pep Band are held in late fall. Members of the Marching Band and Fall Pep Band are eligible to audition for this activity. Results of this activity are the formation of three bands that will follow a proscribed schedule of men's hockey, and men's and women's basketball games and potentially share in any post-season travel. Members who choose not to obligate themselves or who are not chosen for membership in these bands are placed in the "Husky Band" (see above) or if not selected are invited to speak with the directors about ways in which they can work to achieve a performance level that would lead to selection in the future.
Pep Band Audition Information Template
Pep Band Audition Score Sheet (Note: this template has a formula in place to add the subcategories and show a total score for each individual; be sure to indicate in "notes" column if student prefers Husky or Hockey band only)
Pep Band Information Form (to be submitted in advance of audition)
Pep Band Attendance
Attendance for each selected band and the Husky Band is kept by an attendance officer appointed in each band for every rehearsal and game. As with the UCMB, Pep Band members are expected to use the Band Conflict forms when missing rehearsals or performances. Missing a performance requires approval by a director. When missing a performance, a member is responsible for finding a substitute from another selected pep band or the Husky Band.
Pep Band Rehearsals
Fall Pep Band rehearses on Thursday nights in Music Building Room 102 for two hours during the Fall Semester.
Spring Pep Band rehearses on Tuesday nights 7:00 to 9:00 during Spring Semester. Rehearsals begin with unison warm-up. Sectionals follow with tubas and drum sets together, brass sections and woodwind sections in separate rooms, followed by full rehearsal. Students sit in the three separate bands with Husky Band members distributed throughout in an order resembling typical configuration at the games.
One or two rehearsals will be held when possible durning the Fall Semester.
Hockey Games
All UConn Men's Hockey Games are held in the XL Center in Hartford. Report time for those games is generally two hours before the scheduled start of the game.
Basketball Games
Holiday Break
The Pep Band performs throughout the Hockey and Basketball Seasons. Games are often scheduled during the Thanksgiving (Fall) Break as well as the Semester Break in December and January. Efforts are made to equalize holiday assignments between the bands. In some cases volunteer bands may be used and in some cases volunteers along with Alumni Members will be used. In all cases, students will receive a meal or per diem or parkingfor parking/transportation reimbursement.
Gampel
XL Center
Mohegan Sun
MSG in NYC
Bridgeport
Tournament Games
Men's AAC Conference Tournament Games
The Men's AAC Conference is played in sites selected each year by the AAC. Recent tournaments have been held in Tampa, FL and in Memphis, TN. One of our pep bands will be assigned at random to travel to this tournament. When the tournament is held far away, the band usually travels to this tournament the day before UConn's first game and returns with the team.
Women's AAC Conference Games
The Women's AAC Tournament has been played at the Mohegan Sun Arena so the band does not have to travel for these games, but merely take the 45 min. bus ride from Storrs to the Game. The participating band(s) is picked randomly with an effort to spread the obligation evenly among the three bands taking into consideration what other tournament games might be expected later.
NCAA Tournament Games
NCAA Tournaments Games have provided many travel opportunities over the years. They, of course, are determined by the success of the Men's and Women's Basketball Teams. The first weekend of the Women's Tournament is hosted at home locations by the top teams in the nation, for quite a few years this has meant home games for UConn, these games will be assigned based on previous travel to conference tournaments and expected travel to additional tournaments. The second weekend of the Women's tournament (Sweet Sixteen/Great Eight/Regional Championship are hosted in four regional sites around the country, for quite a few years that has meant a game in either Bridgeport, CT (which would be handled like an XL Center Game, or a Mohegan Sun game) or in Albany, NY which may be treated as an overnight or an "over and back" one-day trip depending on when the games are scheduled and on other previous or expected post game travel by the bands.) The Women's and Men's Final Fours require a longer trip with the band usually traveling with the teams both ways. This adds a day or two to the trip. The first and second weekends for the Men's Tournament when our team is participating often require a band to travel, whether it travels with the team or later by itself is determined by UConn Athletics and the NCAA. Selection of the three bands is determined randomly as much as possible with the idea of equally distributing the travel opportunity. This is not always possible because it requires predicting the future! Bands are selected by audition score and members distributed to produce equally capable musical ensembles capable of representing UConn in a superior way. Luck plays the biggest part of any student's participation in these trips.
Hockey Post-Season
The UConn Band has yet to participate in post season hockey however we anticipate hockey postseason activity in the future. At present, the NCAA limits the Frozen Four bands to 4 less players (25); we are discussing how to conform to that number when that comes along. Some more local tournaments may provide performance opportunity though these will likely be "over and back" one-day events.
Other Performances
UConn Open Houses
Some of the most important performances of our Pep Band are in the Fall and Winter UConn Open Houses. The Fall open houses hosts thousands of students interested in applying to UConn and the Spring Open House allows students who have been accepted to UConn the opportunity to visit and find out everything about UConn so they can make their decision to matriculate. Again, thousands of students and parents attend. For each open house, the day starts with a welcome and introduction with everyone in attendance in Gampel Pavillion. While waiting for the program to begin, various performing groups entertain. The UConn Pep Band gets the prime spot just before the program begins and processes the platform party to their places with the UConn Huskies Fight Song, remains on "stage" throughout the short program and closes the program with the Fight Song and another selection or two as people exit. It is great exposure for the band and we always put out our best product. These performances underscore the prominence the UConn Band Program holds on our campus.