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About the UC Bearcat Bands
The UC Bearcat Bands make up the university's athletic band program and are distinct from the College
Conservatory of Music. The UC Band serves as both an academic class and a student group as
its own department within the Division of Student Life.
People often wonder why the organization is named The Bearcat Bands instead of The Bearcat Band. As of 1955
the name has been represented in the plural to better reflect the many facets of the organization. The main
body of the Bearcat Bands performs three primary overlapping functions as each year progresses:
marching band,
pep band, and concert band. In addition to these, many members of the organization participate in smaller
satellite groups such as jazz band, winter drumline, winter guard, and a number of smaller ensembles. Finally,
organizations such as the Summer Alumni/Community Band and the UC Band Alumni Association fall under the umbrella of the
Bearcat Bands.
Marching Band
The UC Marching Band is the most visible of our bands and performs at all home and select away football games as
well as any bowl games in which the team may compete. In addition to football games the Marching Band also performs for
events such as UC Convocation, marching competitions, and various gigs in Cincinnati.
Marching season usually begins during the last full week in August in preparation for the first football game, which
occurs shortly thereafter. The Marching Band is in full scale operation from the beginning of September until the last football
game of the year (including a potential bowl game), although the performance schedule is much more intense near the beginning
of the season.
Participants in Marching Band are largely undergraduate students at the University of Cincinnati from a wide variety of academic fields.
The average number of participants each season is between 175 and 200 members who have the option of playing a woodwind, brass, or
percussion instrument as well as twirling a flag, rifle, or baton.
Pep Band
The UC Pep Band is the most versatile band within the Bearcat Bands. It performs for all home men's and women's basketball games as well
as any Big East Conference or NCAA tournament games. In addition to basketball games the members of the Pep Band are often called upon to
perform at various gigs for the university and other organizations in the Cincinnati area.
Pep band season officially begins in the first part of November and coincides with the end of marching band season. It
continues through the holiday break and into the beginning of March with the end of basketball tournaments. There is no definite beginning or
ending to the pep band season due to the many unplanned events for which this group performs.
Members of the Pep Band are essentially the same as the members of the Marching Band. Participation in Marching Band and Concert
Band is required for participation in Pep Band. Due to the large number of performances required of the Pep Band each year, responsibility
for each performance is split up several ways among its members.
Concert Band
The UC Concert Band is the least known group in the Bearcat Bands. Annual performances of the Concert Band
include the Memorial Day Ceremony in Eden Park and an end-of-year concert usually held in the first week of
June at CCM. Occasionally members of the Concert Band participate in the performances of other area ensembles.
Concert band season begins the first week of classes following winter break and continues through the end-of-year
concert held during the first week of June. Overlapping with the last half of pep band season, Concert Band
rehearses one evening per week playing various classical and contemporary tunes as well as marches.
The members of Concert Band are largely the same members from Marching Band and Pep Band. On
certain occasions older members of the university participate in Concert Band but may no longer have the interest
or ability to participate in the more physically demanding aspects of Marching Band and/or Pep Band. The
composition of the one or more concert bands each year depends on the number of participants and the available
instrumentation.
Other Ensembles
In an attempt to offer opportunities in all areas of musical interest the Bearcat Bands also includes groups such as jazz band,
percussion ensemble, winter guard, and winter drumline along with various brass and woodwind ensembles.
These groups begin to rehearse during the first week after winter break and continue through the end-of-year
Concert Band performance. Membership in these additional ensembles is completely voluntary and the shape they
take each year is based almost purely on demand and instrumentation. The price for being involved in these
voluntary groups is full participation in Marching Band, Pep Band, and Concert Band.
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