History Part I
| Year | Description |
| 1980-81 | A bleak season of halftime at California State College, after the 1979 group disbanded, CSC had no band program. When school spirit hit an all-time low, President Watkins ordered that the band be restarted the next year. The school discovered how important the band was. |
| 1981-82 | Mr. Leonard Colelli, in his final year before retirement, starts up the program with a 45 piece band for half-time and parades. |
| 1982-83 | Mr. Max A. Gonano is hired as director of bands. Things started to move and this was the year that wind and jazz ensembles are added to the program. There were 78 marching band members. |
| 1983-84 | CSC becomes California University of Pennsylvania of the State System of Higher Education. Musical improvement continued at a magnificent pace with a 101 piece unit. |
| 1984-85 | New British style uniforms of the Phantom regiment design replaced our 1966 models as the band performed an electric season of half-time shows. Both the football and basketball teams won their PSAC championships and the band was hailed as a major factor. The season included two trips to Hershey and approximately 2300 miles of travel to away sporting events. |
| 1985-86 | Despite sub .500 athletic seasons all over campus, the band comes back stronger than ever and continues to excite audiences around the state. Gary N. Lee completes his brilliant 3 year career as field commander. |
| 1986-87 | Under the direction of new field commanders, the band swept through the audiences at football games and exhibitions, as well as showing school spirit with the first Band-Choir float in the Homecoming Parade. Tom Clendaniel, and Rodd Durbin were field commanders. |
| 1987-88 | Even the reconstruction of Reed Arts Center couldn't stop the University Marching band from getting bigger and better. With all new music we dazzled audiences from all over with half-time shows, exhibitions, and parades. Baltimore, Maryland will never be the same as the band conquered not only a captive audience, but also several hundred crabs at Bo Brooks. Through cold and dampening weather, the sounds of concert and jazz band rang from the steps of the capitol building in Washington DC. |
| 1988-89 | The year of the Red Menace, a new year and a new logo. We overtook the battlefield and performed for our friends in Gettysburg. The Red Menace carried through to basketball season as we were once again unwelcomed in our competitors' eyes. However the Pep Band persevered and stood behind the teams with pride. |
| 1989-90 | The band went international and did it in style! Canada will never be the same. Maple Leaf Garden was the backdrop for a beautiful concert in the park. |
History Part II
| Year | Description |
| 1990-91 | The beginning of a new decade, westward Ho! The band traveled to Canton Ohio, conquering the football hall of fame and played a steaming concert at the Quaker Oats Complex. The percussion also hosted Slippery Rock University for a night of Drumming up a storm. |
| 1991-92 | It was the ten year anniversary of Mr. Gonano's tenure of director of bands at California University. The Cal U band maintained active participation in high school band festivals as the guest college band. California's Band program extends its fall performance schedule through the Christmas season with brass and wind ensembles. The jazz, woodwind, brass ensembles, and the concert band hit the road to local high schools then on to Baltimore MD for our spring tour. As if that weren't enough road trips, the pep band went north to Springfield, Mass with Cal U's awesome basketball team for the Division II National Championship. Before going back to Cal, the band stopped in Boston to see the sights. |
| 1992-93 | This year marked the year of the "Beatles Revival" show and a full compliment to the football shows and the high school band festivals. 1992 also marked the inauguration concert for our new President Dr. Angelo Armenti, the State Board of Governors Concert, and the Jazz ensemble and Wind ensembles tours east to Philadelphia. |
| 1993-94 | This was the first year that the marching band did two themed shows, Broadway and Country Western. The Marching Band also gave a thunderous concert in the state capitol rotunda in Harrisburg. Pep band gave visiting basketball teams more than they could handle at Hamer Hall; giving the Cal basketball team a true home court advantage. Jazz and Wind ensembles toured Washington DC, and played at the nation's capitol. |
| 1994-95 | This year marked the "Motown Show". Our audiences were never the same after the thunderous "Aint No Mountain High Enough." 1994 also marks the growth of the Jazz ensemble splitting into two ensembles. The Pep band followed the basketball team all the way to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA playoffs. |
| 1995-96 | The season was highlighted by our trip to Edinboro. The California University came head to head with the athletic director from Edinboro. It was brought to our attention that the piccolo players do much more damage to the football field than the players. As the football season swindled down, the basketball season was just getting started. The pep band cheered the team all the way down to Lousville, KY for the Div II National Championship. To the band's disappointment, the colonel Sanders museum was left out of the tour of Louisville. The year ended with the Jazz Experience XIV featuring Glacomo Gates and Mike Tomaro. |
| 1996-97 | This year featured a show no one could forget, Bond, James bond. Hidden talents were discovered as band members danced away, while this marked the first year that pre game was not performed by the high school bands that so entertained our crowds. The pep band came back in full effect to cheer on the basketball team throughout the season. The year concluded with the Jazz experience XV featuring the one and only Chris Vadala. Feels so good. |
| 1997-98 | This year marked the great Train Show, also marking thge first time the university band participated in the intercollegiate marching band festival in Allentown. Everyone from the babe of the east to the happy valley musicians was there. The concert band , small ensembles, and the pep bands were their usual busy selves. The year ended with jazz experience XVI featuring trumpet virtuoso Steve Hawk. |
| 1998-99 | This year featured the Monsters of Rock Tour featuring the quintessential closer, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. For the second year in a row, the university marching band performed in the intercollegiate band festival in Allentown. Once again, a great time was had by all. The concert band , small ensembles, and the pep bands performed throughout the semester at concerts, high school assemblies and festivals. California Jazz experience featured piano star Jeff Hellmer. |
| 1999-2000 | The California University Marching Band ended the millennium with the Cal Rock Cafe. Taking the show to Allentown, high school band festivals, and to the "Hallowed" field of IUP, as with previous shows this turned out to be a real crowd pleaser. Our own university concert band started a new tradition for the spring 2000, by performing with West Liberty College, in West Virginia, via a joint performance. As always the Jazz ensembles entertained their audiences with a wide range of music from Route 66 and Rock this Town. This year was a total success, the only downfall the abolishment of Reed Arts Center. Rumors persist to this day, but the fact the drummer practiced next to our President's living room windows, may have had a reason for the change of location. |
History Part III
| Year | Description |
| 2000-01 | This season's "Party Mix" kept the crowd screaming for more! Even our own field commander couldn't keep himself from getting down on the field. The university band had a weekend of festivals in Lancaster. The Rockvale will never be the same. This was the first time in a long time the band stayed overnight anywhere. This was also the year where the Auxiliary had continued their skills in Winter Guard which performed at basketball games with the Pep band and with the concert band. This was the first year at Gallagher Music Building, and the unpacking continued as papers from years past were found and requisition forms were missing. After football season, everyone went with the small ensembles and concert band. Jazz experience XIX featured Ted Plitzecker, xylophone prodigy. |
| 2001-02 | Strange forces were at work when old members rejoined the band, and the tubas of the Apocalypse were reformed. The band featured the return of the Motown Show. Featuring the color guard in the Cal band's version of Moulin Rouge. The crowds cheered as the motown sounds were blasted into the stands, especially at the Allentown Intercollegiate band festival. The small ensembles performed at various events throughout the region, and the California Jazz experience was a fun time had by all. |
| 2002-03 | The magic show, who knows what spells will be cast this year? It is the premier of the Official California University Marching Band Web Page. Finally after years of waiting, the 21st anniversary of the Marching Band is upon us, that means we're legal!!!! |