The Pride of Arizona (PoA) is the marching band and pep band at the University of Arizona. The band was founded in 1902 as the UA ROTC Band and contained 12 members. The band is well-known for their performance at Super Bowl I and the Inaugural Parade of President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr.
History
1885: The University of Arizona is established. 1902: The UA ROTC Band is established under the direction of student B-flat clarinetist William K. Seitz. Wearing military uniforms, the band makes its first appearance at a battalion parade on Dec. 9, 1902. The band originally only had 12 members. 1904: After only 2 years, the band is dissolved due to lack of interest. 1907: The band is created as part of the Music Department. 1920: The band is offered for one credit unit, and subsequently grows to the "impressive" size of 40 men. The ROTC band is dissolved with the Arizona Band taking over its functions. 1922: The band makes its first appearance at a football game and gets 50 instruments from the Military. 1928: Joseph DeLuca is hired as the director of bands. He was known as "the world’s greatest euphonium soloist," and was a member of Sousa's band. The band is the first band from Arizona to perform on the radio. 1936: The band adopts the name "The Best Band in the West" at the Western States and Philippine Islands Music Conference in Pasadena, CA. 1945: While rebuilding after World War II, women are allowed to march in the Arizona Band for the first time. 1952: Jack Lee becomes director of bands. Lee wrote the fight song "Bear Down, Arizona." 1954: The University of Arizona hosts its first annual Band Day. The Arizona Band is the first band in the nation to incorporate moving formations and marching charts, and is considered to be one of the top five bands in the country. 1967: On January 15, the band performs at halftime for Super Bowl I at the Los Angeles Coliseum. With 62,000 spectators in attendance, and another 90 million watching on television, this is the single largest crowd the band has ever played for. 1977: The band marches in the Inaugural Parade of President James Carter in Washington, D.C. 1980: The name "Pride of Arizona" is first used and is adopted as the band's official nickname shortly thereafter. 1984: "Bear Down, Arizona" is played to wake up the astronauts on the April Space Shuttle mission. 1986: The band travels to Japan to perform in the Tokyo Bowl (Arizona v. Stanford football game). 1995: Jay C. Rees becomes director of the Pride of Arizona, adopting the slogan "The World’s First Alternative Music Marching Band." 1997: The marching and pep bands release their first studio CD recording, entitled The Pride of Arizona - The University of Arizona Marching and Pep Bands. 2001: The pep band releases their second studio CD recording, entitled Wildcats Legacy Lane - The University of Arizona Pep Band. 2002: The band celebrates its 100th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of "Bear Down, Arizona". "A Century of Pride" is the university's homecoming theme, and the year is marked with performances throughout the band program. 2004: The "Grande Dame" of the Pride of Arizona, twirling coach Shirlee Bertolini, celebrates her 50th year with the Pride of Arizona. 2006: On October 28, the band performs (in exhibition) for the Bands of America competition in the Los Angeles Coliseum. That same year, a recording of their Radiohead performance from the Wildcats' home game against University of Washington makes its way onto the popular video-sharing site YouTube. It later received an award for being the 74th most viewed video in the category of music for the year of 2006. 2008: The band releases its third album, entitled Monkey Feet. The album, recorded throughout the course of the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons, was made possible by a generous grant from the Marshall Foundation of Tucson, Arizona, and is dedicated to the memory of former band member Eric Bradley, a horn player who died after the 2006 season from brain cancer. All proceeds from the album go in memory of Eric to the University of Arizona Cancer Center. 2009: The band receives the honor of being selected by the College Band Directors National Association as one of the ten best college marching bands in the nation. 2013: The band is selected to record the Bay City Rollers' "Saturday Night" for a national commercial spot by Hyundai USA, with the additional goal of creating college football's first ever theme song. The performance was sight-read, rehearsed and recorded in a total of two hours inside Arizona Stadium on August 22. 2015: The band is again selected by the College Band Directors National Association as one of the ten best college marching bands in the nation.