Shortly before the UCLA football team enters the field, the UCLA Bruin Marching Band welcomes the crowd.

Composed of more than 200 members, the Bruin Band performs at football games – both at home and away – with a smaller pep band at men’s and women’s basketball games and other Olympic sports games. The ensemble puts on pregame, halftime and postgame shows, during which members dressed in blue-and-gold uniforms march across the football field and play their instruments under the direction of drum majors dressed in white.

During performances, the band arranges itself into various formations on the field – including one that spells “UCLA” – alongside color guards performing flag tricks and dancers displaying choreography.

Drum major Ria Iyer said the band’s pregame preparations also include rehearsals, a performance at the chancellor’s tent – during which a small group from the band plays for the chancellor and other guests – and a parade block to march into the stadium. She added that once the band arranges into the parade block, each section has its own mini warmup before entering the stadium.

“Each section plays a little song that they prepared for just that little point when we get into a big block to parade into the Rose Bowl,” said Iyer, a second-year physiological science student. “So we play our little hype at that point, and then we start marching in.”

Some of the halftime shows that the band puts on are themed on a musician with the band playing a medley of their songs, Iyer said. One of her favorite shows had a Beyoncé theme and included a dance break where she got to dance on the podium, she added.

“Everyone involved has a good time,” Iyer said.

Maxine Knystautas, a rank leader in the trumpet section, said she creates visuals for the band – where each section has its own choreography – including one where the trumpet players had a dance break with the tuba players while drums played in the background to “Juice” by Lizzo.

The marching band also collaborates with other groups at UCLA, said Knystautas, a fourth-year chemical engineering student. One of her favorite shows was performed in collaboration with Koreos, a K-pop dance group, and themed around BTS.

Iyer also said band members consistently show commitment to the ensemble, especially when working with other groups. While rehearsing with the Elegant Bruinettes and learning challenging choreography with coach Kayla Marie Jackson, Iyer said the members supported each other to step out of their comfort zones and learned to enjoy the dance breaks.

“It was a pretty different thing for us that everybody took in such stride,” Iyer said.

In addition to performing at athletic events, the ensemble was featured on stages of various TV shows – including an episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that aired April 26, 2019 – and participated in international band festivals, including those in East Asia, according to the UCLA Band website.

Knystautas said she loves traveling with the marching band, adding that she especially enjoyed an all-expenses trip to Taiwan.

Former President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan invited the UCLA Band to perform during its National Day Parade on Sept. 10, 2023, making it the only marching band from the United States invited to perform, she said.

“I really think that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Knystautas said. “I’m definitely lucky to have been here while it happened.”

Throughout the school year, the band rehearses weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on the Intramural Field – with each rehearsal spanning two hours, Iyer said.

Because those in the marching band tend to allocate at least six hours per week to rehearsals – in addition to half of the weekend for football games – the team also learns how to manage their time well, said Noah Arst, a horn section leader.

“The amount of work that it takes to get those formations on the field, the amount of rehearsal hours and the amount of time dedicated to it – I think just more people could know,” said Arst, a third-year music education and French horn performance student. “There’s a lot of work that goes into putting something on the field like that.”

The band camp takes place during the hottest time of the season, Arst said. He added that he finds comfort in everyone working through the summer heat together as a team.

Throughout much work and preparation, the best part of performing in the band is the friendships made with fellow band members, said Emma Crawford, another drum major. She added that given that some members are not music students, she enjoys working with people from different disciplines to prepare for the performances.

“All are not music majors, so different people that I’m interacting with on a day-to-day basis, but we’re all doing our best to make performances the best they can be,” said Crawford, a third-year music education student. “It’s one of the best things about marching band.”

For Iyer, she said the marching band allowed her to find friends with whom she shared a passion and interest for the organization. She added that it became a place she had a “family” on campus.

“We have different family circles throughout the band, but at the end of the day, we’re all one huge unit,” Iyer said. “You’re a part of something bigger than just yourself and working toward such a big goal.”