Athletic Bands
CSU Marching Band/CSUMB (MU 204)
The Colorado State University Marching Band is the largest and most visible student organization at CSU. Housed within the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, the group maintains an annual enrollment of approximately 240 members representing every college on the CSU campus. The band, of which 85% are non-music majors, performs annually for over a million spectators including performances at all home football games, the Denver/9News Parade of Lights, the Colorado Bandmasters Association Regional/State Festivals, Denver Bronco games, and NCAA football bowl games throughout the United States. In 2013, the CSU Marching Band (CSUMB) performed at the St. Patrick’s Festival and Parade in Dublin, Ireland.
Consisting of sections of brass, woodwinds, percussion, color guard, and the Golden Poms dance team; the CSUMB strives for musical excellence coupled with an exciting and innovative visual presentation. In addition, the group serves as a spirit leader and musical ambassador for the CSU athletic community. Membership is open to all students regardless of academic major by audition. A required pre-season camp is held in August of each year. Percussionist (marching battery), color guard, and Golden Poms auditions for the ensemble take place during early late fall/summer of each academic year.
Each member selected for participation in the CSUMB (wind/percussion/color guard/Golden Poms) is eligible to receive a $500.00 scholarship during the fall semester. The scholarship is contingent upon registration (full-time university status) as well as enrollment in MU- 204 (marching band). Additional scholarships are available for continued service/participation (beyond 1st-year status).
Audition Required
Rehearses: M/W/F 4-6 p.m.
Director: Kevin Poelking
Presidential Pep Band (PPB)
The CSU Presidential Pep Band (PPB) is a select group of up to 45 players who perform for select women’s volleyball games and other special university events through the president’s office during the fall semester. Membership is open to current members of the CSU marching band. Though the schedule is published in advance, there are occasional additional performances. Members are selected by audition during pre-season camp and each member receives an additional $500.00 scholarship for service/participation.
Audition Required
Director: Kevin Poelking
CSU Basketball Pep Band (BPP)
The CSU Basketball Pep Band is an auditioned group of up to 58 players that support the men and women’s basketball teams and other special events during the late fall/spring semesters. Auditions take place in mid fall (late October) and are announced in advanced. The season schedule indicates which games are full band, otherwise the band is split into two smaller ensembles: Green Band and Gold Band. The basketball pep band consist of the following instrumentation: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, mellophone, trombone, baritone, sousaphone, guitar, electric bass, and percussion (drum set). Currently, 29 members of the basketball pep band will be selected to travel annually to both the Mountain West Basketball Tournament and any NCAA post season tournament each year. Each member of the ensemble receives a scholarship for service/participation.
Audition Required
Rehearses: M 7- 8:30 p.m. (spring only)
Director: Kevin Poelking
Videos and Photos
Events
News
Many of you may have heard the news that the Mountain West Conference and CSU have decided to not play football this year. However, the marching band will continue to perform! Instead of playing at football games, we will be having recording sessions of our music throughout the season. This newsletter will give you a quick […]
Schedules
Saturday, August 22 — Sunday, August 23, 2020: Preseason Camp (required)
The 2020 performance schedule is TBA.
2019 Performance/Sample Schedule:
Date | Event | |
---|---|---|
Thursday, August 22 | ![]() | RAM Welcome (CSU, Moby Arena) |
Friday, August 30 | ![]() | @ University of Colorado (Bronco Stadium, Denver) |
Saturday, September 7 | ![]() | Western Illinois (CSU, Canvas Stadium) |
Thursday, September 19 | ![]() | CSU Presidential Fall Address (CSU, Oval) |
Saturday, September 21 | ![]() | University of Toledo (CSU, Canvas Stadium) |
Friday, October 4 | ![]() | Homecoming Parade & Rally (Colorado State University) |
Saturday, October 5 | ![]() | San Diego State University (CSU, Canvas Stadium) |
Monday, October 14 | ![]() | CBA North Regional Exhibition Centarrus HS, Colorado |
Saturday, November 2 | ![]() | University Nevada, Las Vegas (CSU, Canvas Stadium) |
Saturday, November 16 | ![]() | Air Force (CSU, Canvas Stadium) |
Friday, November 29 | ![]() | Boise State University (CSU, Canvas Stadium) |
Thursday, December 5 | ![]() | Parade of Lights Preview (Colorado State University) |
Friday, December 6 | ![]() | 9News Parade of Lights Denver, Colorado |
Information and Forms
All members of the CSUMB are required to arrive to campus early to participate in the pre-season camp. CSUMB members who are planning to stay in university housing during the 2019-2020 academic year will move into their permanent housing on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 8 a.m. Please be advised that early housing is $60.00/day and the amount will be charged to the student’s account. Cost does include meals for each day (on campus). The total cost for early move is $300.00.
Students requesting early housing should contact Raymundo Muñoz, athletic band administrative assistant, at Raymundo.Munoz@colostate.edu to be added to the housing list. Deadline for requesting early housing is July 15, 2019.
Music
FAQ
Contact
Any interested CSU student can audition to join the Marching Band. We march the following instruments: flute/piccolo, clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, trumpet, mellophone, trombone, baritone, sousaphone, a full battery, color guard, and the renowned CSU Golden Poms dance team. To audition for a spot in the band, visit our audition information and registration page
The Marching Band rehearses Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4-6 p.m. On game days, a rehearsal at the stadium 4.5 hours before game time is necessary, and lasts about an hour. Students then eat, change into uniforms, and begin the series of performances for fans in and around Hughes Stadium.
Other special performances are planned each year. Please refer to the performance schedule. Though the fall is a busy time for marching band members, studies regularly show that students actively engaged in campus activities are significantly less likely to drop out of college, and more likely to graduate in four years. We care about your academic success and try hard to make sure all of our students are succeeding.
Band camp, or preseason rehearsals as we call them, is our opportunity to learn not only our method of marching, our pregame show, and begin on our first halftime show, but it's a chance to learn about the history of the CSU Marching Band and its traditions. Even better, it’s a chance to meet new friends and people as you transition to college life. These rehearsals are mandatory. We coordinate with Ram Welcome to ensure that our new marchers have a chance to participate as fully as possible in both activities.
We practice 4.5 hours before the game on the field at Hughes Stadium. Equipment is loaded and taken to the stadium the night before or the morning of the game. After rehearsal we get into uniform and parade around the stadium on our way to Ram Walk, the traditional walk for the football team into the stadium. We parade back into the stadium for a meal, which is provided, and a break. After our meal, we’re back in uniform, parading around the stadium, letting the tailgaters know that it’s nearly time for PREGAME! We run from the tunnel onto Sonny Lubick Field, cheering, playing school songs, and getting the crowd excited for another Rams victory. Throughout the game, we perform in the stands, taking the field once again for our halftime show. After every Rams victory, we play a short post-game show, including our famous version of “Black Betty,” that we’ve renamed “CAM the RAM!” We end our gameday together by singing the CSU Alma Mater. That’s a typical, but anything-but-average game-day for a CSUMBand member!
M,W,F practices are held at the University Center for the Arts (UCA). Some student parking is available on the streets, and the UCA is close enough to easily walk or ride your bike from campus. Carpools are usually organized by each section for game day transportation to Hughes Stadium.
All band members receive one credit for being in the marching band by registering for MU 204. Color Guard, Golden Poms, and Drumline members can elect to receive an additional credit for their sectional time by registering for MU 496I.
We understand that even though we try to schedule our rehearsals in a way that avoids most courses, there are some unavoidable scheduling conflicts. For this reason, we allow all sophomores, juniors, and seniors with an unavoidable class conflict, to miss up to 30 minutes of rehearsal each week. Because most freshman-level courses have many scheduling options, and you are still learning all of the music and drill for the first time, we require that you reserve Monday, Wednesday, Friday, from 4-6 p.m., for MU 204.
This likely isn’t a problem! Students rent all large and specialty instruments, including drumline, mellophones, trombones, baritones, and sousaphones. We also have a limited supply of other instruments – just let us know when you fill out your audition registration form.
The CSU Marching Band is grateful to our many supporters. For more information on how you can make a gift to the CSU Marching Band, visit Support the Band.

Kevin Poelking
Instructor of Music; Interim Assistant Director of Bands; Interim Assistant Director of Athletic Bands
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