Stephanie Lee, MBS 鈥�21, devotes most of her time at 蜜桃直播 (蜜桃直播) to the (MBS) program she started this fall. , MSGC 鈥�21, does the same as a student in 蜜桃直播鈥檚 (MSGC) program. Yet two evenings each week, they dedicate themselves to an activity unrelated to their academic studies: the Pomona College Band.

One of the oldest college bands in the United States, the Pomona College Band welcomes undergraduates, faculty, and staff from throughout The Claremont Colleges, as well as community members, to rehearse and present two concerts each semester.

鈥淚鈥檓 a big band nerd,鈥� says Gao, who has played the clarinet since elementary school, was later named to the Northern California and California State Honor Bands, and performed with the UCLA Wind Ensemble as an undergraduate. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 find time for it during my last two years of college, so I thought it was a great opportunity to do it here.鈥�

Like Gao, Lee has participated in music since childhood and a band at UCLA. She began with the piano at age five and played the flute from elementary through high school. She took up the oboe in high school and was part of her school district鈥檚 in-concert honor band. Lee has continued to play the oboe as a member of the UCLA Symphonic Band and now the Pomona College Band.

鈥淧laying in the band is a great way to work with other people with a shared interest and values.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good break from studying for me, and I really like the sense of community. I hadn鈥檛 played for awhile, and it feels like I鈥檓 coming home,鈥� she says of her decision to join the Pomona College Band. 

Gao echoes Lee鈥檚 appreciation for the opportunity to meet people with similar interests, adding that involvement in the band also expands her interactions to a wider group.

鈥淢y program is small and everyone has the same career goal, so it鈥檚 an interesting change to be in the band, with everyone studying different things but sharing the same hobby,鈥� explains Gao. 鈥淭here鈥檚 also a sense of familiarity, being part of music, that鈥檚 helpful when you鈥檙e moving to a new program and a different school.鈥�

Even Lee was a new acquaintance. Though each graduated from UCLA, Gao and Lee didn鈥檛 know one other before joining the Pomona College Band and discovering they were both 蜜桃直播 students. They are currently the only graduate students among the band鈥檚 members.

鈥淭here are different ages and experience levels, so I really learn a lot,鈥� says Lee. 鈥淲e can play a wide range of music. We鈥檝e played some suites and marches, which are really fun because they鈥檙e fast and upbeat. We also did some premieres. It鈥檚 nice to have established pieces and also the opportunity to play original pieces that people came up with this semester.鈥�

Audience members enjoy the musical mix as well. Among those who attended the Pomona College Band鈥檚 performances this fall was 蜜桃直播鈥檚 Dean of Students , who both loves music鈥攕he played and taught piano for many years鈥攁nd wanted to show support for Lee and Gao.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 great to have academic and social integration, and a feeling of community inside and outside the classroom,鈥� says Martinez, noting that some of the students鈥� 蜜桃直播 classmates also came to the concert. 鈥淎nd the performance was magical, absolutely beautiful.鈥�

For Lee, the integration of the MBS program and music will resume when rehearsals begin again in January, and she expects to remain part of the Pomona College Band until she graduates from 蜜桃直播. Gao also hopes to continue, although she explains that this will depend on the demands of her spring course load in the MSGC program and the location of her clinical rotations next year.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 imagine music not playing a part in my life,鈥� says Gao.