For some, the end of the school year means it’s time to prepare for final exams and start planning summer vacations. But for high school and college band directors, the end of the school year means it’s time to start finding music for the fall sports season.
You may already have your marching band music picked, but the field show is not the only thing you need to prepare for. Football starts before the leaves start to turn and basketball is not far behind, so there is no time to waste in choosing stand music for your pep band.
That can be a little easier said than done. There is a wide selection of stands music on the J.W. Pepper website, so how do you pick which pieces your band should play? As always, it is our mission to help you find the music you need, so we have pulled together some suggestions for finding the perfect pep band songs.
It has been only a few weeks since the NCAA Basketball Championship finals, which showcased the skilled pep bands of the two competing schools – Gonzaga University and the University of North Carolina. If you watched the game, you heard these bands play during timeouts and at the half. Pepper got in touch with both bands to find out which pep tunes they played most.
The Gonzaga Bulldog Band is an all-volunteer ensemble that plays for men’s and women’s basketball games. Their main focus is supporting the teams, but you can’t do that without having a ton of fun in the process. So what are their favorite tunes? Here’s a list of the ’Zag’s top five:
- Shout
- All I Do Is Win
- Kashmir
- Every Time We Touch
- The Frozen Medley
The UNC Tar Heels have two separate basketball bands, the Blue Band and White Band, each with about 230 members. Students can elect to be in one band or both bands, and each band plays at eight home games a year, as well as a few games at neutral sites. Of course, the NCAA tournament requires smaller bands, which are formed from these two larger groups. Here are the Tar Heels’ favorite pieces:
- Sweet Caroline
- Take On Me
- 24K Magic
- She’s Out of Her Mind
- Everybody’s Everything
Of course, the favorite tunes of big-time college programs may not be right for your pep band. If you’re looking for other popular songs, check out Pepper’s list of best-selling pep band music. And if you want something fresh, browse the newest releases on our site, too!
Pep band season is coming quickly, so don’t wait too long to pick out your selections. You may not make national TV, but you can still put on an amazing show for the student section!
