The Iona College Pep Band has been a staple at basketball games since its founding in 2015. Students who participate in the band have traveled with the team to games throughout the season, including the MAAC Championships and the NCAA Tournament.

As the Pep Band gets ready for another school year, The Ionian got the chance to talk to a few of the members of the band.

“There’s nothing I love more [than] when playing at a game, the sound of the crowd all clapping for Iona,” Section Captain and trumpet Will Groeneveld said.

While the frequency of practice has varied year to year, most recently the band has been practicing once a week. The practices center on musical timing and rehearsing in sections based on the instrument type. Junior Alex Torres, a section captain and drummer in the band, believes that their hard work stems from a love of music.

“I enjoy playing music and the kids I play with have a lot of passion for it,” Torres said.

For the band, it’s all about timing. Each player has to memorize their counts and music in order for them to operate cohesively with their different instruments. The pep band practices twice a week in the Hegarty Multipurpose Room in the Hynes Athletic Center. Torres knows the value of practice.

“Practicing is needed in order to sound good,” Torres said. “You cannot sound good without practice. Even if you’re the best player in the world, you need to practice to be good.”

Many of the students who are involved are active in other clubs on campus. Torres and Groeneveld are in the Iona College Pipe Band, and other members are involved in various clubs and other activities.

There are currently 13 students in the Pep Band. Sophomore Anthony Piacquadio, a trumpet player, believes that the Pep Band needs to work together as a team in order to be successful.

“It’s necessary to work together to make the show happen,” Piacquadio said. “We play every basketball game and travel to some of the biggest ones. That’s one of the reasons I love playing.”

The band has been involved in events organized by the Athletics department in past year, like Gael Gate, a tailgating event that used to kick off Iona’s basketball season. While Gael Gate no longer exists, the Pep Band can be found performing at various games throughout this academic year.

“I think it’s important [for there to be a pep band] because a lot of other schools with good basketball teams have them,” Groeneveld said. “It’s also a very unique, fun group to be in.”

If you are interested in joining, email Torres at [email protected] or Groeneveld [email protected].