About the UH Bands Program
Marching Band
Central to the pride and pageantry so uniquely associated with college football, since 1923 the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior Marching Band has played a pivotal role in UH athletic events and campus life. The only university marching band in the state of Hawaii, the UH Marching Band is comprised of over 250 students representing nearly every major on campus. One of the most visible ensembles in the Department of Music and the largest student organization on campus, the UH Marching Band presents pre-game and half-time shows at all UH home football games at Aloha Stadium.
Through rehearsals, student camaraderie, and the excitement of marching in front of thousands of cheering fans, the students of the Rainbow Warrior Marching Band share rich experiences that create social as well as musical bonds that last a lifetime.
The UH Rainbow Warrior Marching Band has been seen and heard on national television supporting the UH Warrior Football team. The band has also played for sell-out crowds in the 50,000 seat Aloha Stadium, our home football venue. Other appearances include the 1989 Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, the 1992 Holiday Bowl in San Diego, the 1999 Oahu Bowl, and the 2002 and 2003 Hawaii Bowls in Honolulu.
Concert Bands
The core of the University of Hawai'i band program is its outstanding concert bands. The Wind Ensemble, conducted by Director of Bands Grant Okamura, is made up of the best instrumental musicians on campus. This internationally recognized ensemble has twice hosted the prestigious American Bandmaster Association Conference. Most recently the Band has performed for the 2004 College Band Directors National Association Conference in Reno, Nevada. Other past performances include the 2001 American Bandmasters Association Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada and the 1996 College Band Directors National Association Conference in Reno, Nevada.
The Symphonic Band, conducted by Associate Director of Bands Brandt Payne, and Concert Band, conducted by Assistant Director Gwen Nakamura, perform in the spring semester. All the University Bands are open to every student on campus.
Pep Bands
The University of Hawaii Pep Bands are comprised of students enrolled in the UH Marching Band. The pep bands perform throughout the year at all women's volleyball games, men's and women's basketball games, campus events, and pep rallies. Each spring, members of the UH pep band also travel to the WAC Conference Basketball Tournament.
The University of Hawaii at Manoa
Located in Manoa Valley on the island of Oahu, our university was founded in 1907 under the auspices of the Morrill Act as a land-grant college of agriculture and mechanic arts. With the addition of a College of Arts and Sciences in 1920, the college became the University of Hawaii, and in 1972, it became the University of Hawaii at Manoa to distinguish it from the other units in the growing UH system.
Today more than 20,400 students are enrolled in Manoa courses, on campus or via distance delivery. Classified as a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University-Extensive institution, Manoa offers 87 bachelor's degrees, 87 master's degrees, and 53 doctorates. We also offer first professional degrees in law, medicine, and architecture. Approximately 65 percent of Manoa students are undergraduates, 57 percent are of Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry, and 56 percent are women.
