The Pride of Arizona marching band to mark its 100th anniversary at Homecoming halftime

Giving up the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a week, the Pride of Arizona marching band will instead join forces with hundreds of its alumni to serenade the crowd with a homecoming show tomorrow at halftime of the UCLA game.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of "Bear Down Arizona," the marching band will perform the namesake for this year's Homecoming at halftime. "A Century of Pride" is the name of Homecoming this year.

"This week, instead of doing the (Red Hot Chili Peppers) show we have worked on all year, we are switching gears to play a homecoming halftime," said Michelle Fernandez, who plays the horns. "The drill and music are not as difficult, however, since homecoming is this year dedicated towards the Pride of Arizona. This week is just as important as the RHCP show."

There will be "easily more than 250 alumni," while usually there are 50 to 75 alumni for Homecoming, said Andrew Barcellos, Alumni Band Board President, who played the sousaphone.

Rees had estimated the number could reach 500.

"It is cool that the band is being recognized," said second-generation band member Greg Miller '97, who played the trumpet. "It is important that the university is honoring the 50th anniversary."

The first UA band was formed as a military unit in 1902 to play for weekly ROTC inspections.

Joe Gibbs, who plays the trombone, said that this weekend there will be more stand tunes that the returning alumni will know.

"We are putting more effort into the music and the pregame," he said.

Football fans should expect to see a halftime show unlike what they are used to, Fernandez said.

"We're going to have an amazing amount of alumni on the field with us this halftime," Fernandez said.

Jack Lee, the marching band director for the longest tenure, wrote "Bear Down Arizona" after seeing those words on Bear Down Gym from his plane. In 1926 when John "Button" Salmon died from injuries he sustained in a car accident, his last words to football coach John "Pop" McKale were "Tell them · tell the team to bear down."

"Its going to be really emotional for a lot of people, I hope that translates out to the fans," Fernandez said.