A Pep in Their Step

The return of the Pep Band was made possible thanks to a generous gift from Monica Bertino Wooden '81. (Photo by Bella Bastos '26)

The next week, they got an even bigger workout, as the Bombers rewrote the record books in a 76-7 victory over Hilbert College.

In this story, performers, players, and fans share their memories of the sounds of fall Saturdays at South Hill Field (as the stadium was known then) and reflect on the impact of the band on their time at IC.

The exact origin story of the IC Pep Band is somewhat hazy, even to those who were involved in its creation. But one common thread is that then-President James Whalen's support of the idea was instrumental in the band's launch.

"Sometime in the early to mid 80s, a handful of music students asked to make an appointment with President Whalen to discuss the formation of the band," said Bonnie Gordon, who served as Whalen's executive assistant. "They believed there was enthusiasm among the musicians, and they thought it would be great for school spirit and an opportunity to show the public the talent of the students."

"Jim, who adored the School of Music, could see that they were really committed, and decided to make a bet on them," she added. "It's a great example of what happens when institutional approach and student initiative come together."

Now official and armed with a small budget, the cohort, with Gordon's help, worked to recruit members.

"We were all friends in the music school, but being in different classes and ensembles, we didn't always get to play together. This was a chance for us to perform together and have some fun."

The original Pep Band was largely comprised of members of the IC's chapters of the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha and its sister organization Sigma Alpha Iota (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dunitz '88)

Natalie Walters came to Ithaca in the Fall of 1986. One afternoon, she made the trek down from her dorm room in Terrace 3 with her roommates to see a football game. But the action on the field wasn't what caught her attention.

"Sitting in the stands, it was amazing to watch the crowd get electrified by this group of musicians who were showing how fun it was to be part of the gameday atmosphere," said Walters, who played the trumpet. "When I went to class on Monday, I learned that three of the players in my studio were in the band, and they invited me to be a part of it."

As the band grew, and the natural talents of the members shone brightly, the group began to add to their musical playbook. The band got some material from a book of college fight songs and marches, and there were other times, Walters recounted, where "someone would hear something being played on TV, write it down, and present it at that week's rehearsal."

Eventually, some musical themes began to emerge, and, like an offensive coordinator scripting his plays, certain songs were played at specific times. (See the breakout box "Behind the Music" for the backstory behind the pep band's greatest hits)

"I remember feeling like we'd become this group that the football boosters and the campus respected. We were viewed as an integral part of the football season."

Jonathan Dunitz '88 served as the band's conductor in its infancy. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dunitz '88)

There's an outdated stereotype-aided perhaps from movies of that era-that college bands and athletic departments are eternally at odds. That wasn't the case at IC.

"At any level, when you're a football player and you hear a pep band playing, it fires you up," said Nick Ismailoff '92, who won a pair of Stagg Bowls at Ithaca in 1988 and as a senior in 1991, when he was the team's leading receiver. "You don't always hear the crowd, but something about hearing music is so visceral. At Butterfield, the players on the sidelines would talk about who wanted to score the touchdown that was going to get the band going."

"The Pep Band was part of the experience of being at a Bombers football game," added Welch.

Band members similarly recalled feeling deeply connected to the football program.

"I remember going to a road game at the University of Dayton in 1987," Dunitz said. "Being in Ohio, it was an overnight trip, and I remember feeling like we'd become this group that the football boosters and the campus respected. We were viewed as an integral part of the football season."

"[The original Pep Band was] a great example of what happens when institutional approach and student initiative come together."

The Pep Band became so integral to the Ithaca football experience, it accompanied the team on the road, even to the 1985 Stagg Bowl. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dunitz '88)

Now, close to two decades after their notes last played at Butterfield Stadium, and thanks to a generous gift by alumna Monica Bertino Wooden '81-whose brother John '81, played for the Bombers' 1979 Stagg Bowl winning team -the Ithaca College Pep Band is primed for its return.

Associate professor Ben Rochford serves as director of the band, which is open to students across the campus regardless of their major.

And the former members couldn't be happier that the tradition is being revived.

"I'm so glad it's back," Walters said. "It's something that makes the Ithaca experience shimmer, and the football games shimmer."

"The fact that they're bringing the band back is wonderful," Dunitz said. "I loved the fact that I could be part of it, and that other students will now get that opportunity."

"When you hear the band playing, that's when you know it's football time."

Like any perfect 1980s mixtape, the Ithaca College pep band always had the right song queued up at the right moment for the Bombers' football team during Head Coach Jim Butterfield's heyday. Here's just a few of the songs that comprised the soundtrack to Ithaca College football games of that era.

The theme from the movie "Jaws": The opening two notes of John Williams' iconic theme are enough to strike fear in the hearts of swimmers everywhere. At Bomber games, those notes began as Ithaca lined up to kick the ball off, gradually increasing in tempo and volume as the players began running towards the line of scrimmage, and reaching a crescendo when ball was struck.

"Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival: Jim Butterfield guided some high-scoring teams during his time on South Hill. And so, this song, played after the offense rang up a big play resulting in a first down, became a staple of Saturday afternoons.

"Ithaca Forever" originally composed by Philip J. Lang, '33: Though it seems axiomatic that the college's alma mater would be played at a football game, before it got introduced, DePaolo recalled it being a source of consternation.

"We were worried that President Whalen wouldn't like how it was arranged," he recalled, laughing.

The worry was ultimately unfounded, as Whalen approved of the way it was performed. And so, win or lose - usually a win - when the game clock struck zero, the alma mater would ring out, feting the Bombers. The song was also a musical lead up to the band's iconic finale.

"Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles: In talking to former band members and coaches, no song is as linked to the Ithaca College pep band - and Ithaca College football in the 1980s and 1990s - than Charles' legendary hit, which was played after the alma mater.

"I heard it played at Butterfield Stadium so many times that, along with "New York, New York" at the end of Yankees' home games, it's one of only two songs I associate with a specific stadium," said former assistant and head coach Mike Welch '73. "And the reason for that is because Jim Whalen absolutely loved that song."

"The band would not leave the stadium until President Whalen came over to them and they got to play it with him sitting there, listening," added former assistant coach Tim Faulkner.

Walters recalled that playing the trumpet solo of the president's favorite song was a rite of passage among band members.

"If you got asked to play it, it was a baptism of sorts," said Walters, who remembered earning the honor herself before one game. "It meant that you had been recognized by your peers and trusted to perform it well. I still run into Cortland graduates from that era, and when they find out I was in the band, they'll tell me they remember hearing that song."

More information about the Ithaca College Pep Band, including a performance schedule, can be found here

You can purchase tickets for the 2026 Cortaca Jug presented by Visions Federal Credit Union at Yankee Stadium here.