The band program at California State University, Long Beach has a rich and vibrant history. Shortly after the founding of the university in 1949, the band program had its meager beginnings in service of the music education students at the university, as well as entertainment for school assemblies and sporting events. It eventually became an integral part of the education of all wind students: performers, educators, and composers.

Under the leadership of esteemed directors Dr. John E. Green, H. Robert Reynolds, Larry Curtis, and John Carnahan, the ensembles that make up the band program have worked with world-renowned composers, commissioned and premiered numerous works, and have performed at national and international conferences and festivals. This information has been collected into one document to not only give an account of the program’s history, but also to validate the program’s contributions to the wind band medium as a whole.