Meet the Leadership Team!
Officer Corps
Syni Solanki
Director
Bio is WIP
Gio Muncal
Manager
Gio will be our manager for the 2026-27 year! From Chula Vista, CA, Gio is currently majoring in Political Science with a minor in Theatre in Marshall College. He plays alto sax and he calls Misery Business his favorite pep song. Gio’s favorite pieces of media would be Into the Spiderverse and the play ‘Angels in America’. His favorite PepBand memory would be travelling with the basketball teams to March Madness two years in a row, visiting both Denver and Fort Worth. Over the summer, Gio expanded his list of San Diego libraries that he’s visited/studied in, and would love to remind everyone to stay peppy!
David Soto
Assistant Manager
David will be serving as one of the Assistant Managers this year! He is a Computer Engineering major in Warren College and plays all of the saxophones. From Baldwin Park, CA, David’s favorite pep song is The Pretender and his favorite band is Avenged Sevenhold. Over the summer he worked on personal projects and his favorite memory while being in the band has been getting to go on fun trips every year!
Max Chapman
Assistant Manager
Max will be serving as both a rhythm section leader and Assistant Manager for the 2026-27 academic year! From Palmdale, CA, he is a Business Economics major in Eighth College and plays the drums. His favorite pep song is Can You Dig It? and his favorite show is Breaking Band. His favorite memory is going to Davis for the first time his freshman year, and over the summer he worked in a financial advising internship as well as camped in Sequoia!
Arthur Huang
Media Manager
Arthur is serving as both one of the low brass section leaders and the Media Manager for 2026-27! He is a Human Biology major in Seventh College and plays tuba AND clarinet. Arthur is from Seattle, WA, and his favorite pep song is Uma Thurman. His favorite piece of media is Babel by RF Kuang and his best PepBand memory is having gone to Davis and listening to other tubas. This past summer he went to Mexico and Yosemite for the first time!
Aditya Khare
Treasurer
Aditya will be serving the role of Treasurer this year! From Livermore, CA, Aditya is majoring in Biochemistry in Sixth College. He plays baritone saxophone in the PepBand and his favorite pep song is Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. His favorite book is Dracula by Bram Stroker and his favorite PepBand memory is hanging out with friends after gigs. This past summer he “chudded around”, took a summer class, and worked in a lab!
Lydia Chin
Secretary
Lydia will be serving as both our Secretary and a flute section leader for the 2026-27 academic year! She is majoring in Data Science in Sixth College and is from Seattle, WA. Her favorite pep song is Bring Spring Morning and enjoys The Great British Baking Show. Lydia’s favorite PepBand memory is hanging out with pep friends after gigs and over the summer she completed two internships and visited Greece!
Jimmy Trujilo
Historian
Jimmy will be one of our historians for the 2026-27 academic year! From Imperial, CA, he is in Revelle College majoring in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution and plays the drums in the PepBand. Jimmy’s favorite pep song is Malagueña and says that his favorite PepBand memory is “the whole free day we had in Fort Worth, Texas to explore the sights, see the pickle store, and visit a Buc-ee's”. His favorite piece of media at the moment is Pokémon and over the summer he had his wisdom teeth removed and went to a family reunion.
Jessica Hang
Historian
Jessica is one of our historians for the year! She is a Biochemistry major in Muir College and plays the trumpet. Her favorite piece of pep music would be Smooth and her favorite musical is Anastasia. Over the summer, Jessica took a summer class (but mostly bed rotted) and calls “terrorizing high brass during rehearsals” her favorite PepBand memory!
Isabel Taylor
Conductor
Isabel will be one of our conductors this upcoming year! She is majoring in History with a minor in Sociology in Muir College and plays clarinet in the band. Isabel is originally from Montebello, CA and her favorite pep song is The Receiving End of it All. Her favorite TV show is Gilmore Girls and her favorite memory while being in the PepBand would be winning the Big West championship games for both basketball teams in the same year. Over the summer she hung out with her friends!
Samuel Martin
Conductor
Sam will be one of our conductors for 2026-27! From Indio, CA, Sam is a Speculative Design Major in Sixth College and plays mellophone with the PepBand. His favorite pep song is Can You Dig It? and his favorite movie is Pacific Rim. Sam’s favorite memory while with the band would be post-game/rehearsal hangouts either at TapEx or at various spots around or off campus, and over the summer he went to a few concerts + tried pickleball for the first time. He is excited to see everyone in the band!
Sierra Lopez
PR Manager
Sierra is our PR Manager for the 2026-27 academic year! She is currently majoring in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Math Education in Marshall College. From Whittier, CA, she plays tenor saxophone and her favorite song is Panic Station. Her favorite album would be Absolutely by Dijon and her favorite memory while being in the band would be Big West 2026, in which she enjoyed spending a few days with her friends being out of state. Over the summer she was touring the country doing drum corps!
Section Leaders
Arthur Huang
Low Brass
Arthur is serving as both one of the low brass section leaders and the Media Manager for 2026-27! He is a Human Biology major in Seventh College and plays tuba AND clarinet. Arthur is from Seattle, WA, and his favorite pep song is Uma Thurman. His favorite piece of media is Babel by RF Kuang and his best PepBand memory is having gone to Davis and listening to other tubas. This past summer he went to Mexico and Yosemite for the first time!
Eli Rapp
Low Brass
Eli will be serving as a low brass section leader for 2026-27! He is in Warren College majoring in Mechanical Engineering and plays trombone. Eli is from Irvine, CA, and his favorite PepSong is Brooklyn. His favorite piece of media is Lord of the Rings and his favorite pep memory is playing tunes at Davis. Over the summer he held an internship and went camping!
Alejandro Soto
High Brass
Alejandro will be one of the high brass section leaders for the upcoming year! He is a Biochemistry major in Revelle College and plays the trumpet. Alejandro is originally from Northridge, CA and his favorite song in the pepbook is Narco. His most valued memory while in the band would be any of the Big West/March Madness trips and over the summer he worked as a pharmacy technician!
Angela Kao
High Brass
Angela will be one of our high brass section leaders for 2026-27! She is in Eighth College majoring in Structural Engineering and plays mellophone. Angela is originally from Baldwin Park, CA and calls Bright Spring Morning her favorite pep tune. Her comfort show is Avatar: The Last Airbender and her most cherished PepBand memory is exploring Fort Worth, Texas together, in which she enjoyed eating BBQ, going to the Best Maid Pickle Emporium, and shopping at Buc-ee’s. This last summer Angela took summer classes, hung out with friends, and played video games. She would also like to share that she self-identifies as an overpacker, so if anyone needs anything, she likely has it in her bag!
Elliot Hom
Saxophone
Elliot will be one of our saxophone section leaders for the 2026-27 year! He is in Revelle College majoring in Aerospace Engineering and plays tenor saxophone. Elliot is originally from San Francisco, CA, and his favorite pep song is You’re Gonna Go Far Kid. His favorite piece of media would be The Mistborn Trilogy and his favorite memory while in the band would be going on the Big West roadtrip. Over the summer Elliot “went to as many Giants games as he could afford”!
Aditya Shirolkar
Saxophone
Aditya will be serving as one of the saxophone section leaders this upcoming year! He is a Chemical Engineering major in Revelle College and is from Mission Viejo, CA. His favorite pep songs are Rock Lobster and Somewhere in the Between and enjoys Lego Ninjago and the Spy School book series. Aditya’s favorite memory in the band would be Davis 2026 and over the summer he held an internship in Irvine, CA and hung out with friends from high school. He is excited to meet all the new members and have a great year!
Billy Piggot
Clarinet
Billy will be one of the clarinet section leaders this year! Billy is currently majoring in Political Science in Revelle College and is from San Ramon, CA. His favorite pep song is smooth and his favorite book is “The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K. Le Guin. Over the summer Billy studied abroad in Shanghai and his best PepBand memory would be trying to add choreo to songs in the middle of a basketball game (with varying levels of success). In his free time he crochets and submits his work to competitions!
Jonathan Hernandez
Clarinet
Jonathan will be one of our clarinet section leaders this upcoming year! He is currently majoring in Pharmacological Chemistry in Muir College. Jonathan is from San Diego, CA and his favorite pep song is Shakedown, with his favorite media(s) being Evil Dead, Breaking Bad, and Slipknot. Jonathan’s favorite memory would be when the group played a “special melody” during the Davis trip, and over the summer he played guitar, went to Halloween Horror Nights for the first time, and hit masters on Overwatch. Jonathan would love for everyone to know that he is always happy to help and answer any questions!
Brandon Xu
Flute
Brandon will be one of our flute section leaders this upcoming year! He is in Eleanor Roosevelt College and is majoring in Biochemistry. He is originally from Danville, CA, and his favorite peptune is Uma Thurman. His favorite movie is The Odyssey and his favorite memory while being in the band is “going to the various flute section bonding events”. Over the summer Brandon took 4 summer classes and went to Japan!
Lydia Chin
Flute
Lydia will be serving as both our Secretary and a flute section leader for the 2026-27 academic year! She is majoring in Data Science in Sixth College and is from Seattle, WA. Her favorite pep song is Bring Spring Morning and enjoys The Great British Baking Show. Lydia’s favorite PepBand memory is hanging out with pep friends after gigs and over the summer she completed two internships and visited Greece!
Max Chapman
Rhythm
Max will be serving as both a rhythm section leader and Assistant Manager for the 2026-27 academic year! From Palmdale, CA, he is a Business Economics major in Eighth College and plays the drums. His favorite pep song is Can You Dig It? and his favorite show is Breaking Band. His favorite memory is going to Davis for the first time his freshman year, and over the summer he worked in a financial advising internship as well as camped in Sequoia!
Theo Moustakas
Rhythm
Theo will be one of the rhythm section leaders this year! He is a Physics major in Eighth College and is from Belmont, MA. His favorite pep tune is Somewhere in the Between and enjoys Hunter x Hunter. Theo’s favorite PepBand memory is his first year at Davis and over the summer he interned at a lab in Boston University!