• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Solid Gold Sound Club Newsletter The official UCLA support organization for the UCLA Bruin Marching Band Band Alumni Reunion Summer 2010 UCLA vs. Arizona October 30th The 11th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion will be held at halftime of the UCLA vs. Arizona football game on Saturday, October 30th at the Rose Bowl. Plans call for the rehearsal to be held on a parking lot adjacent to the Rose Bowl beginning 3 ½ hours before game time (yet to be announced). Immediately after the rehearsal, we will have hundreds of items from the Band’s Adidas allotment as free give- aways to all band alumni who attend! We will be sending out registration forms later this summer, so mark your calendars and make plans to be there! “Halloween” will be the theme of the show, so bring your costume! The alumni who travel the furthest distance and who represent the ear- liest UCLA class will also receive Alumni Flutist Becca Gottlieb, former awards. There will also be prizes for Flute Section Leader and member of the best costumes! the Band’s Recruitment Crew at the 2008 Band Alumni Reunion Representatives of the Earliest Class Paul At our Band Alumni Reunion In Hill and Kim Strutt with Jennifer Judkins 2008, we had over 180 band alumni and Gordon Henderson at the 2008 Band Alumni Reunion present, one of our best turnouts ever! Let’s make 2010 even bigger! Assistant Director Jennifer Judkins Steps Down as Assistant Director “After 30 years as Assistant Director with the Marching and Varsity Bands, I am finally stepping away from this position into a full-time academic appointment in the UCLA Music Department. For many years now, I have been working with the Band, and at the same time teaching graduate seminars in Research Methods and Bibliography, and coaching D.M.A. students with their dissertations. Although I truly enjoy each area, I am going to take this opportunity to pursue my passion, which is aesthetics - the philosophy of the arts – and to advance my own research and writing in the philosophy of music. I have had amazing experiences – many Rose Bowls, many Final Fours, two Hong Kong trips, numerous commercials and films – any one of which would be a career highlight at any other college. As I think back on all of the crazy/exciting/frustrating/rewarding things Gordon and I have put together over the years, I’ll always be thrilled that I had this opportunity to represent this outstanding university so visibly, and to try to give back some of what UCLA has given to me.” — Dr. Jennifer Judkins Donations In order to cope with the current budget-cutting environment on campus, we are continuing to ask for your help with contributions by using the enclosed remit envelope or by clicking on the “Donate to the Band!” tab on our webpage, www.band.ucla.edu DONATIONS OF ANY AMOUNT ARE WELCOME ($1 on up, but add as many zeros as you like!). On the Band’s “Donate to the Band!” website, it also gives you the option to make a donation with monthly installments over a year (minimum of $10 per month, or $120 total). Your donations will help with scholarships, instrument and equipment purchases, travel, and hiring staff. Recently, it helped send fourteen of our drumline members to participate in a festival in Nagoya, Japan, and we have also used this fund to buy a number of new instruments. With Jennifer Judkins moving into a full-time academic posi- tion in the Music Department, we are getting less than half of her previous salary to fill in with part time replace- ments. We are hoping to be able to hire a new full-time Assistant Director in the near future, but we will need you help to achieve this goal. UCLA Trumpet Professor performing with the Band at half- time of the UCLA vs. USC Football game Sousaphone Player Vanessa Houseman Alumni Spotlight – Michael O’Gara, Drum Major 1982-87 “The band was absolutely the highlight of my time at UCLA.” says Mike O’Gara, Drum Major 1982-1987. “Some of the highlights include leading the band for halftime at the USC game my freshman year, and being on the field when we won three Rose Bowls and a Fiesta Bowl.” His time in the band still plays an important part in his life. “The friends I met from the UCLA band remain my closest friends today.” After almost 18 years as a prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Mike was elected judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court in November of 2008. “The election was a long and difficult process. I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of my wife and my friends from the UCLA band.” Mike’s best friend from band was his campaign treasurer and former band members assisted with the campaign. Many displayed yard signs, helped with communications, donated money, and some helped secure key endorse- ments. “I really was fortunate to have met some wonderful people dur- ing my time in the band. These friendships continue to influence my life in many ways.” When not in court, Mike enjoys time with his wife Melissa and their two children Michael and Katie. “My wife and I are very involved with our kids’ activities - soccer, scouts, skating, and music lessons.” He’s hoping for a future UCLA band member or two. His six-year-old daughter is already working to be a member of the flute section. “I had Golden Girl Joyce Parr and Drum Major a fantastic time at UCLA because of the band. Most of my life revolved Michael O’Gara moments before the start of around it. I hope my kids have as great a college experience as I had the 1986 Rose Parade thanks to my time in the UCLA band.” His chambers in the courthouse is filled with UCLA memorabilia, including a treasured photo that shows Mike standing alone in the middle of the Rose on the 50-yard line during the 1984 Rose Bowl. The photo was taken by a 1919 alumnus who was at the game, and it is a daily reminder of his time with the band, “While I enjoy what I do in court, I often wish I were back in front of the band with my friends in the Rose Bowl. You just never get that kind of rush in the courtroom.” Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael O’Gara The O’Gara family visiting Yosemite UCLA Drumline Trip to Nagoya, Japan During the first week of May, 2010, fourteen members of the UCLA Drumline traveled to Nagoya, Japan to serve as the featured performers at the 27th Annual Ekitopia Festival. Funding for the trip came from the Ekitopia Festival, the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Student Opportunity Fund, and the UCLA Bruin Marching Band Fund. The Ekitopia Festival is held each year during Japan’s Golden Week, which includes the Emperor’s Birthday, Greenery Day, Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day and Children’s Day. In addition to the performances in Nagoya, the Drumline members were able to take a sightseeing trip to Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto. The UCLA Drumline performed its four-minute routine four times along the parade route on two consecutive days, which was well received by the audiences lining the streets. You can see a video of the performance by clicking on the link of the front page of the Band’s website – www.band.ucla.edu Never heard of Ekitopia? It is a word formed from the Japanese word for train station, “eki”, and “utopia.” The parade is one of several cultural events sponsored by merchants in downtown Nagoya located near the central train station. Percussion Teaching Associate Kelly Flickinger with the mascot for the 400th anniversary of Nagoya Castle Members of the Drumline waiting in line for dinner at Nagoya’s favorite sushi restaurant Sightseeing trip to Kyoto UCLA Drumline Trip to Nagoya, Japan The Drumline at the dress rehearsal in downtown Nagoya A section of a poster that was plastered all over downtown Nagoya. Also pictured is famed trumpeter Eric Miyashiro who was also featured during the festival Scenes from the 2009 season The Bass Drum section featured on “Manhattan Love Story” Trumpeter Brandon Buccowich The Sousaphone Section during the Pregame run on The Band and Spirit Squad at the rally before the Stanford game in Palo Alto Color Guard member Angela Chen Pregame at the Rose Bowl Trombonist Wesley Mercado leading the Band in an 8 clap following the UCLA vs. Oregon football game Trombonist Sarah Diringer Alto Saxophone Section Leader Torin Waters Postgame Concert at Stanford This Fall’s Halftime Shows This fall the Band will perform four different shows. The first is the annual Band Day show where they perform alongside thirty high school bands at the Washington State game on October 2nd. In addition to performing tra- ditional UCLA songs, the combined bands will also perform the hit song “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. At the Cal game in Berkeley on October 9th, the Band will perform songs by the highly popular English alternative rock group Muse including “MK Ultra,” “The United States of Eurasia,” “Resistance” and “Knights of Cydonia.” Next up is the Halloween-themed 11th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion on October 30th described in this Newsletter’s opening story. On November 6th, the Band will bring a cartoon theme to the Rose Bowl for the Oregon State game. The opener of the show will be “Zero to Hero” from the Disney animated movie “Hercules,” as arranged by William Plenk in his fifth season with the Band as a Teaching Assistant.

Load more

  8

Copy Link