Solid Gold Sound Club Newsletter The official UCLA support organization for the UCLA Bruin Marching Band

Summer 2012 Band Alumni Reunion 2012

The 12th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion will be held at halftime of the UCLA vs. Utah football game on Saturday, October 13th at the Rose Bowl. Plans call for the rehearsal to be held on a parking lot adjacent to the RoseBowl beginning 3 1⁄2 hours before game time (yet to be announced).

At the 2010 Band Alumni Reunion, the Band is led onto the field by former “Golden Girls” Amy Arellano and Debbie Campanelli Simek

Immediately after the rehearsal, we will have HUNDREDS of items from the Band’s Adidas allotment as free giveaways to all band alumni who attend! Items will include shoes, backpacks, jackets, sweatshirts, shorts and shirts!!! We will be sending out registration forms later this summer, so Michele Chan Free, in her official Olympic All- mark your calendars and make plans to be there! A medley of American Band uniform, at the 2004 Band Alumni beach music, “California Girls,” “Wipeout” and “Surf City,” Reunion that celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Olympics will be the featured song, and yes, the combined UCLA Band and alumni drummers will play the famous drum solo on “Wipeout.” The alumni who travel the furthest distance and who represent the earliest UCLA class will receive special awards and will be introduced to the Rose Bowl audience as part of the halftime show. Let’s make this one the biggest Reunion ever!

Feature Twirlers return for Fall 2012

Both of our Feature Twirlers, Rejoyce Green from Palm Springs and Michelle Glymph from Torrance, will return this fall for their sophomore season. Last fall was the first time the Band had Feature Twirlers in almost a decade, and their pres- ence has added a new dynamic to the Band’s performances.

Michelle Glymph ReJoyce Green Welcome New Assistant Director Kelly Flickinger

Dr. Kelly Flickinger is entering his first year as the Assistant Director of the Bruin Marching Band. He previously served as the Head Percussion Instructor and Arranger from 2007 to 2010. Under Flickinger’s direction, the Drumline has performed with Linkin Park and Paula Abdul, and was featured on Vicfirth.com. In 2010, Flickinger designed a Drumline per- formance for the 27th Annual Ekitopia Festival Parade in Nagoya, Japan. From 2008 to 2011, Flickinger taught Percussion Methods at UCLA, and in 2012 he was a Guest Conductor with the Symphonic Band. This year he will be teaching applied percussion to music education majors. From 2008 to 2010, Flickinger served as a percussion instructor for Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps. He has taught and arranged for numer- ous high schools throughout Southern California, including the nine-time SCSBOA champion William S. Hart High School. His travels have taken him to Thailand on several occasions, where he has served as a clinician for schools throughout the country. In addition to UCLA, he has served as Percussion Instructor or Arranger for the University of Nevada, Reno Assistant Director Kelly Flickinger Wolf Pack Marching Band and the Central Washington University Wildcat Marching Band. Flickinger has performed throughout the United States, as well as Canada, Hong Kong, and Japan. He was a mem- ber of the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, Black Knights Drum Corps, and Esperanza Drum and Bugle Corps. Recently, he performed on “American Idol” with James Durbin and appeared on stage with Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Robin Thicke, and Jennifer Nettles on the ABC show “Duets.” Flickinger recently received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance from UCLA. His dissertation is entitled “Music as a Gradual Lostness: A Performer’s Guide to the Phase Music of Steve Reich.”

New TAMA Marching Percussion Instruments

The UCLA Drumline will be performing on TAMA Drums beginning this fall. With guidance from DCI Hall of Famer and UCLA Band alumnus Tom Float, TAMA has designed marching percussion instruments with innovative features that have set a new standard of excellence. The UCLA Drumline will continue to perform on Remo drum heads, Zildjian cymbals and Vic Firth sticks and mallets.

The new TAMA and REMO Bass Drum Head Snare Drummer Ken Tewell Downfall of Troy Show 2011

It has become a tradition to perform the band’s famous “Downfall of Troy” Show once every four years, which gives everyone who stays in the Band four or more years an opportunity to perform this show. The show was first dreamed up in 1984 as a way to remind everyone how ridiculous it is for USC to use a horse as an emblem since it was the Trojan Horse that caused Troy’s downfall.

The Trojan Navy approaches Troy The Trojans knock down the King and capture Helen Menelaus, King of Sparta, played by Wesley Mercado, and Helen, played by senior Drum Major Jessica Schlosser

The battle gets personal

The battle continues

The Trojan Horse enters the city

Ten Greeks who were hiding in the Horse open the gates and signal for the Greeks to rush in

The Greeks surround the defeated Trojans Photos from the Fall 2011 Season

Tenor Drummer Stephen Hufford

Flautist Amanda Michael

Mellophone Player Meghan Truax

Trumpet Andrew Levin

Senior Drum Major Jess Schlosser

Senior Drum Major Justin Grant UCLA Basketball “Road Show”

The UCLA Band made its presence known at each stop of the basketball team’s “Road Show.” Games were played this past season in Ontario, the Honda Center in Anaheim and the Sports Arena in downtown Los Angeles. Although the time commitment to play at a game lasted from six to seven hours due to travel time compared to the usual two and a half hours for an on-campus game, the Band had great turnouts, and actually was larger than dur- ing the previous season in Pauley Pavilion, and often outnumbered the rest of the student body! Look for an expanded role for the Band in the “new” Pauley Pavilion during the upcoming basketball season.

The Band performing before the Arizona State game at the Honda Center

The Band performing with the UCLA Dance Team at halftime of the John Wooden Classic in Anaheim. Pac-12 Championship Game

Over 200 members of the Bruin Marching Band accompanied the team to Eugene, Oregon to play at the inaugural Pac-12 Conference Championship Game versus the Oregon Ducks on December 2, 2011. After a below-freezing rehearsal the night before the game with the Oregon Band, the two bands performed together during the Pregame Show on a medley of Lady Gaga songs.

Bundled up for the night rehearsal with the Oregon Band The combined Pregame Show with the Oregon Band

The Trombone Section warming up before the game

The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

For the trip to San Francisco to perform as a pep band at the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, about 120 members traveled from Los Angeles, and another 50 who live in the Bay Area met us there. The Band’s hotel was just two blocks from Pier 39, so band members had an easy time hitting all the sights the night before the game. This was UCLA’s second appearance at this bowl, which is held at AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. The Drumline at AT&T Park

The Sousaphone Section warming up next to the Willie McCovey statue next to At&T Park

Brass and Woodwinds inside At&T Park Alumni Profile — James and Terri Coomes

In the summer of 1989, James Coomes began his journey as a Bruin by playing a few scales and doing some sight- reading on trombone for former Assistant Band Director Jennifer Judkins in Schoenberg Music Building. That try- out began a relationship with the Solid Gold Sound that continues to this day. James played in the Bruin Marching Band and the pep bands from 1989 through 1994. During that time, he was awarded the Glenn Katz Freshman of the Year award (presumably for beating senior drum major Tim Close in a 100-yard dash during field practice), served as a Rank Leader and a member of the Recruitment Staff, per- formed in pep bands for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, played in five Band Bowls, coached a women’s intramural band flag football team and became a member of Terri and James with their son Ethan and daughter Mia the Psi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. While in school, James worked for the United Spirit Association as a drum major instructor and camp director as well as with the University as a Campus Security Officer. It was also in school that he met his future spouse, Terri Segura, through an introduction by a fellow band member. While Terri was not initially in the marching band, she later marched as part of the cymbal line. Concerned that dating someone in band might bring bad luck to the football and basketball teams, James told Terri that they might have to break things off. After eight straight wins against USC in football and an NCAA men’s basketball championship, James and Terri married in 1999. After receiving a BA in 1994, James continued at UCLA with the School of Social Welfare (now the Luskin School of Public Affairs) and went on to work for the County of Los Angeles. James also began his volunteer career with UCLA, joining alumni Tom Kluksdahl and Carl Miller on the Marching Band’s Video Crew. The video crew’s primary responsibilities are to record pregame, halftime and ancillary footage for practice purposes, publicity and public relations for both the Band and the University, and to archive the history of the Bruin Marching Band. Careerwise, James worked as a children’s social worker specializing in adoptions for the LA County Department of Children and Family Services, and then in a variety of roles with the County’s Department of Mental Health. In 2007, James became the program manager for the Olive View Community Mental Health Urgent Care Center, which is a Proposition 63 Mental Health Services Act-funded crisis mental health center located in Sylmar, CA. In 2009, James was asked to serve the Solid Gold Sound in a slightly different capacity, taking on the role of Band Announcer. This role, which in recent years has been held by Andrew Green, Eric Rager and Greg Oatey, has given James the opportunity to develop an even closer relationship with the Solid Gold Sound as well as the college marching band community. In 2011, James helped to found the Association of Marching Band Announcers with legends Albert Locher (Berkeley), Dennis Packer (USC), and Scott Barkhurst (Oregon), as a way for current and former college marching band announcers to network with each other. James and Terri now live in Burbank with their two children, Mia (age 10) and Ethan (age 8). They regularly attend UCLA football games with James in the pressbox. James continues to work in Sylmar at the crisis center, and Terri is a 5th grade teacher at St. Robert’s Elementary School in Burbank. Both Mia and Ethan have their hearts set on following in their parents’ footsteps at UCLA, although Mia is more interested in softball and volleyball. There is still hope for Ethan to carry on the legacy and possibly earn a Glenn Katz award himself. “Being a member of this organization as a student opened up a world of possibilities and friendships that I may have never had,” James says. “After graduating, volunteering for the Solid Gold Sound for the past 18 years has been equally rewarding. I hope Terri and James with Joe Bruin at the UCLA vs. to continue doing this for many years to come.” Notre Dame football game in South Bend, Indiana in 2006 Fall 2012 Football Season Performances

After bringing pep bands to the Rose Bowl for the first two games this fall, the full band will perform as part of the Band Day show at the Oregon State game on September 22nd. Over 30 high school bands will join the Bruin Marching Band at halftime to perform “Bruin Fanfare,” UCLA fight songs and “America the Beautiful.” Instead of a full band trip to the Bay Area, about 160 members will perform as a pep band at the Cal game on October 6th, and about 100 members will perform in the stands at the Arizona State game on October 27th. The Utah game on October 13th will feature the 12th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion, which is described in this Newsletter’s opening story. Following that game, if the game time is not too late in the day, the Band will appear in exhibition at the Rowland High School Field Tournament as a continuing part of our recruiting efforts. This event will mark the premiere performance of the Band’s Queen Show, which will include “We Will Rock You,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The Arizona game on November 3rd will feature patriotic music including “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B,” and the “Armed Forces Medley.” For the USC game on November 17th, the Band will present the Queen show for the first time this fall at the Rose Bowl. Plans are currently being formulated for the Stanford game halftime show on November 24th, but we are considering a “Karaoke Show” — the audience would sing along with the band with words posted on the vid- eoboard! Tell us your favorite Karaoke songs!

Fergie, member of the rock group Black-Eyed Peas, and actor Josh Duhamel hanging out with band members on the sideline before halftime of the 2011 ASU game.

Solid Gold Sound Club Board of Directors Robert Milford, President Ron Logan Peter Dames Richard and Kathy Martin Trombonist Charlie Hall Rebecca Gottlieb Michael O’Gara Michael Hanson Mary Park Nancy Ishiki Jeff Pickett UCLA Bands Joe and Heidi Hardman Matt Sonefeldt Box 951616 Chris Holbert Brad Sraberg Los Angeles, CA 90095-1616 (310) 825-3835 Rob Joyner Kim Strutt www.band.ucla.edu Brian Kushnir Andrew Yonce Email: [email protected]