Alumni Band Newsletter

[UNR Alumni Band]

Alumni Band Newsletter May/June 2012

I’m guessing you’ve noticed it is no longer May or June.  Perhaps you noticed there wasn’t a May Newsletter (thanks, Lora.)  My Facebook stalking has been limited and my inbox was dry, so rather than sending a newsletter that just said, “Homecoming is October 6, don’t forget!” I just didn’t send one at all.  I only have a couple of things in addition to the fact that Homecoming is October 6 (don’t forget!), so here goes:

Director Update:

Hi all,
 
Here are some updates – forgive me if I am repeating things you already know!
 
Feeding the band:

 

I have the boosters penciled in the schedule for Wednesday night of band camp. It will be a very welcome change from the dining halls!
 
Staff:

We have hired Kim Hines to take over the color guard from Lara. We are all very excited about it and Lara has been wonderful in aiding the transition.
We are excited to bring in Blair Williams as Trent's replacement with the drum line. Blair will be completing a master's degree in music education, and brings a wealth of drum line teaching experience, including several years as an instructor with the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps.
Band camp staff will be joining us once more. Nobody has officially committed yet, but I am in conversation with several great people.
If funding allows, I also plan on hiring one or two marching instructors for the entire season. This would greatly increase rehearsal efficiency and student engagement.
 
Recruiting:
It is still way too early to make an accurate prediction, but I still think we will fall in the 150-175 range (though maybe on the lower side of that..). There are currently 78 people that have registered or verbally committed, and 100 more whose intentions are unknown, but they have either completed an audition or are a potential returning member. 25 additional students have contacted me for information but have not auditioned.
We also just sent a recruiting postcard to all admitted freshmen. It turned out to be 2,000 postcards, which is far less that the original estimate of 4,000, but I am still hopeful that it will bring a few people in.
 
Shows:
The two big shows for the season will be a "Jazz Show," and "Battle Born Show." The jazz show will all big exciting tunes, most likely El Toro Caliente, Pagliacci, and Big Noise from Winnetka. Battle born, which Steve Martin is creatively arranging will consist of many smaller segments including Home Means Nevada (heavily doctored from the original), Promised Land from How the West Was Won, Battle Hymn of the Republic, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Home Means Nevada (heavily doctored), and a reprise of Battle Hymn (with a special surprise at the end). For Heroes Day, we will perform Battle Born with the Armed Forces Salute replacing some of the middle tunes, and of course there is Alumni Band Day and High School Band Day, which I am still making decisions about. We are also working on revamping the things we play in the stands so we can have greater impact in shorter periods of time.
 
 
Well, I guess that’s it for now!
 
Best,
Will
 
--
Dr. William Plenk
Director of Marching/Athletic Bands
University of Nevada, Reno
office: 775 784 6807
Email: wpl...@unr.edu

 

 

Member Updates:

Kate Kirkpatrick

I'd love to share with everyone that I got a new job at TMCC, where I am now the Manager of Institutional Advancement Communications & Alumni.  I started the week of commencement in May, and it's such a fun job.  But I have a reason to share the news:  I have been put in charge of revamping and restarting their Alumni Association.  Anyone who's ever taken a class at any of the TMCC facilities is considered an alum - so I'm interested in talking to anyone who has had a TMCC experience.  I have a few questions I'd love to email anyone who'd be willing to take a couple of minutes to talk to me.  Would you please send me your name/email directly so I can get in touch?  I'm at kkirkp...@tmcc.edu

Also:  I am looking for a recent photo of a tuba-player pyramid (in uniform, please).  I need to use it when I speak this summer at the national SAI Convention in Atlanta, GA.  I contacted Silver & Blue magazine, and haven't heard anything back.  Does anyone out there have a good photo you could email me?

Many thanks, and have a great summer.  Kate Slaboch Kirkpatrick, Class of 2000

Chris Thomas

Congratulations to Chris Thomas and his wife on the purchase of their first home! 

Dawn Etcheverry Miller

Congratulations to Dawn on the completion of her chemotherapy and radiation.  Onward to healing!

Homecoming 2012:

Homecoming is October 6, 2012.  Don’t forget!

If you have any news: wedding, funeral, birth, bar mitzvah, award winner, upcoming concert, illness, etc. please let me know and I’ll include it in the updates.  Hopefully more details in the upcoming newsletters.  Until the end of THIS month (hopefully), 

Kiara