News and information about the UNL Band Alumni Association
You can register online at http://register.nebandalums.org for the 2016 UNL Band Alumni Reunion. This year’s reunion is September 2-3 with a half-time performance during the UNL vs. Fresno State football game. There are a number of changes this year, due to the 7:00 PM kickoff of the game. Please check all the information under the Reunion Weekend link for updated dates, times and locations as well as the lower instrument rental rate.
UNL Bands was excited to have composer Dr. Kimberly Archer in residence the week of February 8-12. Along with sessions with the conducting and composition studios, she worked with the Wind Ensemble on her piece Common Threads, commissioned with help from the Donald A. Lentz Fund and Jack R. Snider Band Alumni Association Fund, in preparation for its World Premiere at the 2016 CBDNA/NBA North Central Division Conference, February 25-27 on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
If you would like to hear the world premiere of this piece, along with several others, you can attend the Glenn Korff School of Music Wind Ensemble performance on Sunday, February 28, at 3:00 pm in Kimball Recital Hall. If you are unable to attend in person, you can still watch and listen via webcast at http://arts.unl.edu/music/webcasts.
Thank you to all our alumni who have donated to our funds to make this possible. If you would like to contribute to the Donald A. Lentz Fund, you can donate online through the NU Foundation by clicking the link above or on our website. The Lentz Fund is used to commission new works for the UNL concert bands and to fund the appearance of guest artists with the UNL concert bands.
Kimberly K. Archer (b. 1973 in Mendota, IL) is currently serving as Associate Professor of Composition at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois. She teaches composition, music theory, analysis, counterpoint, 20th century music, and general education courses in music.
A specialist in music for winds and percussion, Dr. Archer’s compositions have been performed throughout the United States, including national conventions of the National Flute Association, regional conventions of CBDNA, and state conventions of the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association, Oklahoma Music Educators Association, and the National Band Association-Wisconsin.
For a full bio of Dr. Archer visit her website at http://kimberlyarcher.squarespace.com.
The dates September 2-3, 2016 have been confirmed as the 2016 Alumni Band Reunion. The football game is UNL versus Fresno State. Registration will not be open until after July 1, 2016, but we will keep our site updated with information as it becomes available.
The Cornhusker Marching Band held their annual band banquet on Saturday, January 16th at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. Tom Kallman, UNL Band Alumni Association Inc. Vice President, was in attendance to give a short speech about our organization and to help present the award. Molly Boyd, BAA Secretary, was also in attendance.
The 2015 Outstanding Bandsman award went to Sarah Bigge. Sarah is a Senior Music Education Major (flute) from Bellevue, NE. She served as Drum Major for the Cornhusker Marching Band this season, and has also performed with the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. She’s currently student teaching, and hopes to get a job teaching high school band. Congrats, Sarah!
The award was renamed in 2012 in Russ Swanson’s honor. Russ was a french horn player in the marching band and was a part of the 1941 Rose Bowl Band. He was also a WWII veteran serving on an air bomber crew. He was a charter member of the Band Alumni Association in 1974 and was on the board until a little over a year before he died in 2011. He and his wife were dedicated volunteers for activities of the BAA board.
If you recently ordered band clothing, the orders will be handed out at Westbrook Music Building, room 130, on Wednesday, Dec. 9th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. If you are unable to make that time, you can contact Mitch Snyder at mitchell.snyder16@gmail.com. He will find a time to deliver your order!
