Nicole C

Changes to this year’s reunion!

Posted on by Nicole C

There are only 3 weeks left to register for this year’s reunion! Reminder: The deadline to register is August 19th. https://nebandalums.org/registration/form/registrant

Due to the late game time, we will not hold our post-game party but will instead host a pre-game luncheon at the Apothecary after our outdoor rehearsal. HyVee will be catering and serving burgers, cole slaw, potato salad, cookies, and pop! $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

The last few years, you all have been so wonderful taking care of UNL’s rental instruments that have dropped the instrument rental fee down to $15 this year! The instruments will still need to be repaired from time to time, which is why we have a fee.

Front line and Flag line members will automatically be charged a $5 fee for the use of the equipment for the day.

Football tickets are still available for $75/each and we do have a block of tickets this year!

We’ll be celebrating 40 years of pep bands at this year’s Friday picnic! Please join us for an evening with friends, band staff, and members of the current UNL pep bands. We’ll also have a delicious dinner catered for $17.50/person! If you would also like to sponsor a band staff or pep band member’s meal, that option is available on the registration form. We’ll hold our annual board meeting at this dinner and will be voting on two board members. If you have photos from a pep band you were involved in, please send them to us!

We hope to see you September 2nd and 3rd at the reunion! Register today!

Band Alumni Association

Registration is Open for the 2016 Reunion!

Posted on by 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.

Now is the time for the 2016 Alumni Band to take the field. Register at https://register.nebandalums.org

Band Alumni Association

Funds Allow UNL Bands to Commission “Common Threads”

Posted on by Band Alumni Association
Dr. Kimberly Archer
Dr. Kimberly Archer

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.

About Dr. Archer

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.

Nicole C

Russ Swanson Outstanding Bandsman Award Presented

Posted on by Nicole C
Presentation of Russ Swanson Outstanding Bandsman Award (Left to right: Tony Falcone; Sarah Bigge; Steve Pearson, BAA President; Ranelle Maltas, BAA Board Director)
Presentation of Russ Swanson Outstanding Bandsman Award
(Left to right: Tony Falcone; Sarah Bigge; Steve Pearson, BAA President; Ranelle Maltas, BAA Board Director)

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!

Sarah Bigge
Sarah Bigge

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.