volume xxix- number 1

CAL AGGIE MARCHING BAND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION- SPRING 2012 -

NEW Picnic Day FUNdraiserfor your kiddie kidsNEW Picnic Day FUNdraiserfor your kiddie kidsBand-uh! Gal-uh! 2012-uh!Band-uh! Gal-uh! 2012-uh!Senior WelcomeSenior WelcomeCurrent State of the EndowmentCurrent State of the EndowmentLet Us Remember...Let Us Remember...

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ARTICLEARTICLE PAGEPAGEThe EndowmentKiddie Band ReportPicnic Day 2012Picnic Day Musical Soundgarden

Officer ReportsFind Your MomentLet Us Remember...Gossip Monger!Band-uh! Gal-uh! 2012-uh!Senior Welcome

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board of directorsSara Lygren, '07 -- President

Seth Byers, '01 -- Vice PresidentJames Barrett, ‘05 -- Conductor

Katie Gross, '08 -- HistorianAndy Hyun, ‘07 -- Secretary

Alan "Shaggy" Kemmer, '95 -- LibrarianBrittany Iverson, '07 -- Public Information Officer

John Fronefield -- TreasurerSean O’ Leary, ‘04 -- Equipment Manager

André Harris, Jr., '08 -- Board Member at Large

CAMBAA

IN THISISSUE:IN THISISSUE:

PAGEA new launch of the CAMB endowment campaign is drawing near! As I’m sure you are all aware, the University has a difficult road to navigate in the coming days due to the uncertain state budget. As funds from state sources become more rare, the CAMB, along with other programs in the University, must seek to stay as self-sustaining as possible.

We are fortunate to have resided under Campus Recreation, a department adept at gathering financial resources through programs and classes in addition to state provided funds. There has recently been a campus merger between the Memorial Unions and Campus Recreation departments, placing the CAMB within the newly formed department of Campus Recreation and Unions.

In this time of fiscal austerity, the CAMB continues to grow and has reached an all-time high membership of 290, providing additional challenges.

by Thomas Slabaugh II, CAMB Directorand Olin Hannum, CAMB Assistant Director

This winter has been an eventful one for the kiddie band. We marched in the annual Southwest Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco, where three million people came out to watch or tuned into their televisions. We performed Cee Lo Green’s top hit, Forget You, Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer and Fountains of Wayne’s Stacy’s Mom. It turned out to be a beautiful night and a great warm-up for Picnic Day!

Our other popular trip this quarter was a ski rally at Sierra-at-Tahoe. 57 of us made our way to the snow where we spent the day skiing and snowboarding and playing for the resort. We even made it down the bunny slope playing Green Day’s Basketcase! Our Student Conductor had to practice skiing backwards, but we made it. It took a little bit of coordination to get a sousaphone on the ski lift, but playing while skiing/snowboarding was a great adrenaline rush.

Basketball season was also an important part of our activities this quarter. Each game was full of excitement and we were there to cheer on Aggie Basketball every time. Despite being limited to a 50-person band, we still filled up our stands on our side of the court with a cheering section for every game because we love our teams and wanted to be there for every minute of the action. Our Men’s team made it to the Big West tournament in Anaheim this year and we had a fun carry-all trip down to South-ern California. Even though the team didn’t make it that far, we had a great time playing and supporting our team. In addition to playing at basketball games, we’ve also performed at other sports matches, like hockey, triathlons, and volley-ball! It’s been exciting getting to watch so much action and learn about all these different sports.

The kiddie band has also been gearing up for another Picnic Day. Drum Major Jonathan Youngs, and Student Director Soren Christian, have already made their music selections and rehearsals are in full swing. This year’s Picnic Day show we will be marching 160 people, the maximum number that we can accommodate in the street. Our numbers are growing so much, it’s exciting to see how far the band has come in the past years. The theme for the 98th Picnic Day is “Then. Now. Always.” and it is on April 21, 2012. We hope to see you there!

theendowmenttheendowment

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by Audrey VorametsantiAssistant Manager, CAMB

In the last few years we have begun an instrument purchasing calendar that will systematically phase out the antiquated instruments, some of which have been in use for over 25 years. Similarly, with the acquisition of repair equipment and materials, and the training and willingness of student officers, we are keeping older equipment alive for longer than possible before.

Starting in the 2013 football season the Aggies will be joining the Big Sky Conference for football, providing less of a need to take long distance out of conference games in the future. This will bring travel in the future closer to being within our reach.

Beginning with this endowment campaign, we will be reaching out to alumni of the basketball and football programs.

As this latest installment of the campaign begins, please consider donating as you are able. Your donations will keep the CAMB self sustaining within the ever-changing financial landscape of the University of California.

Thanks so much for your help!Thomas Slabaugh IICAMB Director

Olin HannumCAMB Assistant Director

Then. Now. Always.Friday, 4/20Friday, 4/20

Saturday, 4/21Saturday, 4/21

• Pub:30 Silo Pub

• 4:45pm-6:00pm Watch the CAMB's final rehearsal for Picnic Day on North Quad Avenue.

• 6:30ammeet at BR.

• 6:45ish rally CAMB in ARC Ballroom.

• 7:00ishmosey over to Freeborn Hall.

• 8:20amperform at CAAA Pancake Breakfast.

• 10:10amParade officially steps off - watch CAMB perform PD show, then head over to our parade spot (please head over to the parade spot after the CAMB show, don'twait until the alumni band shows up at the grandstands!)

• WheneverPost-parade rally in front of Wellman Hallwith the CAMB!

• 2:00pmThe Battle of the Bands begins. The CAMB and CAAMB will march together into the battle, just like old times! Also, the CAMB has extended invitations to alumni CAMB Student Directors to guest conduct a single song during the Battle of the Bands.

• 10:00pm:The Battle of the Bands ends.

3*Please note: The CAMBAA board has decided to NOT have a CAMBAA BBQ at this year’s Picnic Day, so make sure you arrange other lunch plans before the Battle begins. The Board will be focusing on alternative plans for fundraising this year and the BBQ may return in future years.

At this year's Picnic Day, the CAMBAA will be hosting an event at the Battle of the Bands site where children will get to explore various instruments in a hands-on environment. For a donation of your choosing, you may bring your child into a magical musical soundgarden where they will get to explore woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. The corral will be sent up at the east end of the battle site (think closest to the old band room) from 1:30-4:30 P.M. Sorry, mom and dad: this is not a babysitting service. You must stay with your child the entire time while in the corral. Feel free to stop by with your kids, nieces, nephews and friends and let them discover the world of music while supporting the CAMBAA!!!

If you have any immediate questions, concerns or suggestions regarding this new event, please contact CAMBAA PIO, Brittany Iverson.

Who: YOU! KIDS! GRANDPARENTS! Anyone who is attending Picnic Day!What: Music Kiddie Corral Where: Far east side of the Battle site at Putah CreekWhen: Picnic Day! April 21st! 1:30-4:30 P.M.

KiddieCorralKiddieCorral

A musical soundgarden for children of all ages!

alum stud

instruments

secretary

librarianIf you will be coming to Picnic Day and need a folder, I'll be taking requests for folders and music on a first come, first served basis. $5 a folder to defray copying costs. If you only need a couple of pieces of music, we'll negotiate something fair. And I would please ask that people ONLY order folders when they are SURE they will be at Picnic Day to get them and pay for them. I'd like to avoid having the same (surprisingly high) number of flakes who ordered folders for Homecoming and didn't show up to get them.

Important note: This year it is looking likely I won't be at events on Friday, so folder pickup will most likely happen on Saturday at the battle. I'll confirm folder pickup option(s) with folks ordering them prior to Picnic Day.

Calling all alumni! If you wish to be included in the CAMBAA's e-mail contact list, please send a request to me at achyun@gmail.com. Once you are on the list, you will start receiving updates on the CAMBAA goings-on, which include upcoming joint gigs with the CAMB. Hope to hear from you soon! 4

Hey everyone, your friendly neighborhood StuD here. I'm so excited that I get to be there for my tenth consecutive picnic day with bandsmen of all generations. I'm sure we all remember the joy of playing late into the night, and the misery of waking up too early in the morning, but both of these experiences are central to my time as a bandsman. I am also excited by the developments between the alumni and the student band over the last year. I have been able to interact with the student band regularly and I have come to appreciate the dedication that they show. The officers, section leaders, and bandsmen at large all embody the spirit I saw during my time in the Aggie Band-Uh! Additionally, the recent tragedy in the marching band

involving the passing of sophomore sousaphone player Renne Morrow has devastated all who knew her. And yet the way the whole Band-Uh! family gathered together reminded me how special this organization is to everyone involved. We are family and we provide something more to each other than just backing vocals and instrumental accompaniment. As terrible as the tragedy is, it is comforting to know that the band is still there and that we are all a part of something bigger than us. I look forward to seeing my whole band family at picnic day. People older than me, people younger than me, and all of them Aggie Bandsmen. Go Ags!

James Barrett

Alan “Shaggy” Kemmer Sean O’Leary

Andy Hyun

If you need an instrument for Picnic Day, please email Equipment Manager, Sean O'Leary at sboleary@yahoo.com. We are no longer allowed to borrow instruments from the CAMB, so please allow ample time for planning. We have an eclectic collection of hand-me-down instruments from the kiddies, and our collection covers most sections fairly well. However, we do not have every instrument, so some creativity may have to be employed. Early planning will ensure full coverage at Picnic Day.

pioBrittany IversonGreetings from your new PIO! I am thrilled to once again be directly a part of this amazing organization. Seeing that I don’t have a new kid (don’t have any, actually), a new husband (speed dating scene in SF is pretty cool), new job (still a Preschool-8th grade music teacher), new house (rent a single room in SF for hundreds and hundreds of dollars), new pet (I’m allergic to most things with fur that lick themselves…even some humans), etc., becoming PIO is probably the most exciting this that has happened to me so far in 2012! WOOT WOOT!!!! Also, come to the Kiddie Corral on PD! It’s gonna rock your musical socks!

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What is your moment?

What is your moment? Mine starts with the silence right before a surprise indoor rally. It was the only time 150 of us could ever be completely silent. The only sounds come from 300 tiptoes and a squeaky high-stepper. Seconds later, such silence would be nuked by the roar of Yos and cadence. We would charge through as many doors as we could find and snake around whatever obstacles the room presented. I would always watch the crowd’s reaction to our entrance. Some were shocked, some awed. Others clapped along to the drums, or covered their ears. I’d pick my favorite, and I’d play my show for them. If they laughed at me, I’d get more ridiculous. If they pointed at my twirling, I’d twirl harder. And for those few moments from the first silence until the last measure, it was perfection at its finest. It was what I lived for. It was my moment.

I still get goose bumps every time I get a chance to relive those moments. They come much more seldom now, but that makes them so much sweeter. But that feeling is what drives me to give back to the Aggie Band. It’s what

drives me to coach bandsman leaders to excel in their position. It’s what excites me to plan events to benefit every student’s development. It’s what eases my aches and pains from not marching or playing for several months. It’s what motivates me to do my part to strengthen our community.

It’s why I care.

In a question and answer session on the day of homecoming last fall, a fellow alumna asked me “How can we help the Aggie Band?” From somewhere in the peanut gallery came the exclamation: “Money!” And while I’ll never deny that the CAMB could always use more cash on hand, the value that a strong alumni base brings is so much more than financial. Your value comes in mentorship, in networking, in neck-straining horn

By Sara LygrenPresident, CAMBAA

movements, in applause for a job well done, in pleas to march higher, and even in your when I was a freshman stories. Your support matters, in whatever form it comes.

“I have never felt more unwelcome by the CAMB,” a fellow alum expressed to me a few

months back. And while I can relate to such woes given the rocky transition

we’ve experienced in the last few years, I hope I can assure all of you that you are not only welcome, you’re wanted. The CAMB loves when you’re around. I remember when I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed bandsman and my alumni came back to play. It was my chance to show off my moves to the people that taught me everything I knew. It was a chance to prove to them that I had learned my parts, and a chance to snicker and yell “OLD” when they had forgotten theirs, or were too out of breath to keep up with me. These days, it’s no different.

Just watch Facebook blow up any time alumni are invited to a gig if you want proof.

Or go to a gig and rock out until you have to sit down to catch your breath. And then prepare to be called old.

“your support matters, in whatever form it comes.”“your support matters, in whatever form it comes.”

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It happens to me, every time. And I love it.

It’s true, our relationship with the CAMB doesn’t take the same shape it used to, but its value is the same, if not worth more. And while it’s sometimes tough to accept new rules, processes and dynamics so different from what was “normal” whenever each of us was in school, I’d hate to see them crush the infamous spirit that embodies the Cal Aggie Alumni Marching Band. It hasn’t crushed the current Band’s

spirit one bit. Should we not learn by example?

So for all the skeptics out there: you’re more than just a wallet, you’re an asset of sentimental value. Your passion fuels younger generations to continue the Band-uh! legacy. You just really matter.

So, then I ask again: what is your moment? Find it, and let it inspire you.

movements, in applause for a job well done, in pleas to march higher, and even in your when I was a freshman stories. Your support matters, in whatever form it comes.

“I have never felt more unwelcome by the CAMB,” a fellow alum expressed to me a few

months back. And while I can relate to such woes given the rocky transition

we’ve experienced in the last few years, I hope I can assure all of you that you are not only welcome, you’re wanted. The CAMB loves when you’re around. I remember when I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed bandsman and my alumni came back to play. It was my chance to show off my moves to the people that taught me everything I knew. It was a chance to prove to them that I had learned my parts, and a chance to snicker and yell “OLD” when they had forgotten theirs, or were too out of breath to keep up with me. These days, it’s no different.

Just watch Facebook blow up any time alumni are invited to a gig if you want proof.

Or go to a gig and rock out until you have to sit down to catch your breath. And then prepare to be called old.

“your support matters, in whatever form it comes.”“your support matters, in whatever form it comes.”

do not yourdeny Morrowness

rememberLet UsIt pains me to share that we’ve lost a member of our Aggie Band-uh! family. John Craik played tenor sax in the Band-uh! in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He was a section leader, Mav’rik committee chair, a charismatic person, and beloved friend. His son, Ethan, posted the following on John’s Facebook wall: “R.I.P. Dad, John 1/13/66 to 9/16/2011I am very sorry to say that there has been an accident involving the Reno air races and John. He died instantly and felt no pain. I think he saved my life because that’s the kind of dad he was always helping people. John is survived by his wife Lorraine and his children Ethan (12) and Mackenzie (11). May you rest in peace, John. You were an extraordinary person, and will continue to be an amazing soul.

A sad day in the CAMB FamilyOn Tuesday, February 7, 2012 we lost a member of the

CAMB family, Renne Morrow. She was the younger sister to Sean and Ryan Morrow, CAMB Alumnus, and a

Sophomore Sousaphone player in the band. This tragedy has left a giant hole in our hearts and we shared our love

and grief with the entire Morrow family at a memorial service on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

A story about Renne was run in the Davis Enterprise that was a wonderful tribute to her time here in Davis. You can

find that story by following this link: http://bit.ly/xoEF7K

At the memorial service, I was asked to share my thoughts about Renne and I would like to leave you with the final

portion from the address I shared with her friends and family that typifies her gracious personality.

Park Allen, et al.

When I first met Renne in 2010, I joking said, “Oh no, another Morrow!” Her reply was almost instantaneous and so classic, “I do not deny my Morrowness!” I knew, then and now, that she was someone special and I was going to be for a fun ride with her in the band!The truth about her comic statement runs much deeper than a punch line. There has never been any doubt, to me, that she saw her identity as fundamentally connected to her family, the one’s who loved her, laughed with her, and taught her how to love and laugh with others. Every part of who she was, her comedic wit, her funny attitude, her way of sharing herself with others, came fundamentally from this relationship. By accepting her loving family, she was better able to share the love they held for each other in the simplest, yet most profound way,…by giving of herself whenever and wherever a friend needed her.I think the world could use a little more Morrowness.

Thomas Slabaugh IICAMB Director

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Allison Eriksen (Net ’08) made it back to California from Tanzania

safely, but not before spending 6 weeks post Peace Corps going

through Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, and Madagascar. She had the

opportunity to see Dr Jones (Trumpet ’08) before she left!

Peace Corps/Band-uh! reunion! In November, she moved to

Washington DC.

Jed Roach (DM ‘00) had

yet another knee surgery. He tore his remaining ACL

playing flag football with Mike Baldwin back in September. He had the reconstruction surgery done on

February 14th (best valentines ever!). The recovery is going well so far and Jed

expects to able to hobble around at Picnic Day. No parade, though.

Unfortunately, he won't be marching (or playing football)

for 6-9 months.

Rachel Jacobson (Net ’09) has just completed six

months as garden and grounds manager for a rural development NGO

in India. She established an organic vegetable garden, learned some Hindi and Marathi, and made many dear friends (like

family). This work has inspired her to connect environmental responsibility with

social responsibility and pursue sustainable rural development. Now

Rachel’s in Bangkok, and doesn’t know where she’ll be or what

she’ll be doing in a week!

Rob² (DM ‘04) and his wife Dara (civilian)

welcomed a new baby girl, Katarine Dawn Robb, on

January 28th. She's very calm and quiet, which helps balance out

Liam's wildness as he approaches 2. If they can ever all get healthy at the same time,

maybe they’ll make Picnic Day :)

Naomi (Roudman) Blaine

(Tenor ’03, UM ’01, PRM ’02, Stunts ‘03) and husband Steven (civilian) gave birth to twins, Cameron Louis

Blaine and Aurora Miriam Blaine on January 3, 2012.

Joe Lares (Alto '07)

has been directing the University of San

Francisco Pep Band. Bay Area band alumni are

welcome to join! Email Joe at jslares@gmail.com

OMG SO did you hear…

Want everyone to know your business? Send it to me for the next issue of FUGAWE at bpiverson@gmail.com.

This year’s Aggie Band-uh! Gal-uh! will take place on May 19th, 2012 in the Ballroom of the ARC. Your support at the Gal-uh will help the CAMB strive toward financial sustainability and may significantly improve the CAMB's chances to attend away football games in the 2012 football season. If you have any questions regarding the details of the Gal-uh!, please contact Mandy Hanou, the CAMB Public Relations Manager at prmanagercamb@campusrec.ucdavis.edu. Look out for an invitation soon, and we hope you can make it to this fantastic night of music, food, and entertainment supporting the best band you know!

Mandy HanouCAMB Public Relations Manager

The CAMBAA Senior Welcome will be held on May 19th this year. This is the same day as the Gal-uh! event. The Senior Welcome will begin at approximately noon. The first two hours or so will be devoted to presentations and career development for CAMB juniors and seniors. We'll have panel presentations similar to last year. We'd like to invite any and all alumni to join us for the last 90 minutes of the event. We'll be hosting an informal networking session where alumni and students can meet each other. We'll provide a framework to match students with alumni who share similar career interests. Oh yeah, and there'll be free beer. After the Senior Welcome we can all head over to the Gal-uh! to continue supporting the CAMB (...and to continue drinking beer).

So please make plans to join us for the Senior Welcome on May 19th. Time and location will be confirmed as the event gets closer.

Seth ByersCAMBAA Vice President

volume xxix - number 1 - spring 2012

seniorseniorWELCOMEWELCOME