Winter 2006—February E-update
Volume 1 | Issue 2 | Revision 0
Featured in this Edition:
Bud Udell, 1963-1969 WVU Director of Bands, Passes Away
Budd
Udell, who started the West Virginia University bands program
on its road to national renown as director in the 1960s, died
Feb. 4 in Gainesville, Florida. He was 71.
Udell was the seventh director of the WVU Mountaineer Marching Band and served as director of WVU bands from 1963-69.
John Hendricks, current director of bands, said Udell established a tradition as an outstanding arranger. His arrangements of “Hail, West Virginia” and “Fight Mountaineers” are the same ones the band still performs today, he noted.
“WVU was truly honored to have him here as our director of bands,” Hendricks said. “He was instrumental in helping to build the program to what it is today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Udell family.” The thoughts and prayers of generations of WVU Alumni Band members are with the Udell family during this difficult time.
Read the complete Udell obituary from WVU News and Information Services
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2006 WVU Football Schedule Announced: Mark Calendars and Make Homecoming Reservations
The 2006 West Virginia University football schedule has been announced. Homecoming Weekend '06 will be held Oct. 13-14 as the Mountaineers take on the Syracuse Orange.
The Mountaineers open the 2006 campaign on Saturday, Sep. 2, at home against Marshall. Other home games are against Maryland, Cincinnati, South Florida, Rutgers and Buffalo. Five games - Maryland, Connecticut, Louisville, Pitt and Rutgers - are already slated for national television.
The Gold-Blue Game is set for Saturday, April 15, at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium; kickoff will be 12:30 PM. Per tradition, WVU Marching Band members will perform crowd favorites in the stands.
The 2006 WVU Marching Band performance schedule featuring away and special performances will be finalized and announced later in the year.
The WVU Alumni Band will publish more information about Homecoming Weekend 2006 as plans are developed.
Get the complete 2006 WVU Football Schedule from MSNSportsNet.com
Send an eCard to remind others of Homecoming Weekend 2006
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2005 Homecoming Survey Results: Survey Winner, Susan Vickers Underwood
Thanks to all members who took time to evaluate Homecoming Weekend 2005. 51 alumni provided personal input on the weekend.
The survey's goals were to determine alumni opinions of Homecoming Weekend, as well as provide a benchmark for evaluating and improving future WVU Alumni Band events. Many helpful comments and ideas were offered by members. Some ideas, like notifying alumni when the homecoming date is announced so that reservations may be made, have already been implemented. Consideration will be given to all suggestions.
Alumni largely evaluated Homecoming Weekend 2005 as a success. Issues identified that might be improvable include: the reunion party and the stadium experience in the stands.
The WVU Alumni Band offered a $50 prize gift certificate for products and services in conjunction with the evaluation survey. Susan Vickers Underwood ('87-'91, trombone) was selected and won the member appreciation award. Congratulations Susan!
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22 Lost Alums Found and 22 New Members Added Since November 2005
The Fall 2005 update encouraged members to check the Lost Members listing to help the Alumni Band find members with whom we've lost contact. Since then, 22 lost alumni have been identified. An additional 22 members not previously listed in the member database have been added to the Alumni Band roster.
Thanks to members who helped the Alumni Band locate others. If you know of lost members or alumni who've never participated before, encourage them to consider submitting an Membership Update Form to be included in print and electronic communications and notified about Alumni Band activities.
Find lost Alumni Band members and learn who has recently been found.
E-update Index
Sugar Bowl 2006: A Sweet Conclusion to a Great 2005 Season
WVU's victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2, 2006 represented one of most prominent wins in school history and capped off an exciting season for the WVU Marching Band.
Chris Southard (trumpet '94-'98), who maintains the official WVUBand.org site, launched and maintained an interactive Weblog (blog) during the band's trip to Atlanta, Georgia. His journal included photographs, audio clips, trip itineraries, and commentary. Both parents and alumni responded positively to the blog. Alumni who haven't seen the blog can view it at: http://wvuband.blogspot.com/. A photo gallery from the trip is also available online.
Before the Sugar Bowl, the Band held its annual banquet following the KeyNotes Concerts to celebrate its successes and reward members for their outstanding service to the university and state. Four-year seniors were presented with commemorative mugs. Awards and scholarships were also presented per tradition. View photos from the Band Banquet online. View KeyNotes Concert photos online.
Outstanding Award Winners
Outstanding Section Leader - Robin Sisk, Tuba
Outstanding Senior - Jamie Groves, Piccolo
Kappa Kappa Psi Scholarship Winners
Andrea Smith Freshman Scholarship - Leila Meredith, Tuba
Frank "Doc" Stevens Senior Scholarship - Molly McConnell, Baritone
Congratulations to these members and to all members of the 2005 edition of the Mountaineer Marching Band.
E-update Index
2006 Pride of West Virginia Update
Joe Andria and Lauren Eakins have been named drum majors for the 2006 WVU Marching Band. Andria previously served as drum major. This will be the first season as drum major for Eakins, the daughter of alumna Deb Eakins ('77-'81, tuba). Congratulations on being elected by your peers as leaders for the next edition of the Pride of West Virginia. View photos of Andria and Eakins.
Audition information is available for the 2006 edition of the WVU Marching Band. General band auditions will be held the weekend of April 8, 2006. If you know of students who would like to audition, please share this information with them. Interested musicians can also contact the band office for more information at (304) 293-4841 ext. 3154 or via e-mail at: WVUBand@mail.wvu.edu.
The WVU Band Office also hopes to debut a new set of marching band uniforms soon, possibly as early as fall 2006. Uniform design and fundraising information will be made available to alumni as plans are finalized. Keep in touch with the WVU Band online at: WVUBand.org.
E-update Index
Consider Touring Scandinavia and the Baltics with the Alumni Band in 2007
Director of Bands Emeritus, Don Wilcox reports preliminary planning for a possible 2007 Alumni Band concert tour to Scandinavia and the Baltics. The trip would include destinations in five new countries, with stops including Leningrad, Russia and Helsinki, Finland!
No tentative trip details such as dates, price, sights, or concert venues are yet available. Additional details will be announced at a later date. Previous tours have taken the Alumni Band to both western and eastern Europe.
More information will be made available to alumni through the Alumni Band Website as it's developed.
E-update Index
February 28 Meeting to Include Homecoming 2006 Planning
On Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 7-9 PM, the WVU Alumni Band Executive Committee will hold a general business meeting in the Mountainlair's Greenbrier Room on the Downtown Campus. Alumni are welcome to join this meeting to reconnect and socialize. Short-term paid parking is available in the Mountainlair Parking Garage, and free parking can be found after-hours in nearby university areas including Maiden Lane, Oglebay Hall and White Hall.
Agenda items for the meeting include:
- Recap of minutes from November 2005 meeting
- Membership updates: communications, address changes, birthdays, anniversaries, dates of note
- Financial update
- Leadership update
- WVU Band Office update
- Old business
- Homecoming 2006 planning
- Next meeting, upcoming events, topics of interest
- Announcements for the good of the organization
If there’s a topic you’d like to considered for an upcoming business meeting, please contact us at AlumniBand@mail.wvu.edu.
E-update Index
Alumni Band Class Notes
Mary (Pici) Harvey - Mellophone '82-'86 serves as Director of Bands at Wesley Chapel High School in Wesley Chapel, Florida. She has three children, Tom, 19, a sophomore Music Major at WVU; Tia, 16, plays percussion and Oboe; Taylor, 11, sings. She's also District 5 Chairperson, Florida Bandmasters Association and Florida State Chairperson for the Tri-M National Music Honor Society.
Harry Mullin - Tenor Sax '85-'89 has been married 10 years and resides in Morgantown. He has two sons, Zachary, 6, and Jacob, 2.
Michele (Hriscko) Cook - Silk '86-'89 has been married for nearly 12 years and has two boys
Christopher, 6, and Connor, 19 months. She owns her own business and
works at her Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania home to be with them.
Chris McNemar - Tenor Sax '99-'02 reports another moving WVU Band love story. He and Andrea Rumberg were married in June 2005 and reside in Morgantown.
Jake Vossen - Trumpet '87-'91 now residing in Scottsdale, Arizona reports that Rawhide, the cowboy/western tourist attraction that the WVU Band visited in Jan. 1989 as part of the Fiesta Bowl trip, closed in Oct. 2005. Many members in the '89-'89 WVU Band have fond memories from this trip (other than the game itself) and "Rawhide" was talked about for at least four years after the trip.
E-update Index
Other WVU Music Notes
WVU Hosts Another Successful High School Honor Band Weekend
On February 9-11, 2006 the WVU Band Office hosted 375 high school students at the Creative Arts Center for the annual invitational honor band weekend.
Guest conductors this year included: Don Wilcox, Director of Bands Emeritus at WVU; Kenneth Dye, Director of Bands at University of Notre Dame; and Bob Scott, Band Director at Capital High School in Charleston, West Virginia.
To participate in the honor band event, students are recommended by their high school band directors and selected on the basis of their ability and accomplishments. During the Honor Band Invitational, students audition and rehearse for two days before presenting an annual Honor Bands Concert on the final afternoon. Many high school band directors also accompany their students to the event, which serves as a workshop and observation opportunity for area music teachers.
Omicron Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi to Host an 80th Anniversary Event
Deb Eakins ('77-'81, tuba) reports that WVU's Omicron Chapter will host an 80th Anniversary event to celebrate the fraternity's brotherhood on the WVU campus. Additional details will be announced as plans are fully developed.
Upcoming Dates to Remember
Saturday, March 25 - 2006 WVU Marching Band Feature Twirler Auditions
Tuesday, March 28 - Concert Band/Wind Symphony Concert at the Creative Arts Center (With guest composer David Maslanka)
Saturday, April 8 - 2006 WVU Marching Band Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion, and Colorguard Auditions
Sunday, April 9 - 2006 WVU Marching Band Percussion and Colorguard Auditions (Continued)
Tuesday, April 11 - Concert Band Concert at the Creative Arts Center
Saturday, April 15 - Annual Gold-Blue Game at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium (Kickoff: 12:30 PM)
Tuesday, April 18 - Wind Symphony "Pops" Concert at the Creative Arts Center
Saturday, April 22 - Wind Symphony Concert in Uniontown, Pennsylvania (Tentative time: 2 PM)
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LISTSERV Help
Members interested in LISTSERVs may visit the Alumni Band Website at: http://alumniband.wvu.edu/listservs/ to learn more about how the technology and plans for future use. The Alumni Band LISTSERVs represent an ongoing, evolving project.
If you’d prefer the WVU Alumni Band not e-mail you future periodic updates via this LISTSERV or have general questions, please visit the Alumni Band Website at: http://alumniband.wvu.edu/ to learn how to modify your LISTSERV subscription or more about LISTSERVs in general.
Remember, you can always stay in touch with the WVU Band and Alumni Band by visiting us online. Be sure to check out the Band’s site at: http://www.theprideofwestvirginia.org/ or http://www.wvuband.org/. The Alumni Band site can be visited at: http://alumniband.wvu.edu/.
E-update Index
Let’s go Mountaineers…
Originally Published: February 28, 2006
Last Updated:
February 28, 2006
Editor and Publisher
Wes Nugent, 2005-2006 WVU Alumni Band President
Revisions to this Edition:
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