KEVIN KLAUS

Conductors Bryan Holbrook, left, and Alan Mills lead this year's audition-free Campus Band. Bruce Taylor, the band's third conductor, is not shown.

Tuesday August 28, 2001 |

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Campus Band seeks performers to be led by experienced directors

There are a variety of performing ensembles within the School of Music. The no-audition-required Campus Band is one of them, and the group is looking for more performers.

The band, with 42 current members, needs more players to put them at its goal of 60 total participants. General music-reading skills are required.

This year, the conductors of the group are Bryan Holbrook, Alan Mills and Bruce Taylor. Each has a substantial educational and practical experience in leading music makers.

Performance experience can boost a future musician's resume, and music skills can increase just about anyone's marketability, Taylor said.

"Businesses look for people with music on their resumes because it tells them that this person is a team player, that they are committed to a long-term goal, and that they are artistic and creative," Taylor said.

People involved in Campus Band often study a wide range of academic disciplines, including music, psychology, math and engineering.

"Being artistic and creative are sometimes valued more than knowledge itself, regardless of the field," Taylor said.

Holbrook said Campus Band is the best opportunity a person can have to play without anxieties.

"The common goal is to play great music and to have fun," Holbrook said. "We're serious about the music we play, but we still want to have fun."

Taylor holds bachelor's degrees in architecture, music and music education. He received his master's in conducting from the University of Missouri, and is currently working on a doctoral degree in conducting. He directed ensembles at Central Memorial Performing Arts School, and was the staging coordinator for opening ceremonies of the XV Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.

"I think there are a lot of students that played (in band) in high school," Taylor said. "Campus Band is an opportunity to come out and make music and have fun. It is not high school. You (participants) have the chance to come out one time a week and do something out of the routine."

Holbrook is a graduate teaching assistant for various UA bands and is currently working on his master's degree in wind conducting. He has a bachelor's degree in music education from UA, and has been teaching at Dodge Middle School for two years.

Mills is also a graduate teaching assistant for various UA bands, and is currently working on his doctorate of musical arts in wind band conducting. He holds a bachelor's degree in music performance on both piano and trumpet, and a master's degree in music education. He has taught high school and middle school bands concurrently for the past nine years, and recently decided to teach collegiate bands full time.

"It (Campus Band) is a nice diversion from 'normal' classroom activities in an unintimidating environment," Mills said. "There are no auditions and no chair placements."

Taylor said playing in Campus Band could round out a busy student's academic schedule.

"In this day and age, people are obsessed with instant gratification as opposed to long-term satisfaction," Taylor said. "Music is a wonderful balance in all that."

Campus Band meets every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in room 162 of the Music building. It will perform one concert Nov. 27. The music selections it will perform have yet to be determined.