Alumni

A PROUD LEGACY

From its military roots to the modern day, thousands of UCLA students are connected through membership in the UCLA Marching Band. The opportunities available to today’s band members are the result of the hard work, sacrifice, and community built over decades.

Many alumni living in the greater LA area also play in the UCLA Alumni Band! The Alumni Band has provided more than 50 years of musical service, entertainment, and support to events on and off campus. For more information or to join, please visit their website.

Band Alumni Reunions

We are excited to announce a Fall 2026 Alumni Band Reunion! Registration information and a schedule of events will be forthcoming. We hope to see you this fall!

2018

Yet another record number of band alumni attended the 15th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion with 303 performing at halftime of the Arizona vs. UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl on October 220 2018. Alumni Drum Major Mike O’Gara and Feature Twirler Deb Simek led the Bruin Marching Band playing “Bruin Warriors” across the field to begin the show. The UCLA Bruin Marching Band and the Band Alumni performed a medley of songs from “Phantom of the Opera,” which the Band had previously performed in 2008.

At the end of the rehearsal that day, over 800 Under Armour items including shoes, jackets, shirts, shorts and other apparel were given out to the alumni who were present. A commemorative glass tumbler and sweatshirt were also given out to all participants.

Four alumni received the awards for traveling the furthest distance to participate in the Reunion: Peter Dames from Honolulu, Hawaii, and Stephen Anesi, Mark Cunningham and Michael Cooperman from the Boston, Massachusetts area.

The award for the representative of the earliest UCLA class was given to tuba player Peter Barrett, clarinet player Bernie Harris, snare drummer Karolyn Berkman, and trombone player Dick Robbins who were members of the Band in the 1950s.

Dwayne Milburn, who arranged the current version of “Hail to the Hills of Westwood” and who drew the first artist renderings of our current band uniform, made his first appearance at a Band Alumni Reunion after recently retiring as a band and chorus conductor in the US Army. Dwayne, a clarinet and trombone player who was a member of in the Band from 1983 to 1986, was featured in our most recent Band Newsletter.

Also in attendance were several members of the drumline who were celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 1988 National Championship Marching Percussion Festival in Chicago, including Peter Dames, Ian Fullmer, Ernie Rodriguez, Paul Locke, Brian Kushnir, and Vangie Tangog Theobald.

2016

For the 14th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion, a record of 280 band alumni performed at halftime of the Utah vs. UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl last October. The Band Alumni marched across the field playing the fight song led by Alumni Drum Majors Mike O’Gara and Adam Fletcher. Adam wore a replica 1928 uniform, the Band’s first, provided by the Stanbury Uniform Company.

The combined Bruin Marching Band and the Band Alumni performed a medley of the Disney songs “A Whole New World “ and “Friend Like Me.” In addition to handing out over 500 Adidas items including shoes, jackets, shirts, shorts and other apparel, a commemorative glass tumbler and sweatshirt were also given to all participants.

Seven alumni from the East Coast received the awards for traveling the furthest distance to participate in the Reunion: Les Taylor, Gretchen Buchen, Vangie Tangog Theobald, Bradley Scott, Sabrina McCoy, Rachel Klavir, and Ryan Gochee. The award for the representative of the earliest UCLA class was given to Peter Barrett who joined the Marching Band in 1952.

2014

Over 200 band alumni performed at halftime of the Arizona vs. UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl last November. After marching across the field playing the fight song led by Alumni Drum Majors Keith Kupper and Mike O’Gara, along with Band Alumni Juggler Chris Smith, the Bruin Marching Band and the Band Alumni performed John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

During the rehearsal that day, over 600 Adidas items including shoes, jackets, shirts, shorts and other apparel were given out to the alumni who were present. A commemorative glass tumbler was also given out. Five alumni from the East Coast received the awards for traveling the furthest distance to participate in the Reunion: Krystina Johnson from North Charleston, South Carolina; Sarah Diringer from Durham, North Carolina; Erika Orcutt Johnson from Kenneswa, Georgia; Vangie Tangog Theobald from East Syracuse, New York; and Sabrina McCoy from Somerset, New Jersey.

The awards for the representative of the earliest UCLA class were given to Peter Barrett and Bernard Harris, who joined the Marching Band in 1952 and 1953, respectively, and Karolyn Berkman who joined the Concert Band in 1954.

2012

A record number of UCLA Band Alumni, over 210, participated in last fall’s Reunion Halftime Show. Once again, ENORMOUS quantities of Adidas gear and other apparel were distributed to the participants after the rehearsal.

A medley of beach music, “California Girls,” “Wipeout” and “Surf City,” was the featured song, and yes, the combined UCLA Band and alumni drummers played the famous drum solo on “Wipeout.”
The Distance Award was presented to Faylisa Horton from Seoul, Korea and Kevin Cayton who is currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The Representative from the Earliest UCLA Class was presented to clarinetist Martin Shira who was a member of the Band in 1948!

2010

Over 165 Band Alumni participated in the 11th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion on Saturday, October 30th at halftime of the UCLA vs. Arizona football game. The Halloween theme, featuring a medley of “Ghostbusters” and “Thriller” along with the UCLA Band and the Band Alumni wearing Halloween costumes, was well received by the Rose Bowl crowd.

Despite a massive storm that rained all night and early morning, the skies cleared just as the rehearsal began at 9:00am. Huge quantities of adidas gear and other apparel were distributed to the particpants after the rehearsal.

The Distance Award was presented to Peter Dames, who came all the way from Veldhoven, the Netherlands, and the Representative from the Earliest UCLA Class was presented to three band alumni – tuba player Peter Barrett, piccolo player Paul Hill and Drum Major Kim Strutt, who all were in the UCLA Band in the 1950’s.

2008

The 10th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion was held at halftime of the UCLA vs. Oregon State football game on November 8th. All band alumni participating in the rehearsal and performance received a free band apparel item! The featured song for this year’s Reunion was Al Vizzutti’s “Fire Dance,” featuring alumni trumpet soloists Wil Rose, Mike Hunter, and Dean Blodgett. The number of alumni participating was a near-record 187.

Award winners included Distance Award winners Gretchen Buchen, Brian Hobbs, Vangie Tangog, Sabrina McCoy and Ann Flavin, all now living on the East Coast. The representatives of the earliest class were Paul Hill and Drum Major Kim Strutt.

2006

UCLA Band Alumni participated in the special Halloween halftime show at the UCLA vs. Washington State football game on October 28th. Music for the show included “The Munsters”, “The Addam’s Family” and “Ghostbusters”, inspiring many of the alumni to join the UCLA Band in wearing festive Halloween costumes.

Award winners included Distance Award winners Sabrina McCoy who is now living in New Jersey, and Alex DeVorkin who just returned from a tour of duty in Baghdad, Iraq. The representative of the earliest class was Drum Major Kim Strutt, who graduated in 1961.

All participating alumni were given several items of clothing from the Band’s adidas allocation, and the current members of the Band thanked the alumni for their help in making the trip to Notre Dame the previous week a reality.

2004

The Band Alumni Reunion at halftime of the Stanford game was a great success with over 130 band alumni participating. Awards went to cymbal player Vangie Tangog, class of 1990, for traveling the furthest distance (Honolulu, Hawaii), and snare drummer Albert Hook, class of 1949, as the representative of the earliest UCLA class. The Band Alumni were led onto the field by Alumni Drum Majors Kim Strutt and Donald McCampbell, and Alumnae Golden Girl Veena Goel, who is the reigning Miss California and was Fourth Runner-up in this year’s Miss America Pageant.

In 1984, 125 members of the UCLA Band were members of the 736-member Los Angeles Olympic All-American Band that performed at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and following the Band Alumni’s entrance onto the field playing “Sons of Westwood”, the Bruin Marching Band and the Band Alumni joined forces for Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing”, recalling music from the Opening Ceremonies of the Los Angeles Olympic twenty years ago. Ten of the Band Alumni wore various parts of their Olympic uniforms, including five with their complete uniforms!

Next, the combined bands formed the Olympic Rings, and played John Williams’ “Olympic Fanfare and Theme” as twenty of UCLA’s 2004 Olympians were introduced. The show concluded to great applause as hundreds of doves were released from inside the Olympic Rings.

2002

The 7th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion was held on October 26, 2002, at the Stanford game as part of UCLA’s Homecoming activities. The Band Alumni, along with the UCLA Band, performed a medley of Elvis Presley tunes including “Viva Las Vegas”, “I Can’t Stop Falling in Love with You”, and “Jailhouse Rock”. John Leitch, who served as Alumni Drum Major, and Flag Twirler Susan Moses won the Distance Awards for traveling from New York and Virginia, respectively.

Barry Bertram won the Award for Representative of the Earliest UCLA Class and also celebrated his 90th birthday the same day! You can read about Barry’s colorful service as Band Manager in the early 1930’s on the Band’s website at www.uclaband.com/photoalbum in the “Daily Bruin” section.

2000

The 6th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion was held on Saturday, November 4, 2000, at the Homecoming football game versus Stanford. Over 150 Band Alumni, along with the Bruin Marching Band, performed a medley of hits from Saturday Night Fever, which had been part of the Band’s famous “Disco Show” from the 1993 season.Yet another record number of band alumni attended the 15th Biennial Band Alumni Reunion with 303 performing at halftime of the Arizona vs. UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl on October 220 2018. Alumni Drum Major Mike O’Gara and Feature Twirler Deb Simek led the Bruin Marching Band playing “Bruin Warriors” across the field to begin the show. The UCLA Bruin Marching Band and the Band Alumni performed a medley of songs from “Phantom of the Opera,” which the Band had previously performed in 2008.

John V. Vaughn won the award for “Representative of the Earliest UCLA Class”. John was the Band’s first Drum Major in 1928. Wayne Primeau won the “Distance Award” for this year’s Band Alumni Reunion. Wayne traveled all the way from Moscow, Russia, where he works for the Canadian Embassy.

1998

The 5th Biannual Band Alumni Reunion was held on Saturday, October 31, 1998, at the Homecoming football game versus Stanford. Over 150 band alumni participated in the special Halloween halftime show that included “Ghostbusters” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. The “Thriller” zombie dance routine was a hit with the audience.

The current band members enjoyed performing with the alumni who helped to create the tradition of the Solid Gold Sound. The free T-shirt designed for the event by Solid Gold Sound Club member Michael Quinn and given to all participating alumni was also very well received.

Alumni trombonist Barry Bertram, a 1935 UCLA graduate, won the award for the representative from the earliest class. Alumni flutist Martine Micozzi won the distance award for traveling from South Korea for the event. Alumni Drum Major Kim Strutt won the award for best costume.

1996

Over 150 Band Alumni charged across the field at halftime of the UCLA vs. Stanford game on November 2, 1996. Nick Curea, who served as the Band Announcer from 1967 to 1984, served as announcer for this show. Following the playing of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by the combined bands, awards were given to Ed Kirk, who traveled from Buffalo, New York, and Barry Bertram, who graduated in 1935.

1994

Over 150 Band Alumni played “Sons of Westwood” as they marching across the field during halftime of the UCLA vs. Stanford game on October 29, 1994. The combined bands played a medley of songs by Henry Mancini – “Moon River,” “Pink Panther,” and “Peter Gunn.” Awards were given to two special alumni. The alumnus who traveled the furthest distance was Wayne Primeau from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The representative of the earliest class was Richard Andersen, who was a member of the Band in 1928 when the Band was conducted in a ceremony by John Philip Sousa, in his final trip to Los Angeles. At the Reunion, Richard played the same Albert system Clarinet that he played in 1928.

Richard had traveled by boat from his home in Fairbanks, Alaska to study Engineering at UC Berkeley, however, when he arrived there, classes had already started so he was unable to enroll. UCLA had not started yet, so he hurried down to Los Angeles to enroll there. Richard stayed one year before transferring to UC Berkeley.

1992

Over 160 participated in this year’s event at the UCLA vs. Oregon State on November 7, 1992. The combined bands played a medley of “Two O’Clock Jump,” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.”

There were two recipients of the award for the alumni who traveled the furthest distance to participate. They were Marcia Nelson from Nashville, Tennessee, and Peter Dames from Tokyo, Japan. The representative of the earliest class was once again Ed Peatross, who was the Drum Major of the Band in 1935.

1990

The first Biennial Band Alumni Reunion was held at the UCLA vs. Oregon State football game on October 27, 1990. The combined bands played “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

The two recipients of the award for the alumni who traveled the furthest distance to participate were Greg and Connie Hanzel from Herndon, Virginia. The representative of the earliest class was Ed Peatross, who was the Drum Major of the Band in 1935.

The show concluded with the combined bands playing “Hail to the Hills of Westwood,” and “The Mighty Bruins.”

Memories in Motion

Take a look back at our unforgettable moments, showcasing the spirit and talent of our band.

MTV VMA Red Carpet Pre-Show

The Amazing Race

2016 - The Ellen Show, 13th Season "Halftime"

2015 - The Goldbergs "Barry Goldberg's Day Off"

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