he quantity and quality ofmusic and musicians that haveemerged from Northern over

the years is noteworthy, so to speak.Whether they were nurtured as amusic major in the music depart-ment, as a member of the marchingband, by a fellow musical roommate,or as a part of a student band playingweekend gigs, something about theprocess of undergoing an education atNorthern leads many to a lifetime ofmemories tied to music or to makinga career of it. Here are some of thefolks out there doing just that, or oncampus spreading the science, art andjoy of sound around to a new batchof inspired students.

Today's NMU Music Depart-ment has 10 full-time facultymembers overseeing about 100 musicmajors and minors and a dozenensembles. Additionally, a largenumber of Northern students whoare not music majors or minorsinteract with the department by

participating in one of the ensemblesor by taking a music class for liberalstudy or elective purposes.

Did you know that:

X NMU certified music graduateshave a 100 percent placement ratedue to the national shortage of certi-fied music teachers. “There is themisconception that jobs for musicteachers are hard to come by whenactually there is a demand for some-one who is certified to teach music,”says Don Grant, department head.

X NMU is the only Michigan univer-sity to have Wenger V-Rooms, whichwere constructed as part of theThomas Fine Arts renovation in2005. The V-Room practice suitesuse technology to recreate theacoustics of world class venues. Thetechnology enables students to switchthe acoustics of a musical space likechanging channels on a television set.Push a button, and a student is trans-ported to center stage. Press another,and the student is seated in a gothiccathedral. Students can immediatelysense how to adapt theirplaying/singing for differing environ-ments. NMU's percussion ensembleroom is the largest Wenger studioever built.

X About 950 students take MU 125:Music in Society each year. ProfessorFloyd Slotterback always gets con-fused looks then chuckles from hisMusic in Society students when heintroduces them to John Cage's 4-33composition, in which the composerspecified that the performer should

“sit at the piano, get outa stop watch, start it,then sit and wait forexactly four minutes and 33 seconds.The music comes from the audiencenoises and environmental sounds, notfrom the piano,” says Slotterback.“So, as the last listening identificationquestion on my final, I play nothingbut silence and ask for the name andcomposer of the work.”

X The NMU Jazz Festival has beenheld for more than 20 years. Recentguest performers have included com-poser/arranger Fred Sturm, pianistBill Carrothers and violinist RandySabien. High school jazz bands fromthroughout the state attend the festi-val and participate in workshops witheach year's guest artist. The 2010 fes-tival will take place on April 16 andfeature jazz vocalist Kevin Mahogany.

X Reynolds Recital Hall, which wasmade possible in part by a contribu-tion from the Phyllis Reynolds familyof Marquette, is now where most ofthe NMU Music Department's 25-30concerts take place. Opened in 2005,the 300-seat venue is known for itsexceptional acoustics, a majorimprovement over Jamrich Hall,where concerts were held in the past.

Making music

T

Cover story

S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 9

Bugs Beddowwake up with joy every morning, knowingit’s going to be a music-filled day,” says BugsBeddow ’75 BME, trombonist with the

namesake Bugs Beddow Band, voted Detroit’s BestR&B Band for the past five years. Not to be pigeon-holed, Beddow was also recognized as the city’sOutstanding Classical Performer.

He describes his band’s sound as “hot, danceablerockin’ rhythm and blues with a lot of rhythmicstress—leading to toe tapping.” They have ninealbums. “I’m so proud of my band,” he says, addingthat they all sing on top of being amazing musicians.

Between his band playing 120-150 gigs eachyear and his own performance in 10 classical con-certs, he teaches music at three different schools fivedays a week, offers private lessons in the evening andheads up White Sabbath, the youth Christian rockgroup at his church. He also runs his band’s Web siteand bookings and has been a voting member of theGrammy’s since 2005. He chuckles, looking back athis days at Northern, when he thought that musicwould be an easy way to make money.

Beddow actually started in the pre-dentistryprogram, per his grandmother’s wishes. But he soondiscovered that “God’s work for me was the trom-bone and music.” He credits histeachers at Northern, likeRobert Stephenson and RonCaviani, Sr., for helpingshow him the way.“Caviani taught lifelessons and music lessons.He kept me from gettinga big head!” Beddow playedin the NMU jazz, concert,pep and marching bands andwind ensemble. On the side, he was

in local bands such as Cooper Lake Drive andRusty and the Troubadours. He recalls one

show at Snuffy’s, where “two huge guys got ina fight near the stage, and in slow motion I

saw 400 pounds of Yooper land on my trom-bone. Because I couldn’t play the second half of

the set they only paid me $10 that night!”At NMU, he had the pleasure of playing

with jazz greats Woody Herman, Stan Kenton andMaynard Ferguson. Since, he and his band haveshared the stage with Spyro Gyra, Blood, Sweat, &Tears, Boz Scaggs, Robert Cray and Eddie Money,recorded with Earl Klugh and have an album outwith Detroit legend Mitch Ryder, “How I Spent MyVacation.” Beddow also was in the 1992 movieHoffa, with Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito andArmand Assante.

“As a performer, I think I set a good examplefor students,” he says. “I’m not just some guy barkingout orders. I’m out there doing it.” He notes that it’sa reciprocal relationship: “The children help keep meyoung and give me a lot of musical feedback. Andthey’ve taught me to be a nicer person.”

Other teachers ask him how he gets to thestudents the way he does, commenting that they’vebeen hearing kids singing or humming a certain tuneall week.

“It doesn’t cost any money to hum a song,” hesays. “It’s good entertainment.”

www.bugsbeddow.com

“I

They’ve got the music in them

Beddow, center, and his band

“As a performer, I think I set a good

example for students.I’m not just some guy

barking out orders.I’m out there

doing it.”

10 H O R I Z O N S

By Rebecca Tavernini

S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 11

ercury poured over velvet and satin” is howKirsten Gustafson’s voice is described on

MySpace. Still, she claims she’s a terrible karaoke singer. “I need that live interaction,” says Gustafson ’86 BA.

“It’s got to be created right now.” While she likes manykinds of music, “jazz has the most freedom in it. It’salmost 100 percent creative.”

That doesn’t mean this Atlantic Records recordingartist can’t front a band. In 2007 she toured with theNelson Riddle Orchestra, starring in a tribute show toElla Fitzgerald. Previously, she was with Samba Bamba!,the house band at a popular Chicago club, also perform-ing in New York and L.A. This was after a stretch playingin Paris bistros and nightclubs and being invited toperform at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland—allon the heels of her critically acclaimed debut solo CD,

“You Taught My Heart to Sing,” in 1992. Despite having piano lessons as a

child, playing French horn in highschool and spending a life-changingsummer at Interlochen at 16, she wasnot involved in music programs at allwhile at Northern, though she did sing

with saxophonist Cab Whitmore. Hermajor was German, and she had planned

to teach.“One thing led to another,” she recalls. “Music is not a

thing you can stop. It’s always in you. It plays in my head allthe time. When I hear people talking, it turns to songs.”

These days, she continues harnessing her musicalengine, back in the Marquette area, working on analbum with Dave Zeigner ’06 BS, performing at

local venues, awaiting the release of a new album,“Wait Until Dark”—a reinterpretation of Led Zeppelin

and Emerson, Lake and Palmer songs (“quite a depar-ture” she says)—and quietly celebrating the just-released“Ladies Sing for Lovers,” a posthumous release of FrankMantooth compositions performed by twelve of hisfavorite singers, with Gustafson contributing “When DidYou Leave Heaven?” She’ll also be featured on a live CDcelebrating the 75th anniversary of Baker’s KeyboardLounge, Detroit’s oldest jazz club.

In the meantime, she does voice overs and jingles, is arepresentative for a natural food and herb company andmanages property. “I’ve done all kinds of work. You haveto do that as a musician,” she says. Her favorite day job,though, was photo retouching—before the digital age.“Using color discernment skills, working with a brush… Ijust love things like that.”

That sounds a lot like the techniques she brings toher heartfelt, colorful interpretation of jazz standards.

www.myspace/kirstengustafson

ou can say I’m an accidental musician,” explainsRick Leppanen ’72 BS. “Coming home fromfootball practice at Marquette Senior High

School, I got in an auto accident and ended up in thehospital for 101 days. My mother said, ‘You need some-thing to do,’ and bought me a guitar.”

He taught himself to play and eventually music tookover his pursuit of a civil engineering degree. Though heended up with a degree in math, his senior year consisted

“MKirsten Gustafson

“When I hearpeople talking,

it turns tosongs.”

“YRick Leppanen

Pearl Django, with Leppanen at top right

12 H O R I Z O N S

of only music classes (and playing in local rock bands).On the cusp of graduating, he was offered the chance togo on the road with a band and headed to New YorkCity. Though that fell through, after he got to the BigApple, he learned of someone who needed a bass playerin Florida for a variety showband, playing wholesomemusic—The Main Street Singers. The popular groupwould later be the centerpiece of the 2003 ChristopherGuest mockumentary A Mighty Wind.

Eventually he and his partner, Cherrie Adams ’80BME, ended up in Seattle, she as an award-winningelementary school music teacher, and he with a newband dedicated to playing gypsy jazz or Hot Club music.The band, Pearl Django, is inspired by the French cre-ator of the 1930’s/’40’s musical genre, Django Reinhardt,and was one of the first U.S. groups to make it their pri-mary style of music.

Leppanen, who plays double bass, describes it as “asweet, intimate sound, with lots of use of melody.” Withno drums, and a soothing presence of accordion, key-boards and strings, it instantly creates a sense of sitting ina Left Bank café on a summer day. Pearl Django hasbeen together for 15 years (and yes, the name is a nod tofellow Seattle rockers Pearl Jam, or Pearl Djam, asLeppanen spells it). When they were featured onNational Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” in 2001“it was a major shot in the arm,” reports Leppanen. So

was airplay on KPLU, the mostpopular streamed jazz station

in the world. They’ve alsobeen voted Best Jazz Bandin Seattle. All that has ledto nine albums with salesof over 60,000 CDs (animpressive number for

jazz sales), whichLeppanen manages through

the band’s Modern HotRecords Label. “You have to wear

many hats to survive as a musician,” he comments,adding that, “you’re always re-auditioning for work, hav-ing to prove yourself time and again. There’s lots of com-petition; it’s a fun job and lots of people want to do it.

Leppanen loves the familiarity, collaboration andevolution of the group, which tours internationally. “Ourmusic has a strong feeling of movement. We’ll often keepdeveloping or changing a song after it’s recorded. Doingsomething identical to the last performance means you’renot a jazz group. We want to keep growing.”

www.pearldjango.com

pring Runoff” sounds like a swiftly flowingU.P. stream in April. “Wanna Be a Trout Bum”is about living downstate longing for the U.P.

And “Drink My Dinner,” well, you can guess. “Marquette makes our music sound the way it

does,” says Adam Carpenter ’95 BS of Chasin’ Steel.“The isolation of the U.P. put us in a bubble while wewere developing our sound. We wanted to appeal toToivo Maki and the everyday person.” What developedwas a hybrid of acoustic bluegrass with a high-energyrock n’ roll edge and a bit of country thrown in. And agreat friendship among Carpenter and brothers Jacob’04 BS and Jonah ’03 AAS Kuhlman.

It all started in typical U.P. fashion, too, at a TroutUnlimited meeting, where Adam, who was on the board,met Jacob, who was president of the group’s studentassociation. Their love of fishing is behind the band’sname, referring to steelhead salmon. They combinedtheir already impressive musical skills and even somesongs Carpenter had crafted as a student at Northern.This summer, seven years after meeting, they’ll be thefeatured act at the Trout Unlimited NationalConvention. With two albums, gigs at the Michigan FlyFishing Festival, on a Caribbean Bluegrass Cruise, and asopening acts for such big names as the Nitty Gritty DirtBand and Dierks Bentley, Chasin’ Steel has found theirniche. And they still find time to scout out a good flyfishing stream when they’re on the road.

Fittingly, Carpenter, lead vocalist and mandolinplayer, is also host of a daily radio show, “The OutdoorReport,” and uses his skills as a pubic relations major tomarket the band. Banjo maestro Jacob gives lessons at amusic store and Jonah, on guitar and hammered

When Pearl Django was

featured onNational Public

Radio’s All ThingsConsidered “it was amajor shot in the

arm.”

Chasin’ SteelChasin’ Steel, with Adam Carpenter holding fish

“S

S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 13

dulcimer, is a production supervisor ata manufacturing plant.

“It was a real blessing when wegot together. They’re phenomenalmusicians,” says Carpenter. “Wesometimes become spectators watch-ing the others play and have to snapout of it and get back to our part in thesong.

“People are turned on by the energy in ourband. We can’t stand the idea of being backgroundmusic,” Carpenter adds. “We want everyone to get upand dance!”

www.chasinsteel.com

modern version of a one-man band is how onemight describe James Faccio ’06 Cert. of ABeautiful Silence, who plays guitar, bass guitar,

drums and piano. But you won’t find him busking on astreet corner, with his guitar case open for tips. Instead,more than a million people have found him on MySpaceand YouTube.

“Without the Internet, honestly, I wouldn’t be as faras I am now,” says the 22-year-old who also writes,records and produces all of his own songs. “I would say

90 percent of the people who know who I amcame across my music on the Internet. I makeabout 90 percent of my music sales throughmy online store and iTunes. The Internet hashad a huge impact on music.”

Faccio says that in the eight years sincehe started playing music (after getting a paper

route in order to buy a guitar) there has been adramatic transformation of the tools available online

for independent artists. Still, “You can’t just make a goodrecord and expect people to find you. You have to findthem,” he says. The very tools that have allowed him tocreate his music and a huge following are also the onesenabling others to as well. “You really have to be some-thing special to get heard in the flood of music there isout there.”

The toughest thing about being an independentartist, he says, is paying for everything himself with anymoney made going back into things like paying for gas,food and restocking merchandise. “The advantages aregreat, though, especially as a songwriter, because whenpeople hear them and like them, there is a real feeling ofsatisfaction I get from that.”

Given that Faccio works full time as an aircraftmechanic, goes to school full time at NMU and isserving in the Army National Guard, it’s remarkable thathe has time for music, which he fits in by performingweekend shows and writing and playing on his own anychance he can. “Music gets me through every day. It’samazing how it can influence your moods and make youfeel better.”

Specializing in sound and lyrics he describes as“head-over-heels admiration set to light drum machinepulsations and acoustic guitar accents,” it’s easy to seehow he could be a virtual crowd pleaser.

www.abeautifulsilence.com

Chasin’ Steel hasfound their niche,and they still find

time to scout out agood fly fishing

stream.

James Faccio

A “Ninety percent of the

people who knowwho I am came across

my music on theInternet.”

continued on next page . . .

14 H O R I Z O N S

eeping a band together is never an easy thing,explains Obadiah Metivier ’08 BS. “Afterplaying with previous bands that disintegrated for

various reasons, I decided to start my own project so thatI could ensure its continuity. Terracotta half-life was theresult. Over the last four years or so, we've had about 16different people in this band. Most were NMU studentsat the time and many have moved elsewhere in search ofjobs after graduating. I think it’s important to share astrong vision of what the band should be, and to take thenecessary steps to make it reality.”

Keyboardist Kevin Baker ’09 BS, agrees that it’scool Metivier has kept the band together despite all ofthe changes in the lineup. As much as he enjoys being apart of the band, with its musical style described as

“tropical funk,” he can’t help hopinghe’ll soon be creating another

hole to fill. “As a recentgraduate, I've actively beenpursuing jobs pertinent tomy degree in psychology/human biology,” he says.

“It’s a drag considering thatthis inevitably means having

to leave the Marquette area andmy gig with Terracotta half-life.

Where I'll end up is really in the air, but music is alwaysgoing to be a big part of what keeps me going.”

On the other hand, singer Jennie Peano ’08 BFA

(who studied voice with Kirsten Gustafson—see page11), is thinking that going back to school will actuallyhelp her find more time for music. “I have a BFA inphotography, but I discovered that doing photography asa full- time job would leave me with very little time for

my music,” she says. “I am currently going toschool to be an RN. By being a nurse, I will

have the option to work only a few daysa week and have plenty of free time for

singing and writing music. I don't everwant my creative outlets to feel like work.

Music is how I express myself and escape fromboth the chaos and the mundane chores of

everyday life.”Membership in the band is not limited to stu-

dents or recent grads, however. Art and Design pro-fessor Steve Leuthold plays wind instruments with

the group. “Keeping a band together requires a delicatebalance of democracy and leadership; a shared sense ofmusical direction amongst the members, combined witha tolerance for varying tastes and ideas; and a mutualrespect so that major personality clashes do not occur,”an equilibrium he finds that exists with Terracotta.“Having places to gig, projects to record or other long-term goals also provides cohesion. Mostly, there shouldbe a spirit of fun or people will lose interest.”

Metivier, a computer information systems alumnuswho runs a Web design company called Middle EarMedia, adds that having a good, solid band—even onethat’s constantly transforming— is not enough. “Livemusic requires interested, supportive audiences. Get outand hear some live music this week!” n

Terracotta half-life

Current members of Terracotta half-life, from left, areKevin Baker, Chris Potter, Jennie Peano, Obadiah Metivier andMatt Olson. Aaron Kippola and Steve Leuthold are not pictured.

K

“Keeping a bandtogether requires adelicate balance of

democracy andleadership.”

HorizonsJukebox

Listen to songs fromthese artists andother NMU alumnimusicians atwww.nmu.edu/horizons

www.terracottahalflife.com

S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 15

or the past several summers, PhilWatts has returned to theAppalachian Mountains near his

native North Carolina. The NMUHPER professor gets in some rockclimbing, a favorite hobby and thefocus of much of his scholarlyresearch. But his real motivation is toinvigorate his longtime passion for theold-time “hillbilly” music made popu-lar by the Carter Family in the 1920sand featured more recently on the OBrother Where Art Thou soundtrack.

Watts and his family attend anintensive week-long seminar at theAugusta Heritage Center in WestVirginia. It features classes led by tradi-tional musicians and those dedicatedto preserving the art form, workshopsand jam sessions, adding up to totalimmersion in Appalachian music.

“I grew up with it and I try tokeep that interest alive even thoughI’ve been in Marquette for 31 years,”Watts says. Watts serves on the boardof the Hiawatha Music Cooperative,which hosts a summer festival atMarquette’s Tourist Park and offers ascholarship to send a young person tothe Augusta Heritage Center. He alsoparticipates in local acoustic musicjams. “I’m a real believer in commu-nity recreational music instead ofalways having to be on a stage

performing everywhere. We just sit ina circle and take turns leading songs.”

The guitar is his main instrument,but Watts also dabbles in mountaindulcimer and the old-time claw ham-mer banjo. His wife, Annette—aVirginia native—plays autoharp. Thecouple enjoys singing old “modal” har-monies and their daughter, Salem,joins in on vocals and guitar.

Watts is one of several NMUfaculty and staff members whomoonlight as musicians. While hisinterest is in recreation rather thanpublic performance, there are somewho enjoy entertaining audiences intheir free time. Here are just a fewexamples:

• Dan Truckey ’90 BS, director ofthe Beaumier U.P. Heritage Centerand Northern’s InternationalPerforming Arts Series, is asinger/songwriter. He performs avariety of genres as a solo artist andcontemporary folk with his brother,Drew, as the Truckey Boys. The duoreleased one CD and Dan has threesolo recordings to his credit. Truckeystarted performing folk when he wasa student at NMU. He also played inthe university jazz band and evenjoined the cast of an opera under thedirection of professor Rob Engelhart.He complements his vocal skills byplaying guitar, bass, saxophone andpercussion.

“I perform music because Iwould go crazy if I didn’t, and I havean understanding spouse,” Truckeysays. “I need that creative outletbecause I wouldn’t have one other-wise. I’m not an artist. I can’t writeprose very well. Since I was a child,music was my main creative bent. Ilove being around other musicians as

well because I’m as much a fan of itas a performer.” • Biologist Brent Graves is a memberof two local bands: the FlyingMartini Brothers, which performs aneclectic mix and also features art anddesign faculty member Rob LaLonde;and Two Track Ramblers, a bluegrass-type group that includes NMU alum-ni Jason Moody, Doug Kitchel andJamie Kitchel.

“When my kids were little, mywife was working nights. I’d go outand play and come home and pay thebabysitter more than I made. It’s real-ly not about the money. Anything Imake I put back into equipment andinstruments anyway. It’s a lot of funto get out in front of people and play.There’s a tight-knit group of peoplein town who play quite a bit.” • Mike Letts ’84 BFA recalls keep-ing busy in bands four to five nightsa week as an undergraduate with allof the Marquette establishments thatoffered live music. Letts eventuallyjoined the NMU art and design fac-ulty, but music remains a vital part ofhis life. He writes original songs,plays guitar and sings with the FlatBroke Blues Band. NMU alumniWalt Lindala ’90 BS, MarkJohnson ’94 BA, ’99 MA and LorrieHayes ’83 BFA, ’86 MA are alsomembers. Letts has also performedwith The Queen City Rockers, NewRiders of the Seney Stretch, CountryTradition and others.

“As an artist, music is a productof my creative process, especially indoing original music. It’s no coinci-dence that many on the art facultyplay instruments. Many studentsshare that interest, so they will comeout to our gigs. Seeing a role modelof ways to live a creative lifestyle is abig motivator. Music is excellent forkeeping an active mind, and it’s agreat feeling to help people have funand get them dancing.” n

Moonlighting musicians

Professor Phil Watts and family

By Kris t i Evans

F

fter 40 years of teaching atNMU, and at 70 years of

age, Elda Tate isn't planning to stopanytime soon.

The numbers don't make her arelic; her student-organized birthdayparty was a hot event on Facebook,and she holds classes with trademarkenthusiasm and humor. She alsocontinues to perform on her choseninstrument, the flute, in concertsand recitals in the area.

"I love to teach," Tate says,adding she enjoys the music theoryand history classes, but the fluteclass is something different. It's away to return to how earlier culturessaw music, as a basic skill everyonelearned as part of everyday life.

"The Native American flute isan instrument anyone can play, andit sounds so beautiful," she says."Some of the things we play take somuch work and so many years tosound good, and it's something peo-ple can get into music by playingwithout investing their whole lives."

Tate is originally from the GulfCoast of Texas and attended DelmarCollege in Corpus Christi beforegetting a doctorate in music fromthe University of Texas. She thenmoved to New York City to studyflute under the principal flutists ofthe New York City Opera and theMetropolitan Opera. She spent timethere playing in opera and sym-phonic orchestras before getting intoteaching.

Northern was looking for aflute professor and found her.

"I was in New York playing andstudying, and one of my best friendswas teaching here. There was anopening and he called me and urgedme to apply," she recalls. "I wasinterested in teaching at a university,so I decided to try it."

Since then, Marquette has beenthe inspiration for her interest inAmerican Indian music.

"The way of life and the con-nection to the Earth, and this is justsuch a beautiful place, it makessense to study that," she says.

Her colleagues, past and pres-ent, have only good things to sayabout Tate, who also served asdepartment head for 14 years.

Current NMU MusicDepartment head Don Grant alsoattended Delmar College and said asa new student, he recalled seeingTate's photo posted on the depart-ment wall there, as an instrumentalmusic competition winner.

"I knew who Elda was before Iknew Elda," Grant says.

In the years following, theybecame classmates in the same doc-toral program at the University ofTexas.

"She's the kind of person that ifyou need something done, you cancount on Elda to get it done," hesays, noting she has taught "justabout everything" in the musicdepartment.

Grant praised Tate's commit-ment to teaching and to NMU.

"(She's) a very altruistic spirit,very dedicated to her students andvery dedicated to Northern. I don'tknow many people anywhere inteaching who've been in one placefor that amount of time."

Diane Veale teaches music inSpencer, Wis., but was a graduateassistant in NMU's Music

Department in the early 1980s andstill maintains a friendship withTate, her former teacher.

"She always had a sparkle abouther," Veale says. "It's hard to believeshe's 70. She was always just so cre-ative and open-minded, and so curi-ous. I always admired that abouther, that thirst for knowledge, whichshe still has."

Veale says Tate's love for lifemakes her beloved by her studentsand an asset to NMU.

"She's just always looking for thehumor in things and always very light-hearted. The things she takes seriously,she really takes seriously— but she'sserious about having fun." n

Reprinted with permission by The Mining

Journal, September 13, 2008.

Carrying a tune at NMU over four decadesBy Kim Hoyum ’06 BS

A

16 H O R I Z O N S

It's a way to return to how earlier cultures saw music, as a basic skill everyone

learned as part of everyday life.

A Drum Lessonike Treacy didn't make the NativeAmerican hand drum for hisNative American Experience class

project because he wanted to delighthis three young children—althoughthey do love Dad's drum. He choseto make the drum because he lovesbuilding challenges.

Having worked in the partsmanufacturing industry for about sixyears, Treacy says that one thing hemisses about his former occupation isbuilding things from scratch. “At myold job, the engineers would walk inand tell us, 'I just a told customer wecould do this, now you guys figure outhow.' I loved that part of the job.”

Treacy, who plays guitar, bassguitar and mandolin, also has aninterest in music of his Irish heritageand was pleased to find numeroussimilarities between the bodhrán, a

hand-held drum used in Irish folkmusic, and the traditional NativeAmerican hand drum.

“When trying to understandanother culture it is often easiest tofocus on the similarities first. Afterthat, even the differences tend toseem less different,” he explains.

For materials Treacy selected amaple hoop for the frame, elk hidefor the drum face, and water buffalorawhide lace.

The effort was as much a math

project as a one related to music andculture because pivotal steps includedfinding the exact center of the hideand calculating perfectly spaced holesthrough which to lace the webbinginto the intricate cross pattern thatpulls the hide tight and establishesthe tone of the drum.

For the drum beater, Treacy useda stick he found at the NMU fire sitelocated next to Whitman Hall. “Ithought that added some deepermeaning to the drum.”

Throughout the process Treacytook photographs and created a step-by-step instructional CD on NativeAmerican hand drum building.

Treacy’s taking an Ojibwalanguage course this fall, and plans tocontinue making drums. “I've got adeer hide waiting for me downstateso one day I can build another, largerdrum,” he says.

If you'd like to build a NativeAmerican drum, check out MikeTreacy's step-by-step instructions atwww.nmu.edu/horizons. n

By Cindy Paavola ’84 BS

M

18 H O R I Z O N S

e've all done it—squeezed the arm of a movie theater seat tightly as chords of daunting music

began to play, warning us that terror was coming in thenext frame, or started to chuckle when notes startedskipping crazily just before on-screen antics. With orwithout words, music speaks to us.

“As far back as I can remember, I have been interest-ed in the way that music can bring media productions tolife,” says Mark Shevy, assistant professor in the NMUCommunication and Performance Studies Departmentand son of NMU alumni Delmar ’65 BS and Sally(Holmund) ’67 BS Shevy. “It can help make a comedyseem funnier; an argument seem more persuasive; avictory seem sweeter or a defeat more solemn.

“Despite all this potential, music communication hasnot been studied as much through empirical research asother forms of communication have. That's where I comein. I am trying to figure out how music impacts us psy-chologically, so that we can find ways of using it moreeffectively or for developing new forms of music that willreally connect with listeners.”

Shevy's curiosity about choice of music began as anundergraduate. “While creating video and audio projectsas a telecommunications student at Michigan StateUniversity, I'd find myself wondering what music to useto convey just the right message. Over time it occurred tome that a lot of the film and video production industry isnot approaching the music element scientifically. Often,music is the afterthought, the thing that is done right atthe end. In the case of many commercials, different kindsof music are tried to see what fits—not very scientific.”

Shevy's studies of music communications explore thecognitive and emotional effects of multimedia music—infilm, television or other video—popular music and newnon-diatonic music. In multimedia music, his researchexplores how the mood conveyed by music changes theaudiences' evaluation of a character and the film overall.

He conducts the studies online so students can view

video clips and answer questions about it on their owncomputers. “The students enjoy participating becausethey get to kick back and watch a short movie and thenanswer simple questions like, 'Was the main charactertrustworthy?' or 'Was he a good guy or a bad guy?'” Hehas found that changing the soundtrack impacted theperception of the main character and how much hecontributed to the overall evaluation of the film.

In popular music, Shevy is researching the meaningsthat come to people's minds when they hear certaingenres of music. He has been comparing country, hip-hop, punk, and German folk music.

“As you would expect, people associate a number ofdifferent ideas with each genre. I also found that thosedifferent associations can influence the way listenersjudged people and organizations associated with thegenre,” Shevy says.

This has practical application significance, especiallyto the advertising industry. “For example, if you producea message promoting a charity, the genre of music youchoose—just the sound of it, not with any lyrics—maychange the criteria by which audiences will evaluate theperson presenting the message and the charity,” he pointsout. ”Imagine if there were a type of music dictionaryavailable for this purpose, a scientific body of work thatincluded different styles, genres and instruments and thedocumentation on what each would most likely commu-nicate if used, along with cultural and geographic differ-ences between listeners and over time.”

Music is considered a universal language, but Shevyand a colleague at a university in Munich are exploringwhether it actually does say the same thing to all of us.The pair is testing cultural reactions to different musicgenres between German and American listeners.

“We're finding that some of the meanings change asit crosses borders, while other meanings stay consistent.For instance, ethnicity is a main element that defines hiphop music in the U.S. In Germany, they don't make thatdistinction. Another example is that both Americans andGermans associate country music with friendliness.”

Shevy recently received an NMU faculty grant toexpand his study of non-diatonic music perception andbring in more NMU students to help collect and analyzedata. “This study could lead to breakthroughs in creatingmusic different from what we've been hearing our wholelives. The goal is to better understand what rules we useto make sense of the music we typically hear, and then seewhether we can apply those rules in creating music that isnot only new, but enjoyable and understandable.” n

By Cindy Paavola ’84 BS

The Psychology of MusicW

rts Choralestudents from

the mid-’70s underthe direction ofDouglas Amman(shown in redshirt) gathered lastsummer for a mini-

reunion in Marquette, instigated by choral memberMargaret (Sell) Vainio ’76 AS. This group was the firstof Amman’s choirs to go to Europe. Margaret had afriend from Finland in the ’70s and wound up marrying

her friend’s brother after this tour and she has lived inFinland happily ever after.

Now, when Margaret visits the U.S., she says thesingers come out of the woodwork (or woods) singing.The Finnish people, especially, are always singing andsinging about everything! At Presque Isle during FinnFest,they were reported singing about the sunset, the rock, theice cream stand, band shell, anything handy.

The tour members were joined by additional formermembers of Amman’s choirs, nearly all of them nowmusic teachers. There was, of course, singing.

S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 19

ast semester, for my ED 361course, Special Education andthe General Classroom Teacher,

we were assigned a multi-genre proj-ect based on a book we'd chosen. Iread Cynthia Lords' Rules, a storyabout a girl trying to lead a normallife while living with her brotherDavid, who has autism. She alter-nates between trying to pretend herlife is normal, taking care of him, andteaching him rules that help him tolive like a normal child and under-stand the world around him (i.e. "Notoys in the fish tank," "Late doesn'tmean not coming," and "Sometimes,when others laugh they are laughingwith you. Sometimes, they arelaughing at you").

Rachel Maki, a vocal musiceducation major, and I decided wewanted to go beyond drawing andwriting, so we collaborated to create"Child So Suite," an 8-movementsuite inspired by Rules and differentfacets and characteristics of autism.We composed it using Finale, a pro-gram made available to all music

majors, which allowed us to createboth the score and render a MIDIaudio file. We contacted the MusicDepartment and requested the tem-plate used for NMU SymphonicBand concert programs, and modi-fied that to fit our composition andmock performance, to fulfill theassignment's requirement to be"genuine." We also created an exten-sive page of program notes.

For the movement "Frog andToad are Friends," we created a video

montage of images from the bookthat David loved so much that wasaccompanied by a light theme wewrote for it. The movement "In My

Language" featured Rachel Makias the performer.

Inspiredpartially

by theonline

video of thesame name,

Rachel actedout several

physical charac-teristics of chil-

dren with autism,emphasizing that

just because "we"don't understand

their methods of communicationdoesn't mean that people with autismare not communicating—they arejust doing it in their language.Rachel also brought the rest of theclass in performing different rhyth-mic sound-creating actions aroundthe room, from lifting and droppingchairs to rubbing and scratching theoverhead projection screens and win-dow blinds.

From class feedback, we gatheredthat it was quite the moving, if notunconventional, experience. n

Understanding autism through sound and vision

By Andrew Dylan Smith ’09 BME

The author conducting the marchingband in another of his roles.

Arts Chorale reunion remembers the famous Finnish Tour

L

ABy Elda Tate

20 H O R I Z O N S

n his first year as director of theNMU Marching Band, Steve

Grugin painstakingly plotted out adrill for players to form the letter “N”so they could play half of the fightsong facing one side of the field andthen reposition themselves to face theother side for the second half. Then afew of his band members pointed outthat whether you look at it right sideup or upside down, it’s the same.That, of course, led to quite a bit ofteasing. Not the least bit deterred,Grugin eventually borrowed a classicmove from his own alma mater, OhioState, and taught the band to form ascript “Cats,” with the drumlinecrossing the “t.”

This is just one of the marchingdrills the 90-plus member bandperforms each year—putting on adifferent pre-game and halftime showfor each home football game, equal-ing about 20 memorized musicalpieces and drill formations. Add tothat marching in the Homecomingparade and other special events.Grugin is assisted by drumlineinstructor James A. Strain, and alsodirects the pep and symphonic bands.

One particularly memorable showduring Grugin’s 12 years as director isthe Saturday game following 9/11.“We had been planning an upbeat,Gershwin show, but changed our plansin the middle of the week, just afterthe attacks, to a patriotic show,” he

recalls. They learned a star formation,were joined by the University Choirfor “The Battle Hymn of theRepublic” and unfurled a gigantic flag.

“Working with the students andwatching the progress that they makethroughout the season is veryrewarding,” he says. “For students,there’s a lot of time and work involved.In today’s world of instant gratification,where you can plug in Guitar Hero andplay without knowing anything aboutmusic, it really shows how dedicatedour students are, and the effort they’rewilling to put into the band.”

Any NMU student can auditionand about half of the members are notmusic majors. The students get a lot outof being a part of it as well. “They enjoyperforming the shows, and there’scertainly a strong social component,”adds Grugin, pointing out that he’saware of three weddings this summer ofcurrent and former band members whomet their future spouses in the band.

Over the band’s long history—it’sbeen active since the early days ofNorthern State Normal (and acquiredits nickname The Pride of the North inthe early 1960s)—thousands of memo-ries and friendships have been made.

“I arrived on campus one weekbefore classes began for marchingband camp,” recalls ChristopherCharboneau ’93 BME. “By the timethe week was finished, we were trulya family. The relationships that many

of us built during the marching sea-son (also known to some as footballseason), have remained as strongfriendships today. Perhaps the biggestthrills were conducting the band inLondon on New Year’s 1990, leadingthe band in the final performance atMemorial Field, and starting a newchapter in NMU history by being thefirst drum major to conduct the bandin the Superior Dome in 1991. Andyes, I was the guy playing the drumset in the pep band when the Wildcathockey team won the national cham-pionship. I’m still trying to get thegreen and gold paint off my face!”

Dave Lea ’74 BME, writes,“Under the direction of Dr. LorenRichtmeyer and Dr. Lautzenheiser, Irecall practices on the field where westarted out in shorts and t-shirts andtwo hours later were marching insnow! I had the pleasure of travelingwith the Pride of the North toDetroit for a Lions' halftime and toChicago's Soldier Field for a Bears'halftime. I remember losing a march-ing shoe in the awful mud ofMemorial Stadium, only to have itshow up several weeks later. ThePride always put on an energeticshow, with the ‘Golden Girls’ whodanced and twirled. The fans loved itall, and so did the band." n

I

The Pride of the NorthBy Rebecca Tavernini

field

pho

to b

y Ka

thle

en S

holly

S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 21

he Fantastics, billed as Northern's “musical ambassadors” of the 1970s, were ahead of their time. Long before inter-nationalization became part of the campus dialogue, this vocal and instrumental group entertained military person-nel overseas as part of the morale-boosting USO Shows. Unlike Bob Hope and other big names, the Fantastics had

to audition for the highly competitive and coveted university slots. They impressed a USO talent scout with their signa-ture blend of music and comedy, earning the right to join holiday tours of such locations as the Caribbean,Mediterranean and Alaska.

“You almost never find a more appreciative audience than soldiers far from home,” says Cyndi (Franklin) Cini,who sang with the group in 1975-76. “It was hard to grasp the sacrifices they were making until you saw how isolatedthey were in places like the Aleutian Islands radar sites. The soldiers were so happy we came. Some saw the same showtwo or three times and wanted to talk in between. We always had a good time making their holidays brighter.”

TBy Kris t i Evans

Northern’s Musical Ambassadors

22 H O R I Z O N S

Cini emotionally recalls when the group was snowedin and delivered an impromptu performance in an AirForce hospital terminal ward. She sang Barbra Streisand's“The Way We Were” to a cancer-stricken man and hiswife. “We found out it was their special song. They werelooking into each other's eyes the whole time and smiling,but the tears were flowing. I'll never forget that moment.”

The nomadic life of USO entertainers was rewardingbecause of such payoffs and occasional sightseeingbetween shows. But it was far from glamorous, particular-ly in the Arctic Circle in the depths of December. DelTowers' log of the month-long Alaskan adventure remainsintact in a scrapbook his wife compiled during his fouryears as director of the Fantastics. The first page, yellowedwith time, features the following entry: “We will be flyingin DC-130s. In some waters we fly over, planes are visiblebeneath the surface. Some places we are going will reachtemperatures of 80-90 degrees below zero. Our clothing(parkas, mukluks, etc.) will be handed out on Dec. 22.”

Not surprisingly, several friendships and even a fewromances blossomed from the extensive time spenttogether traveling, rehearsing and performing. Cini'sNMU roommate, Becky (Roisen) Burbary ’77 BS, metTim, her husband of 32 years, during their stint with theFantastics. The couple performed professionally in theDetroit area for a decade after they married.

“When you're confined toa smaller group, youtend to develop a spe-cial bond,” Beckysays. “TheFantastics tookpeople withdiverse inter-ests—weweren't allmusicmajors—and

allowedus to try some-

thing new that enhancedour lives and broadened our educa-

tion. It enticed me because it pushed mylimits on vocals and keyboard and was different from any-thing I had ever done before.”

The Fantastics appealed to other students because ofthe added perk of full-tuition scholarships for the revolv-ing roster of 11-16 members. According to a newspaper

clipping inthe NMUArchives,300 appli-cantsaudi-tionedoneyear.Theywere

judged onmusicianship, potential,attitude, experience and personality.

“I first saw them at Bay College and decidedit would be a fun group to be part of,” recalls BobFleetwood ’77 BME, ’83 MAE, a music teacher inMarquette. “The scholarship was the icing on the cake. Ireceived another one from the university's board, so Iloaded up and took 24 credit hours. It was a great experi-ence, but it just became too time-consuming for me. Idecided to bow out before the Alaska trip.”

Detroit native Chuck Ramsey ’77 BME mostenjoyed the opportunities to venture away from campus:“Up to the time I joined the Fantastics, I hadn't been any-where. The traveling had a big impact on me and eventuallyinfluenced my desire to give my own students internationalexperiences as a music instructor and administrator.”

The Fantastics' roots trace back to 1970. They werenever part of the Music Department, though their firstdirector was Tim Lautzenheiser, a former percussionfaculty member. The group recorded its only full-lengthstudio album in Tennessee early in the decade. It wasproduced by Fred F. Carter, the father of country singerDeana Carter. The cover of the 33 LP shows the crewaboard a train engine. They're decked in red, v-necksweaters with “NMU Fantastics” embroidered in white let-tering to match the turtlenecks, men's pants and women'shot pants and knee-high boots (despite the snow in thebackground). The group recorded two 45s in later years.

Phot

os c

ourt

esy

of C

entr

al U

.P.

and

NMU

Arch

ives

S U M M E R 2 0 0 9 23

Like the album material, the Fantastics shows fea-tured an eclectic mix of genres, from big band andBroadway to folk and pop. Del Towers took over as direc-tor in 1974. Trained in classical music, he had performedcontemporary tunes five nights a week with the Spellbinderson Detroit radio station WJR's Bud Guest Show.

“Very few universities had groups like this at thetime,” Towers says. “I had some talented and energeticstudents to work with. We entertained throughout theMidwest. We also did recruiting tours at high schools. Atthe end of each show, the musicians were ready to handout brochures to students who came up to talk to themor ask for an autograph. Northern got a lot of niceexposure this way.”

The Fantastics even brought rare harmony to the

Michigan Senate chamber. They were invited to entertainlegislators at the State Capitol during a half-hour show inOctober 1975. Following the “almost-unprecedented”performance, they received a special legislative commen-dation. An Associated Press news story followed:“Monday's session of the stateSenate came to an

early haltas a musicgroupfrom[NMU]pre-emptedrheto-ricand

pontifi-cating. Most observers

agreed the fast-paced show provided themost melodious sound to emanate from the Senate inyears.”

The power of music transcended politics that day,but a few years later, the State Legislature cut the specialappropriation that had funded the group since itscreation. It was the final note in a fantastic era in NMUhistory. n

“Very few universities had groups like this at the time. We entertained

throughout the Midwest.”

24 H O R I Z O N S

Excels’ famereached past U.P.

s their name suggests, the Excels'achievements may have been

superior to those of any other rockband to come out of the UpperPeninsula in the 1960s. The groupplayed extensively throughoutMichigan, recorded five 45 rpmsingles, opened for numerous nameacts and appeared on severalcelebrated television programs.

The band was established in1963 after a chance meeting of threeof the original members: vocalistClark Sullivan ’68 BS, who went onto a solo career; bassist Carl Holm,who is now NMU director of hous-ing and residence life; and lead gui-tarist Dick Manning ’71 BME.With the addition of drummer JohnZelinski, the group was complete.Other members through the yearswere keyboardist Ken Forrest, drum-mers Steve Contardi and GarryStockero, bassist Ed Rogers andmulti-instrumentalists Terry Quirkand Howard Ylinen.

It was during the early monthsof 1964 that the Excels started get-ting lots of exposure. "We wouldhave jam sessions on campus thatwould turn into full-blown events,”said Sullivan. “With many of the stu-dents from different parts of Michiganand different parts of the country, we

started getting booked at various venuesthroughout lower Michigan, Wisconsin,Indiana and Ohio."

In search of a recording deal, theExcels headed to Detroit later thatyear. They met Ollie McLaughlin, aninfluential disc jockey and owner ofCarla Records who discoveredMichigan-born rocker Del Shannon.A demo tape earned them a contract.

Beyond their 45 rpm singles, theExcels accomplished much, includingsharing the stage with some promi-nent rock bands. They opened showson the Marquette campus for Jay andthe Americans, as well as LittleAnthony and the Imperials andopened for Chubby Checker duringanother concert. Other acts theExcels played with include theBuckinghams, Dave Clark Five,Sonny & Cher and the Association.They also performed shows or hadmini tours with the likes of GaryLewis and the Playboys, Paul Revereand the Raiders, Bob Seger and theBeach Boys.

After an adventurous tripthrough the 1960s, the Excels fadedas the new decade dawned. Still, theycame closer to national fame than anyother U. P. band of the era, leaving a mem-orable rock 'n' roll story in their wake.

Wayfarers’ triplasts decades

ollywood couldn't have scriptedit better. Three NMU music

students hear about an opening for a

house band, rehearse for a few hours,drive to the audition and get the gig.They play together for two decades andeven tape a long-playing record album.

In 1972, percussionist and saxplayer Larry Henry ’72 BME, ’73MME heard that a supper club inMunising was looking for a houseband to play dinner and dance music.Quickly assembling a band, he con-tacted Keith Polkinghorne ’76BME, a vocal music major who playedFender bass, and Bill VanEffen ’74BME, known for his abilities on theHammond organ and trumpet.

The band was a hit, playing anumber of years in Munising. Byearly 1974, the Wayfarers made theLP—unusual for a local band at thetime—“by popular demand," accord-ing to the liner notes. The disc wastitled "The Wayfarers...Live," eventhough the tracks were laid down inthe NMU band room. The LP'stracks include covers of hits of the erastars such as Santana, Bread andChicago, along with a medley ofoldies by Bill Haley, Danny and theJuniors, Elvis Presley and CarlPerkins. It features a cover photo ofthe trio on the Black Rocks ofPresque Isle.

As they became more well-known, the Wayfarers served as thewinter house band at Marquette'sHoliday Inn. True to its name, theband also did lots of travelingthroughout the U.P.

All three members graduatedfrom NMU and became music teach-ers. The Wayfarers continued to playwith various members over a periodof 20 years. n

The preceding material was reprinted withpermission from Steve Seymour, who offers atreasure trove of Upper Peninsula musicnostalgia, photos and recordings on his blog,Rock 'n' Roll Graffiti. To see the fullversion of these stories and much more, visithttp://rocknrollgraffiti.blogspot.com.

A

Art ic les by Steve Seymour

H

It is 1991and WBKX,NorthernMichiganUniversity'sstudent-run

radio station, is not easy to find.Only the six-inch call letters stenciledon the studio door identify it. Evenduring bright, sunlit days WBKX sitsin the shadows, tucked away incon-spicuously in one small room in WestHall, a campus residence hall.

But I'm no stranger to WBKX,

and Sunday morning during theschool year finds me right here, readyto go to work. For the past five or sixyears, I've been hosting "DinosaurSunday," from eight until noon.

The show features, as I continu-ally remind my listeners, "the musicyou forgot to remember, but themusic I remembered not to forget." Itry to provide them with more than"golden oldies." I favor groups suchas the Stones, the Who, the GratefulDead, the Airplane, Led Zeppelin,the Moody Blues, Spirit and so on—

giants from the late 1960s and early1970s—but I don't often play theirtop hits. I prefer the more obscurecuts. I also do my best to introducelisteners to Ten Years After, SpookyTooth, the Flying Burrito Brothersand other lesser-known groups.Nothing suits me better than to turnsomeone on to a new group, a newtune, a new mix of entertainmentand enlightenment.

When I arrive on Sunday morn-ing, the studio is dark. The smallroom seems even tinier because of

“The music you forgot to remember” By Don Wilkie ’84 BS

26 H O R I Z O N S

the equipment filling it. Actual work-ing space is around four feet by four feet,about half the size of an elevator car.

I sit down, two turntables on myleft and two CD players on my right.This alignment amuses me, this sym-bolic faceoff between cherished tradi-tion and new technology. After all,I'm an anachronism myself, an LPchild in a CD society.

The "board" looms directlyahead of me, offering more than adozen different dials. I can controloutput from two microphones as wellas the turntables, tape decks andplayers. Two LED gauges with "NOyellow at any time!" marked on themremind me to monitor my signalstrength. Some jocks don't care, but Ikeep a close watch. Not everyone isready to rock full volume on aSunday morning, after all.

An 8-track cartridge deck and aphone litter the desktop. Assortednotes and memos from other jocks("What idiot filed Marshall TuckerBand under 'T' instead of 'M'?") andstation management ("Don't forgetto read the PSAs!") fight for myattention. And then there are theforms—program logs, playlists,WBKX Weatherwatch data sheets,and public service announcements tobe read.

I also have a form to keep trackof requests, but I don't use it veryoften—Dinosaur Sunday listenersdon't phone in many requests. I'mnot sure why that is—either I'mplaying music they like, or they justdon't know any songs to request.This is, after all, the music theyforgot to remember.

The current release shelf on myright holds "blue dot" and "red dot"selections—albums and CDs

designated for heavy play. OrdinaryWBKX format calls for a red dot justafter the top of the hour, and a bluedot just after the quarter hour, then ared dot after the half hour, and so on;it's confusing as heck, but I don'tworry. For "Dinosaur Sunday," I canignore all those dots—and I do.

Record shelves blanket the walls,containing thousands of albumsarranged alphabetically by artist. Theolder rock albums, the ones I play, siton one side, as the New Music sec-tion sneers punkishly at its olderbrother from across the room.Reggae, blues, and other "specialty"collections each merit their own sec-tion. The CD rack, a recent addition,has space for five hundred or so discs.

Again, the contrast between oldand new is evident; the CDs playcrisp and clear, while the older, moreclassic albums feature skips, clicks,pops and other sounds of age. I makeit a point never to apologize for thequality of older selections; sometimesreminding listeners after a particularlyscratchy cut that in music, like in life,we sometimes run into a little static.

I pick out the albums I want tobegin with, usually something fairlygentle, like a Crosby, Stills and Nashballad, or maybe a slow Santana

instrumental. I plug in the sign-oncart and the one containing mytheme song, "I'm a Little Dinosaur,"by Jonathan Richman and theModern Lovers. Another "DinosaurSunday" is under way.

Like the underground radiojocks from times gone by, I have freereign over my choice of music. Afterall, music is more than a few well-tuned notes and catchy lyrics. It's acelebration of lifestyle, of emotion,even, at times, a celebration of poli-tics. Songs such as Buffalo Spring-field's "For What It's Worth," orGrand Funk's "People Let's Stop theWar" remain as potent and timelytoday as they did when written dur-ing the Vietnam era.

As I sit in the tiny studio with thelights down low, Sunday morning istransformed into the darkness andwarmth of latenight underground radio,through the magic in the music. n

Nick Danger (aka Jim Gleason ‘90 BS)and Dinosaur Don (Don Wilkie) in theRadio X studio during the mid-'90s, aftermoving from "one small room" to thecurrent location in the University Center.

WUPX (formerly WBKX), a studentorganization, will be celebrating its40th year in 2010, having trans-formed from an AM station to acable-only station, then in 1993 toan over-the-air station at FM 91.5.While the walls are still lined withvinyl albums and CDs, the stationalso offers podcasts and live listen-ing over the Internet(www.wupx.com).

Each semester, approximately100 students DJ shows, plan con-certs and events, host campus dis-cussions and call-in talk shows, andlearn valuable scheduling, technolo-gy and communications skills. Allwhile providing an eclectic, much-appreciated alternative music stationto listeners across campus andMarquette, playing the gamut fromAmericana to Icelandic, indie toextreme death metal.

While Dinosaur Don played rock from the ‘60s and ‘70s on Radio X, many musical legends performed on campus, such as Stephen Stillsand Manassas, B.B. King, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Chicago, Gordon Lightfoot, Dave Brubeck and Sons and The Association.

Band

pho

tos

cour

tesy

of

Cen

tral

U.P

. and

NM

UA

rchi

ves

Don

osau

r an

d N

ick

phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Jim

Gle

ason