UCLA Spring Sing
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UCLA Spring Sing is an annual music competition held during spring quarter at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The competition brings together UCLA students to perform as solo artists, duets, bands, and A cappella groups.
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[edit] History
[edit] The Early Years
The competition began in 1945 under the direction of William Ackerman and began with only 11 groups and was performed on campus at UCLA's Royce Hall. In the beginning years, the competition was composed mainly of fraternity singing groups, serenading their sorority counterparts.
[edit] Glory Days
During the 1950s and 1960s, the competition grew quickly and outgrew Royce Hall. It was then, that Spring Sing gained its popularity and notoriety within the Los Angeles Area, as it moved to The Hollywood Bowl. During these years, up to 15,000 Bruins, family, friends, and locals witnessed the competition each year. Also added to the mix were celebrity judges and masters of ceremony - including Ronald Reagan in 1952.
[edit] Return to Prominence
The competition peaked in the late 60's and took an 8 year hiatus during the 70's when student and alumni interest revived the event (on campus this time) in 1978. In 1986, the UCLA Student Alumni Association took over the event and moved the event to its current home in 1989, eventually returning the competition back to its previous glory.
[edit] Today
Today, the competition has expanded from its original version of fraternity singing groups, to over 15 artists grouped in 6 different categories (Solo, Duet, A Cappella, Band, Production, Exhibition). Each category (save Exhibition) is judged and a winner is selected for each (from which an overall winner is chosen to receive the "Northern California Alumni Grand Sweepstakes Award").
In addition to the talent aspect of Spring Sing today, the overall production has been turned into entertainment with the inception of the Company - a group of UCLA students who perform skits and parodies in between each act as a way of killing time and introducing the next act. According to their website, they are "a group of the most hilarious and creative people on this campus who live for the spotlight and the opportunity to make an audience crack up."[1]
[edit] The George and Ira Gershwin Award
In recognition of their contributions to American music and in honor of their gift to UCLA, the UCLA Student Alumni Association established the annual George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement in 1988. In 1936, George and Ira Gershwin adapted the title tune from their musical Strike Up the Band as a new Bruin fight song for the growing University, “Strike Up the Band for UCLA”[2].
[edit] References
- List of "George and Ira Gershwin Award" Recpipients. Retrieved on December 25, 2006.
- UCLA Spring Sing. Retrieved on December 25, 2006.
