Purdue News
Purdue News
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October 15, 1999 Purdue Bands exceeds fund-raising goal by 38%Sources: David A. Leppla, (765) 494-0770,daleppla@bands.purdue.edu Jay S. Gephart, (765) 494-7886, jsgephart@bands.purdue.edu WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University Bands is high-stepping into the new century on the heels of a fund-raising campaign that exceeded its $2 million goal by 38 percent. The department announced today (Friday, 10/15) that its two-year campaign, "A Song Anew: Tuning Up for the Future," brought in $2.76 million to purchase new instruments, endow additional scholarships and fund travel opportunities. "The response exceeded our wildest expectations. We as a department are truly going to benefit from this for many, many years," said Jay S. Gephart, assistant professor of bands who coordinated the campaign with Margarita Contreni from the Purdue Development Office. In April 1997, bands announced it would seek to raise $2 million over two years to supplement the annual financial support received from friends and alumni. "This is a remarkable success story," said David Leppla, director of bands. The department plans to capitalize on the momentum in several ways. "We will announce at our wrap-up dinner tonight a new initiative that will impact all our alumni – the creation of a formal Band Alumni organization to help lead us into the new century," Leppla said. Three main areas benefit from the campaign. From the beginning, bands hoped to raise at least $800,000 for a new instrument fund. Many of its existing instruments have been in the department for more than 50 years, and they need to be replaced. One large step in that direction was made possible by Maxine Lefever, Purdue professor emerita of bands, who created a Percussive Arts Endowment Fund to provide any percussive instruments the band will ever need. "A Song Anew" goals also included $400,000 to endow student scholarships, plus $800,000 to fund national and international performing opportunities for the department's top performing groups and a major concert tour every four years. Scholarships are a valuable asset for the bands department, Leppla said, because it does not offer either a major or a minor in music. Theresa Debban of Woodbridge, Va., a senior in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, picked Purdue over Cornell because of its band program, and she is the recipient of the Wilson Scholarship created specifically for band members majoring in engineering. "When I first heard about it, I thought it was really exceptional. It was like a scholarship just made for me," Debban said. "It meant a lot that someone cared enough about the two things that are most important in my academic life – bands and engineering. And it helps an awful lot when you're from out-of-state." Lisa Todd of Kokomo, Ind., Girl in Black in the 1970s, contributed $20,000 to endow a scholarship so future Girl in Black twirlers can reap the same rewards she did at Purdue. "So many skills, opportunities and experiences carried over to my adult life. I feel like my band experience molded what I am today," said Todd, who earned a bachelor's degree in public relations in 1979. It was two former bandsmen – the first man on the moon and the founder of an Indiana utility company – who got the campaign off to a good start in 1997. James "Orville" Martin, founder and former chief executive officer of Lincoln Natural Gas Co. (now part of Southern Indiana Gas & Electric Co.) contributed $50,000; and former astronaut Neil Armstrong gave $10,000. Martin, who played saxophone in the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band from 1939 to 1942 and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, said: "The bands department at Purdue holds a lot of good memories for me. But what I think is so fantastic is what Purdue continues to do in music without a music school on campus. The whole bands program is indicative of the Purdue spirit – that people who really want to make music will do it because they want to, even though it's not part of an academic program." Armstrong, who marched as a baritone horn player in 1952, graduated in aeronautical engineering in 1955. Ten years later he was named an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, and he wore the national band honorary's pin on his space suit during his 1969 moon walk. Al G. Wright, director of bands emeritus, and June Ciampa Lauer, a former Golden Girl, were co-chairs of the campaign. They worked with an advisory board of 21 band alumni and friends. Besides the contributions by Lefever, Todd, Martin and Armstrong, other gifts include: Writer: Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands publicist, (765) 496-6785, kcmatter@bands.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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