Twirling Auditions Determine New Faces for 16/17 Purdue “All-American” Marching Band
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – On February 27, 2016 at Lambert Fieldhouse, Purdue Bands & Orchestras held auditions for some of the most prestigious twirling positions in the country. As a result of these auditions, the following representatives will be serving as ambassadors for Purdue University and its beloved marching band for the 2016-2017 Academic Year:
Golden Girl: Alexa Phillips, senior from Orlando, FL
Girl-in-Black: Julianna Johnson, senior from Niles, OH
Silver Twins: Olivia Zugai, junior from McKeesport, PA and Kaitlyn Schleis, freshman from Oshkosh, WI
Alexa Phillips will continue twirling as Purdue’s 28th Golden Girl for the fourth consecutive season. Julianna Johnson and Olivia Zugai are not new names to the Purdue Twirling program. For the past three seasons Julianna has twirled as a Silver Twin alongside Alyssa Lyzen, while Olivia has held a position on the All-American Twirling Team. The All-American Twirling Team offered seven spots post-auditions with commitments being needed by April 1. Erin Curtis has been named the All-American Twirling Team student leader for next season.
The tradition of attracting the nation’s best twirlers to Purdue University ignited in the early 1950s when professor emeritus Dr. Al G. Wright recruited the first Golden Girl to perform with the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band. Since then, the band now features the Golden Girl, Girl-in-Black, Silver Twins, and the All-American Twirling Team.
The solo twirler positions are especially integral to the university, with these positions serving not only as leaders of the band, but as ambassadors for Purdue University. Soloists are selected during a rigorous audition process that assesses their twirling techniques and abilities through performances, and their public relations skills through interviews.
Purdue University is unique because twirlers, as well as all band members, (including members of the Golden Silks Color Guard and Golduster Dance Team) must audition for positions annually. All candidates must be admitted to Purdue University in order to qualify for auditions.
With over 125+ years of history, Purdue Bands & Orchestras provides an opportunity for over 850 students to begin their lifelong journey with music as performers, patrons and advocates for the arts, while pursuing a non-music degree in a variety of disciplines. The students who participate in Purdue Bands & Orchestras are stewards of the Boilermaker spirit as the Heartbeat of the University on campus and after graduation, with such honored traditions as the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band, the Big Bass Drum and the Golden Girl.