Dear Friends,
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying 2007. With the continued success of both basketball teams and the anticipation of the coming football season with Butch Davis at the helm, it is indeed a special time in Chapel Hill and for the UNC Bands!
With over 100 years in rich history, tradition and spirit, I am excited to share with you that the presence of the UNC Bands has never been stronger. The Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band and Marching Tar Heels continue to represent our University on campus, in the community, the state, the nation and the world. In December 2006, the Chancellor announced the naming of the Kenan Music Building, under construction now and slated to open in late 2008, which will include a rehearsal hall large enough for the Marching Tar Heels.
Therefore, I am excited to announce an annual fundraising campaign for UNC Bands that will provide the necessary resources to promote excellence in our students for the next 100 years. The UNC Bands Excellence Fund will replace the ‘Friends of the Band’ only in name, but will continue to provide support for uniforms, instruments, travel needs and, more importantly, scholarships for the students involved in the program. These scholarships, when combined with the travel opportunities offered to all members, should encourage an even higher retention rate of all band members. Scholarship awards to members of the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band and Marching Tar Heels who make significant musical contributions to those ensembles prove valuable to the overall excellence of the UNC Bands program.
Last year, UNC Bands lost a member of its family and a part of its history, John (Major Y) Yesulaitis. With your help, we can preserve the memory of Major Y and the history of UNC Bands all while preparing for excellence in the future. All gifts to the UNC Bands Excellence Fund will directly benefit UNC Bands and will count towards the Carolina First Campaign - the University’s comprehensive $2 Billion capital campaign which ends December 2007.
Thanks for all you did for the UNC Bands while you were a student at Carolina and I know you will help insure that future students can have similar experiences. If you are ever in Chapel Hill, see us at a concert, a performance or game, please stop by and say hello. For more information and to update your alumni record please visit www.uncbands.org/alumnireg.html.
Best regards,
Jeffrey Fuchs
Director of University Bands
