Penn State University
ALUMNI Blue Band ASSOCIATION

By Randy Seely

ABBA President

Each year, the Alumni Blue Band Association holds elections for seats on our Board of Directors. This year, there are a total of seven seats up for election. We have four incumbent board members who have expressed interest in remaining on the board, but a few others will be stepping down. I would personally like to thank Casey Hesse, Lee Shaw, and Tom Range for the time they have spent working for ABBA. Their efforts are varied, but all have had an impact in one way or another.

If you are interested in serving on the board, please reach out to Kevin Sabolcik and the elections committee at elections@psualumnibands.org by December 21.

In your email, please include

·       the years you were in the Blue Band

·       instrument/position

·       degrees earned

·       current residence

·       any relevant ABBA/other alumni group experience

·       a short write-up on why you are seeking a seat on the Board.

 The Board meets approximately four times a year, which we have been doing virtually, so you do not need to physically be present in State College.

There is the additional opportunity to be involved in one of our committees, but no requirement to do so. It is the Board’s goal to have diversity within our representation – particularly with regards to graduation years.

Additionally, we are still looking for someone to step in as treasurer to replace Doug Czekaj. This person will need some accounting experience and be familiar with generally accepted accounting procedures.

We will be conducting the election at the beginning of January, with the hope to have our new members seated at our (virtual) board meeting Sunday, January 23, 2022.

Click to read the article published in the Daily Collegian.

By Curt Harler

The Blue Band will hire a new Assistant Director in the near future. The search process for the position should start shortly.

Meantime, the Blue Band plans to add three new graduate assistants. Two will be from the Conducting Studio and one will be a percussion student instructor. The two conducting spots will be a combined effort with the new Director of Concert Bands, allowing the positions to be leveraged across both programs.

The percussion position is in cooperation with the School of Music and will provide a graduate student to assist with the drumline.