Stanford University’s Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band has a new official leader: Russell Gavin, a music education professor from Baylor University, the university announced Monday.
The band has been without a permanent music director since the end of the 2015-16 school year, when then-director Giancarlo Aquilanti stepped down. The band’s search for a director was put on hold when the Stanford administration suspending the boundary-pushing student group in December for violations of university policy, including hazing, sexual harassment and alcohol abuse. The administration lifted the suspension in January after band leadership made changes in response to university concerns, and the group resumed its search for a music director.
In his new role, Gavin will provide “musical leadership and instruction to the Band members and support the group during rehearsals and performances,” a university press release states. Gavin, whose position will be housed in the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation, will also serve as a lecturer in the Graduate School of Education.
Gavin was selected by a search committee that included student leaders from the band, members of the band’s alumni board and staff from Student Affairs and Stanford Athletics, according to the university.
At Baylor, he taught undergraduate and graduate music education courses, supervised student teachers and supported university bands, according to Stanford. (Baylor has five performing ensembles, including a 300-member marching band.) Gavin has also served as director for a youth band group, Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, since 2012, among other youth music groups and camps. He holds a doctorate in music education from Florida State University, a master’s of music in euphonium performance from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor’s of music education from Auburn University.
In a message sent to LSJUMB members on Monday, band leadership expressed enthusiasm about their “newest guardian of the funk,” who “understands and respects our brand of music and our leadership model, and wants to work with us to achieve the goals that the LSJUMB has set for itself.”
“We look forward to working with him to improve our musicality, and we are sure he will have a lot to teach both our novice and our advanced members,” band leadership wrote. “As our manager Cassidy Forler has said, ‘He has already accomplished what some thought to be impossible: getting everyone in Band to agree on something — in this case, that he is the perfect person for the job.'”
In a statement, Gavin called the marching band “a very special organization, supported by very special people, at a very special place.”
“The opportunity to work alongside the Band students, staff and alumni in guiding the group into the next chapters of this famous organization’s history is exciting beyond words,” he said.
Gavin will begin his post on May 8, the university said.
The band is currently on provisional status through the end of the school year, but has performed at off-campus athletics events in recent weeks, including a women’s basketball game in Dallas, Texas in March, and at the University of California, Davis, this past weekend, according to the group’s Facebook page.
“Understands and respects our brand of music and our leadership model” And what would that be? Underwhelming performances and overall lack of respect for the university, other institutions, and ultimately themselves. Hopefully things will change because the amusing layer wore off the Stanford band a long time ago.
Stanford should have made an offer to Art Bartner from USC.
He could have taught the Stanford band how to actually march, and much more.
The ongoing antics of the Stanford band aren’t funny anymore.
In fact they are just plain boring.
At games, I can’t wait until they GET OFF screwing around on the field, just so I can enjoy the other teams band.
Oh come on …..don’t be hatin’ on the Stanford Band!
they are good musicians and really fun. they attend many community events!
I am happy they are back could hear the practicing yesterday!
Maybe this is a good move and he will attract more students to join the band. More players are needed b/c LSJUMB sounds pretty weak in comparison to other bands – especially SC. But also Cal. All Right Now should FILL the stadium and get everyone on their feet!
I loved the sound of the Oregon State Marching Band at Football Games.
I read the headline of this article and knew the snark would be flying by the classy residents of Palo Alto. You’re also predictable.
You kids get off my lawn!!
Carlton, here is a predictable response: I certainly hope the Stanford Band goes in a new direction, one of more musicality and good taste. The band’s “irreverent” shtick was funny when it first started, decades ago, but it is painfully embarrassing now. For far too many years they have just shamelessly acted out in a shameful manner, looking like arrogant, impetuous, spoiled, immature, and entitled little students. Let us hope that Professor Gavin can make the Stanford, Palo Alto, and Silicon Valley community proud of the band again.
LSJUMB’s irreverence and radical self-expression are a cornerstone of Stanford life. In our post-fact world wherein the many consume fake news like scripture, we need more entertainment like the Band’s juxtapositions about modern life. Pay attention, they may make you THINK!
…music to my ears.
Well, there is a recent history of this marching band of alcohol and sexual harassment. Earlier, they were termed “irreverent.”
University policies were violated and the band’s behavior toward ND was indicative of poor character. Excuse those of us who prefer high quality marching bands – there are many out there. These people sound like entitled poorly behaved persons with little interest in academics or the main function of marching bands.
The band is GREAT! I now live in SoCal and I now come to Stanford games at UCLA and USC for the wonderful halftime shows… not for the football team. 🙂
Hoorah, Hoorah, Hoorah!!! Hopefully a band that matches Stanford prestigious reputation. After be subjected to their noise at Stanford Women’s BB games for the past 21 years, really looking forward to hearing some new tunes.
Baylor dropped its ban on dancing a mere generation ago. It still has in place a ban on premarital sex (and does not recognize same-sex marriages). It will be interesting to see what kind of funk Dr. Gavin will be bringing with him from that environment.
If Stanford wants a guardian of the funk they should have hired George Clinton.
http://georgeclinton.com
Does anyone notice that this guy came from Baylor– a “religious” school that allowed the football team to get away with rape and abuse???? The football coach and the president of the school were fired. The facts about these crimes were horrifying. Did the band at Baylor take part? What did this guy know about it.
@Don’t need this guy — Seriously? Seriously?
Don’t you think you should look at the behavior of your band, first and foremost, instead of making unfounded accusations?
Not a Stanford alum– the issue about the rape and abuse by the Baylor football team, and the coverup and mistreatment of the victims are well documented. Asking if people affiliated with the football team, knew about and /or aided and abetted the vile behavior is a valid question. As time goes by and the facts become more available, I have a feeling that more people will turn out to be involved.
And
@Dont need this guy — Once again, making accusations without providing evidence.
Try again.
Not a Stanford alum: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/sports/baylor-football-sexual-assault.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share
My other comments are my opinion, not “accusations”
@Don’t need this guy — By your standards of “evidence,” one could also say that the former director of the Stanford band was responsible for the actions of Brock Turner.
See how that works?
BTW — Your opinions are worth exactly zero.
Not a Stanford alum
“@Don’t need this guy — By your standards of “evidence,” one could also say that the former director of the Stanford band was responsible for the actions of Brock Turner.”
One can indeed say that if they want. It is called an opinion. Of course Brock turner had no connection to the football team and I don’t think the Stanford band plays at swim meets. Apples and oranges. See how that works?
Oh and your opinions are worth the same as mine.
Are you an ex-Baylor football player that graduated before all the action? Or a ken Starr groupie?
Don’t need this guy — “Are you an ex-Baylor football player that graduated before all the action? Or a ken Starr groupie?”
No, and no.
Now, a question to you: Are you one of those Stanford band members whose actions brought about the sanctions imposed by the university? Yes or no?
Best wishes on a fresh start with a new director!
I do not want the Stanford Band to try to turn into a USC-style marching band. There are other places that already do that quite well. They can keep their bands. Let us keep ours. The Stanford Band has a unique joyous irreverence. (Keep in mind that the Stanford undergrad population is a fraction of USC’s or Cal’s.)
The Stanford Band can retain its funk and joy and still clean up its act.
Hopefully, the new adult director will be able to help with this balance. It would be a tragedy for the Band to be totally sanitized. But at the same time some experienced mature leadership and fresh professional musical instruction will help the band to “raise its game”.
Long live the Band!
How much “fun” are boys entitled to?
How much stupidity and destructive behavior does one need to tolerate?
Time to grow up, boys.
The same goes for the alumni who support juvenile misconduct.
If you’ve lived here long enough, then you’d know that the band had a wonderful director in the 60’s-80’s, Dr. Barnes. The band was able to be funny, political, scatter, play the funk and….. play in tune. They also had far more members in the band back then — I would count near 180.
Here’s an idea – let’s give the guy a chance.
I’m a huge fan of clever humor. LOVE SNL, Jimmy Fallon, etc.. The difference is that those performers are talented and witty..and have professional adult joke writers! By contract, the Stanford Band in recent years not only lack musical talent but their skits and jokes are not at all clever or funny. It’s like a bunch of untalented, unsupervised, drunk kids running around the field in front of thousands of people. Bottom line they are not funny, talented or entertaining. It’s embarrassing having them represent Stanford University. Maybe they do have hidden talent but they are in desperate need of adult supervision and guidance to help bring it out! I’m all in favor of keeping it light and funny, but this is also a band so include some musical talent and tasteful witty humor! Hopefully this new adult band leader will help make the Stanford Band better.