Thursday, April 25, 1996
Tom Petty to receive award at this year’s Spring Sing festivalBy
Cheryl Klein
Daily Bruin Contributor
In 1944, the sound of dueling vocal cords wafted down sorority
row, as fraternity quartets competed to serenade the ladies. And in
1996, thousands of Bruins will pour into the Los Angeles Tennis
Center to hear the modern version of UCLA’s oldest musical
tradition.
Spring Sing, presented tonight by the UCLA Student Alumni
Association, gives students a chance to try their singing talents
before a panel of celebrity judges and an audience of peers.
Among the most ambitious of its participants is technical
director Sameer Bakhda, who quickly rattles off the history of
Spring Sing.
After the initial rivalry, Bakhda says, "William Ackerman, the
director of ASUCLA, organized it into an actual competition and did
it in Ackerman Union. And then it gradually evolved into including
the whole campus. In the 50s and 60s, it was really huge."
He laments, "In the 70s, it kind of fell into disarray with the
activism around campus. (But) in the 80s, Â because of a lot
of clamoring from alumni  the Student Alumni Association
brought it back."
With the revival came the George and Ira Gershwin award, in
honor of the crowd-rousing fight song the two composers wrote and
then gave to UCLA. The award for lifetime musical achievement will
this year go to singer Tom Petty, who follows such distinguished
past recipients as Angela Landsbury, Ray Charles and Vanessa
Williams.
But the real focus of Spring Sing is on the budding talents of
its student stars. The audience will encounter as much variety in
the performers as in the categories (which include production,
ensemble, a capella, band and solo/duet).
"Before the auditions, we reached out to every single campus
group," says Bakhda. "Everyone from Samahang Pilipino, who’s in our
show, to the Rubber Nose Happy Fun Club, or something."
Adds talent coordinator Amy Miller, "One of the things we really
paid attention to was getting a lot of diversity in, getting lots
of different types of music."
This year, musicians will perform songs from "Aladdin," "West
Side Story" and several different cultural backgrounds. Some
students are involved with specific organizations while others are
taking a more unstructured approach.
"We have one group that met in the dorms and started singing and
playing guitars together," says Miller. "And now they’re going to
be on stage."
The show’s leaders hope that bringing together diverse acts in a
common forum will unite a school they feel has been fragmented by a
year of emotionally trying political developments on campus.
"I kind of feel like there’s not a lot of school unity because
everybody’s so into pro-rights, pro-this, pro-that," says assistant
director Doug Aoyama. But, he adds, "We can’t disagree on the fact
that we all have pride in our school."
It takes not only school spirit, but hours of preparation to put
on one of UCLA’s biggest events. Beneath the unyielding afternoon
sun, students gather on the tennis courts to erect a stage. Behind
the tunes playing over the loudspeakers is the steady whine of a
power drill  and under their sunglasses, the students’ faces
are shiny with perspiration.
Some are on the production side of Spring Sing, but many are
performers, paying their dues by earning points that will be
calculated into their final scores.
"Everybody had to make a lot of sacrifices," Miller says of the
frequent rehearsals, meetings and work sessions.
But Aoyama is doing his best to enjoy it. "It’s kind of nice
being out here. We’re all just here kicking it," he says, reaching
for a bag of potato chips. "A lot of different people from all the
different groups that are performing will be in and out today, so
we get to meet everybody."
Those that don’t join in the behind-the-scenes fun can still
enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of song beneath the stars. Many make a
yearly practice of it.
"You’ll get some of the die-hards," says Bakhda, himself a
Spring Sing veteran of four years. "We have alumni who’ve been
coming in for years and years."
But on the other hand, Bakhda says, "We’ve been getting a lot of
seniors, especially, coming in going, ‘This is my last year. I’ve
never seen the show, and I really want to see it this year,’ which
is good to hear."
Miller asserts that there will be many good things to hear at
this year’s Spring Sing. "It’s out in the open, we’re having
wonderful weather and it’s fun watching other students get up and
sing and (do) comic stuff," she says. "It’s a great place to
be."
EVENT: UCLA’s Spring Sing ’96. Tonight at 8 p.m. at the L.A.
Tennis Center. Student tickets: $5. For tickets, call (310)
825-2101.