Former cancer patient uses music as support for hospitalized kids

Austin Gatus would sit on his hospital bed and play the saxophone while he received treatment for leukemia as a form of therapy. Gatus, a third-year ethnomusicology student with a concentration in jazz studies, fought leukemia from ages 9 to 12. He now plays his saxophone for children undergoing cancer treatment and raises money for […]

Autry Museum photo exhibition highlights Mexican-American community

The photographers of “La Raza” sifted through thousands of memories embedded in the images they had taken 50 years ago. “La Raza,” a Chicano newspaper turned magazine that ran from 1967 to 1977, documented the Mexican-American community’s strife for equal rights through articles and photographs of its volunteer photographers. But 50 years after its conception, […]

Spring Sing 2017: Last year’s winner returns to stage with three-person band HELEN

Laura Savage, Temme Scott and Libby Hsieh crouched around a computer screen, ready to turn in their Spring Sing 2017 application. But as Scott lifted her finger to hit “submit,” the trio stopped and remembered they had forgotten to fill in one detail – their band name. The trio decided that their band would be […]

Student turns closet into studio to record EP about reality of love

Rico Lomarda emerged from his apartment’s closet with a guitar in hand, having finished working on his songs for six hours straight. The musician’s closet doubles as his studio – the place where he finished recording and producing his four-song debut EP “Love or Something.” Lomarda, a third-year biochemistry student, performs under the stage name […]

Rock artist grandson charges dance floor with original song ‘Bills’

This post was updated April 8 at 6:30 p.m. Rock artist grandson jolted Pauley Pavilion with his original song “Bills,” featuring rock ‘n’ roll beats and angsty vocals. Jordan Benjamin, a Canadian artist known by the stage name of grandson, performed with his drummer, guitarist and keyboardist five hours into the 26-hour Dance Marathon event. Going into the […]

Oscars 2017: Unwinding reels of memory to storyboard scenes in ‘Zootopia’

The walls of Melnitz Hall, lined with Hollywood movie posters, foreshadow the potential of students at UCLA. After studying within the entertainment capital of the United States, some Bruin filmmakers go on to contribute to award-winning films. In the week leading up to the 2017 Academy Awards, Daily Bruin A&E will spotlight UCLA alumni behind […]

Professor’s work on album ‘White Sun II’ crescendos to Grammy nomination

UCLA faculty, staff and alumni have contributed musical works that are nominated for the 59th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12. Their talents, ranging from playing the saxophone to composing songs to performing in an opera, have been recognized with nominations in five different categories. Twelve-year-old Abhiman Kaushal frantically tapped out tabla rhythms he’d practiced […]