|
Dedication of the UCSC
Music Center
My name is Edward Houghton; I am a Professor of Music, and these remarks, in honor of the occasion, are in Sonata form. To increase the educational value of the occasion or in case you get bored, I invite you to analyze the form and identify the period from which I borrowed it. I serve as Dean of the Division of the Arts, but more relevant to this celebration, as chairperson for more than ten years of the committees that have guided the planning of this Music Center (don construction hat). You may think that the hat is only symbolic or a prop to get me through this speech. It's real, and it actually saved my head several times when I misjudged some low clearances. I think I'll keep it in my office, you know, for miscalculations in dealing with people with low clearances. (Take off hat.) Actually, I am very pleased to put away this hat, for a few days at least, as we celebrate the formal completion of Phase I of the Music Center. But only for a few days, for we are now poised to complete this Music Center in the next eighteen months with a gamelan building, electronic music studios, faculty and administrative offices. Besides this music construction, we are building 4 new art studios, a 200-seat experimental theater, a 400-seat multimedia projection theater, and renovating many spaces in the Performing Arts area. All of this totals approximately 32 million dollars in capital improvements in the arts and will give us one of the best-designed art centers in the world. And now I come to the climactic point of my principal theme in which as Chair of the Building Committee I certify to the University of California, specifically to Chancellor Greenwood, that Phase I of the Music Center is complete--well virtually complete .... The theater lights on that batten and the side standards are rented; ours haven't arrived yet. We have a slight heating problem in the projection booth because of the super-powered, long-throw video projector. We still need to deal with some ambient noise from the lights--if you'll all stop breathing for about 3 minutes I think you'll be able to hear it. Suddenly it seems that the climax of theme 1 has gotten lost in the counterpoint. Perhaps I should begin again. No, I'll make a transition instead to the dominant key of my second theme and return later to this subject. Maybe I'll get it right in the recapitulation. The second theme, which certainly merits development, presents words of heartfelt thanks to the many people who have been involved in this project, that includes most of you here tonight: members of the Board of Regents, Chancellors and Vice Chancellors past and present, elected officials, students, faculty, and staff. My allotted time does not allow us to recognize all of you individually tonight, but we are very grateful for your work and support. |
  |
Music Center Facts
Construction
began Building opened
Cost Architect Acoustical
design Square
Feet Facilities
|
|
We must give special recognition, however, to the architect who designed this project, who gave us everything we asked for and more, who conceived this wonderful wedding of form and function in a design that both respects and invokes the special characteristics of the site. Your printed program includes some memorable quotes from him and others about the project, to which I add selected words from Alan Hess's architectural review in the San Jose Mercury News when the design was unveiled: "... along comes a building that does it exactly right." "The music building at the University of California, Santa Cruz, shows just how good a building can be when it makes the most of a natural setting." "If even one in every 10 new South Bay buildings were as good as this music building, our region would become a veritable garden of delights." What else can we say? Please join me in thanking our architect, Antoine Predock. For funding this project, we need to thank the people of California, the Governor, the Department of Finance, and the Legislature. The course through the Legislature was especially perilous at certain times, and we depended heavily on our elected leaders in both parties to convince their colleagues to support us, especially in the bruising battle over revenue bonds. They did it, and some are here tonight. First please join me in recognizing the Honorable Henry Mello, our recently retired senator. We also thank the Honorable Bruce McPherson, our former Representative in the Assembly and now our state senator. In the same connection, let me thank Associate Vice President Lawrence Hershman, Director of the UC Budget, his assistant budget director Meredith Michaels, and Stephen Arditti, Director of State Government Relations. Larry and his team have done much on our behalf in Sacramento. Their effectiveness became very clear when they prepared me to appear before the Finance Subcommittee of the State Assembly. They had very high standards. Actually, I'm somewhat relieved that Larry is dealing with other issues tonight. I was afraid that he would listen carefully to my speech, tell me what was wrong with it, and send me off to a tiny room for a few hours to work on it. Dick Jensen, our Associate Chancellor of Finance, was there and shared the moments of difficulty and eventual success. While on the topic of funding, I must mention the extraordinary support of Chancellor Pister and Executive Vice Chancellor Tanner. At crucial points their sustained support turned to decisive action that saved the project. Wendell Brase, served for many years as Vice Chancellor of Finance, Planning, and Administration. Chancellor Sinsheimer brought him here from the Eastman School of Music, where he had been central in the renovation of the school. Wendell brought with him that valuable experience, a strong understanding of acoustics, and the confidence that he could solve any problem. He listened to our problems, tested our spaces, tried a few remedies, and quickly became a strong advocate for a new music center and excellent facilities for all the arts. About 10 years ago, in the fall of 1987, he persuaded the administration to convene a large task force for arts facilities, which divided into subcommittees for music, art, and theater arts. Music responded quickly and enthusiastically to the challenge, though prospects for success were at times quite discouraging. We persisted, however, and Wendell led us in the national search for the best architect and in tours of other facilities to study their merits and mistakes. We learned a lot and generated a lot of stories about our adventures, all of which I categorically deny. I will confirm, however, that the most memorable trip with the architectural team began with a late night flight to Chicago, a few hours sleep on airport benches (for those lucky enough to get a whole bench), and ended many days later at the same airport with a wrap-up meeting that began at midnight. I was not very popular for calling that meeting. I can tell you now that Wendell made me do it. I'm truly amazed that we produced a coherent plan and this marvelous facility; when traveling as a committee we could seldom agree on where to eat or at times where we were in relation to where we were supposed to be. In any event, the energy and exacting standards that Wendell brought to this project helped to keep us going when he left for new challenges at UC Irvine. Though he credits others for the vision behind this project, from my point of view, Wendell was the crucial impetus for the excellence that we have achieved. Thank you, Wendell Brase. Ron McKay of McKay Conant Brook was our acoustic consultant and delivered more than he promised. You can see his hand in the elements of the design, the undulating walls, the acoustical chambers on all four sides, in the variable elements that include the canopy (which we will reposition in a few minutes) and retractable drapes that provide a variation of 1 second, from 1.5 to 2.5 seconds, in the reverberation response of the hall. Wendell warned me not to brag about the acoustics before the critics gave their opinions. It was good advice, but it came too late. I was greatly relieved to read the opinion of music critic Paul Hertelendy, who heard one of the first concerts here on January 30 and who is here tonight, that the sound is glorious and there is no better hall of its size in northern California. Our other spaces are also extraordinary with no intrusion of sound and interior characteristics that are perfectly suited to their defined purpose. Ron McKay, please stand and accept our thanks. Now I'd like to recognize as a group other members of the planning and construction team and ask them to stand: Devendra Contractor, the project architect representing Antoine Predock, traveled regularly from Albuquerque to Santa Cruz, inspecting the work and advising us on the details of the design. Jack Bogan is our theater consultant from the firm of Landry and Bogan in Mountain View. We thank him for the great sight lines, seating plan, and technical design. Bill Doane, an associate of Ron McKay, was a frequent visitor and problem solver for acoustics and equipment. Frank Zwart, our campus architect and Assistant Vice Chancellor of Physical Planning and Construction, has supervised every aspect of the project since the beginning. Dave Tanza, project architect for the campus, was with us at the beginning and was on the site every day, supervising the construction of a very complex design. When the work didn't meet specifications, it was Dave's job to tell the contractor to take it out and do it again. That's probably why we have these hard hats. Actually, it didn't happen very often because the crews took a lot of pride in their work and appreciated the extraordinary qualities of the design. Finally I wish to recognize the Building Committee: Fran Owens, formerly Wendell's assistant, now our Director of Capital Planning, staffed the committee, pulled together the Project Planning Guidelines, and Detailed Project Program, and made it all work out right. Tom Listmann, our facilities manager, was with the project from the beginning, took part in weekly construction meetings, and represented the practical needs of the program. He was assisted with technical details by our production staff, Jyoti Prather and Sven Davis. Peter Elsea was our technical expert; thanks to Peter, this center is really wired. He designed the Electronic Music Studios now under construction. Fred Lieberman and Leta Miller represented the music faculty. Fred was with us from the beginning; Leta joined us for the acoustic phase and played her flute in all the halls that Ron McKay showed us. Norvid Roos is a Professor of Theater Arts. We don't know how he got on this committee but he provided a special view and, we hope, a continuing collaboration with Theater Arts. Rebecca Seeman, a music alumna and presently a grad student in our program, represents a number of students who have served on our committee over the years. She was particularly effective in expressing a student's point of view, both to us and to the public. She also represents a number of our present undergraduates who were in the third grade when we started planning. That's probably why they weren't personally consulted. Steve Miller, Arts Division Business Manager, is not a formal member of the Committee but has taken part in the planning, represented me frequently, and followed up on issues--probably because if we don't do it right, he has to deal with it later. This Music Center opened in January and has been much appreciated by all who use it. Though its construction is economical and of simple materials, we spared no effort to provide students and faculty with ideal spaces in which to study and create music. You've just heard two of our outstanding teachers. In the second half of this program you'll sample the combined work of faculty and students. Before the evening is over you will have heard fanfares composed for the occasion by a student, several faculty members, and a computer-assisted composer or, if you prefer, a composer-assisted computer. This dedication tonight is set within a festive series of inaugural concerts that range from early to contemporary music, from chamber music to symphony, chorus, and opera, from Bach and Bernstein to Indonesian gamelan. This Music Center forms a wonderful framework to support the development of our talented students and faculty. With the other advantages of the campus, the natural beauty of our setting in the mountains and meadows above Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean, our proximity to metropolitan areas, transportation hubs, and the digital and entertainment industries of northern California, this music center and the other facilities under construction allow us to aspire to become an international center for the arts, attracting the greatest creative talents in the world, emerging artists, teachers and students of the arts, and audiences of regional residents and visitors. And now before returning to my first theme, I invite Chancellor Greenwood to join me on stage. As Chairperson of the Building Committee, I am very pleased to convey this new Music Center, represented symbolically by this conducting baton, to the University of California at Santa Cruz and our chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood as a wonderful instrument for the study and performance of music. |
|
|
 Home |
 Facilities
|
 Recital Hall
|
 Directions
|
 Contact |
 Future Plans
|
-Division of the
Arts-Music
Department-Events
