This column is where you’ll find information about alumni-related events, relevant news, arts-related job openings, alumni awards and other accolades, as well as calls for volunteers to help our alma mater NOCCA and its fund-raising non-profit, the NOCCA Institute. If you have an item to submit for consideration, please email it to jcooper@nocca.com. Additionally, feel free to call Jennifer Cooper, NOCCA Library Assistant & Alumni Coordinator, if you have questions.
MAY 2010
Did you know NOCCA’s Library is available for NOCCA alumni events?
Share what you’ve been up to with other NOCCA Alums, family, friends, and members of the community and use our beautiful library space to do so. Take advantage of this opportunity to showcase your talent. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Jennifer Cooper, (NOCCA Visual Arts Class of 1989/NOCCA Alumni Coordinator/NOCCA Library Assistant), via email jcooper@nocca.com or by telephone (504)940-2912.
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Call for NOCCA Alumni Committee Members
If you’re a NOCCA alum, please consider being part of the NOCCA Alumni Committee. This is a wonderful opportunity to help create a viable, visible NOCCA Alumni membership, ensuring relevant events for us, while also giving back to the amazing conservatory we attended. The NOCCA Alumni Committee shall be small, comprised of Alumni Coordinator Jennifer Cooper and four additional NOCCA Graduates, with two administrative representatives available for added support.
MISSION: The NOCCA Alumni Committee’s mission shall be to cultivate additional alumni as leaders, volunteers, advocates and donors for NOCCA, while in turn developing relationships which establish lifelong connections between NOCCA and its alumni, ultimately leading to increased support for NOCCA’s mission and goals.
TIME COMMITMENT: Respectful of our other commitments, participation in this committee requires* only 3 hours of meeting time per month. Generally, these hours shall be comprised of a brief meeting at 6:30pm, an hour before any given NOCCA Alumni event begins. Approximately a quarter of this time will be spent discussing agenda items, the second quarter allotted towards setting up for the evening’s event, and the remaining half spent attending the event. Regular participation is crucial to the committee’s success. Committee members shall serve for one year.
BENEFITS: Benefits of being a NOCCA Alumni Committee member include great networking/collaborative opportunities, and the added allure of continued affiliation with a conservatory of unparalleled reputation. Being able to give back to the school that honed our talent will help ensure that this incredible training continues for future generations.
Please feel free to contact Jennifer Cooper by phone (504)940-2912 or email (jcooper@nocca.com) with any concerns you may have. Thank you for considering this request to help grow NOCCA’s Alumni Membership!
APRIL 2010
From alumnus Cliff Hines (pictured above, performing at a recent Alumni Salon) comes a swift call to action:
“My name is Cliff Hines and I am a NOCCA alumnus. My band, The Cliff Hines Quintet, is currently in an online battle of the bands competition to raise money/awareness for music education. The finalists in the competition receive a cash award for their schools. We need votes for our video in order to win. Voters can register at dosomething.org and vote for the video at dosomething.org/bands/entry/nocca-riverfront . We only have two days left of the competition so time is of the essence. After voting, make sure to tell others about the process so they can do their part to help out NOCCA. Thanks!”
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Indie-Rock band Bionica features NOCCA Alums Sasha Masakowski (vocals, keyboard) and Devin Kerrigan (electric bass, key bass) as well as other stupendous musicians (James Westfall, Nick Solnick, and Rex Gregory) who all graduated from UNO’s Jazz Program. A diversity of influences in Bionica’s music makes this all-ages, free show a must-hear. Concert will be held in NOCCA’s Library in conjunction with the Visual Arts gallery opening, so now you have two great reasons to come to NOCCA on Thursday, May 6th at 7pm.
Lauren Klein of Invade NOLA says, “What do you get when you combine jazz, funk, electronica, happiness and insanity? Pretty much Bionica. This young New Orleans band melds multiple genres per song, and gives off an intoxicating energy that makes you feel lovely just because you’re a part of it…” Bionica CDs will be for sale. Learn more about Bionica by visiting bionicaband.wordpress.com.
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Dance Auditions: Chard Gonzalez Dance Theatre is seeking talented dance theatre performers for its 2010-2011 season. Auditions will be held at NOCCA on Saturday May 8 from 1-4pm and May 15 from 1-4pm. Auditions are open to the public and there is no fee to attend. Please send RSVP to: info@charddance.org.