Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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College serves as matchmaker for A great deal of talent and creativity has emerged from the halls of Texas Tech in its first 60 years. Students pur- suing their passion for music have found Tech to be a useful matchmaker, either through the skills taught in the music department or through the enthusiastic sup- port of fellow students. Students such as Don Allison of the Nelsons, Shan- non Hookes, Peter Coates of the Virgils and Robert Carillo of Johnny and the Blades, have benefited from this sup- port. But whatever the benefits received, all seem to share a certain devotion to their talent that transforms them from musicians into developing artists. Enjoying national fame, Allison still feels ties to Texas We have quit being musicians and have become artists. It ' s not a par- ty; it ' s a job, and we have to take it seriously. — Don Allison, lead singer for the Nelsons Tech and Texas as well as a firm dedication to his art form. Allison has been play- ing professionally for eight years with various bands. He now enjoys considerable suc- cess as lead singer and guitarist with the Nelsons. The members of the band met at Tech and have been playing together for more than a year. Allison and John Sprott, the lead guitarist, write songs for the band. Allison said he enjoys being able to express his feelings and said it makes the songs more convincing when they are what he feels. Our music started out be- ing for fun; making fun of everything, he said. We also were more concerned with making money. But our songs are becoming more social; about the little, every- day crimes of society nobody talks about. We have quit being musi- cians and have become art- ists. It ' s not a party; it ' s a job, and we have to take it seriously. The Nelsons have been successful since their start. The other members of the band are Dennis Deej Jones on bass guitar and Kevin Bongo Kev Mackie on drums. The band members said Doug Nelson has been a great help as their publicist. They admit that Lubbock influenced their ear- ly beginnings because it is so isolated, it is free of influence, and beginning bands can develop their own new and different sounds. Fraternity parties were the Nelsons ' audiences until Bruce Jaggers gave them a chance at Fat Dawg ' s nightclub. After that, they began traveling to gigs in Dallas, Austin and Houston. They now have offers to per- form in the Midwest and the West Coast. The Nelsons have one album out and have been on MTV with their hit, I Don ' t Mind. A new album is in the making, produced by Richard Mullen, winner of two Grammy ' s. Among their other accomplishments, they have toured with Billy Idol and Culture Club and opened for such greats as Joe Ely and Stevie Ray Vaughn. A different sort of per- former, but with the same af- fection and dedication to his art, is found in Shannon Hookes. A graduate of Tech with a degree in music, Hookes is an exceptionally talented guitarist, singer and inspirational writer. He was accepted into the highly prestigious Guitar Institute of California and wrote a book on guitar theory while he was there. Hookes is teaching guitar in Lubbock after having taught a course at Midland College. He also is working independently on an album of original songs which he sees as a portfolio of his talent that possibly could spark a career in performing. But money is not the primary goal in Hookes ' life, although he has been sue cessful as a well-respectei teacher. He said an artis loses his integrity while pur suing fame and fortune, so h is trying to stay true to hi passion. His sound is rock ' r roll with country and blue undertones, but he is ver satile, breaking out inti anything from pop t( classical music, he said. Texas, with its widely vary ing music scene, has been i big influence on Hookes development. He said tha especially in Lubbock, tb home of Buddy Holly, om IPN ' YWV v Darrei Thomas 2 x) — Student Performers

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Outstanding Professors Spark Classroom Interest What we learn with pleasure, we never forget. — Anonymous. It takes more than a high GPA for a student to enjoy a successful college career; in fact, much of a student ' s suc- cess is dependent upon the amount of caring exhibited by teachers. During Faculty Recogni- tion Week, Nov. 14-18, Mor- tar Board and Omicron Delta Kappa national honor societies honored five Texas Tech instructors for their ef- forts and teaching skills. Those honored were Carl M. Andersen, associate pro- fessor of home and family life and human development; Norman Hopper, associate professor of plant and soil science; Louise Luchsinger, undergraduate dean of the College of Business Ad- ministration; Jacquelin Col- lins, associate professor of history; and Tom B. Stenis, associate professor of elec- trical engineering. According to these pro- fessors, teaching to interested students, communicating ideas, teacher appreciation Louise Luchsinger, associate dean of undergraduate programs in the Col- lege of Business Administration, gets a point across in one of her classes. Norman Hopper, associate professor of plant and soil science, believes col- lege students are the best to work with. and student feedback are the key ingredients in making their profession an enjoyable one. Each of the instructors had his or her own reasons for selecting college teaching for a career. For most, though, the choice to teach at a higher education level over that of, say, a secondary level, was made because of the students. At the college level, they ' re more interested. They ' re here mainly because they want to be here, said Hopper. I think it ' s the best age group to work with. In motivating students, sparking an interest in the classroom is an important factor. Encouraging class discussion and questions and emphasizing office hours and availability for extra help are just as important to an in- structor as is personal classroom acknowledgement. Stenis said he believes each person is bestowed a God- given talent and that he believes his is teaching. The main purpose of this is for us to serve others, he said. — Stephanie Kahn Outstanding Professors — i O

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students ana music experiences more of a pull toward music ' s roots, which he did not find in California. I am more of a tradi- tionalist, he said, In Los Angeles, many musicians lose perspective; they tend to rehash what has been suc- cessful before. In Lubbock, you remain rooted. Also, you have to pursue music for the right reasons, because it is harder to get into here. Playing the cello in his school orchestra since he was in the sixth grade, Robert Carillo made an easy transi- tion to the electric bass guitar in the eighth grade. Now a junior civil engineering major at Tech, he is lead bass in the locally popular Johnny and the Blades. His talent has caused the group to center most of their sound around his bass guitar. Carillo said he is not looking for a long-term career in music or a lot of money; he is just having a blast and developing his al- ready considerable ability. He said academics still are im- portant to him as something to fall back on. Several influences have contributed to Carillo ' s de- velopment in music. His brother David, who is lead guitarist of Johnny and the Blades, inspired his interest in the bass, and they have often played in bands together. Robert has played in the bands Ivory and The Funatics. He and David finally decided to start a band of their own with Johnny Slash, the lead singer, and Earnest Garcia as their drummer. Local musi- cians, often meeting for jam sessions at Main Street Saloon on Wednesdays, have offered Robert additional encouragement. The close-knit fellowship of the Mexican community in Lubbock also has been a sup- port, Carillo said. Doug Nel- son, owner of Fat Dawg ' s, of- fered the band its first impor- ohnny and the Blades bass player lobert Carrillo not only finds time r practices and local gigs, but for tudying, too. Carrillo is a junior in ivil engineering at Tech. After a stay in Los Angeles, Tech graduate Shannon Hookes has found his home in Lubbock. Hookes occa- sionally performs in local clubs but likes to play for enjoyment. In Los Angeles many musicians lose perspective; they tend to rehash uhat has been successful before. In Lubbock; you remain rooted. Also, you have to pursue music for the right reasons, because it is harder to get into here. — Shannon Hookes tant gig anytime they were ready, and boy, were they ready! The audience enthusi- astically recognized Carillo and the band as exciting new talent in Lubbock. In February 1985, another energetic new band appeared called the Virgils. As a mem- ber of the band, Tech English major Peter Coates has found a vehicle for exposure of his talent on guitar and having loads of fun with his friends. The rest of the band in- cludes Eddie Croach, bass gui- tarist, Dan Yates, guitarist, and Craig Stone on drums. Yates and Coates have been playing music together since they were in junior high. After forming the band, Coates, with the rest of the Virgils, has played at a University Plaza party, in Snyder at The Harley-Davidson convention and in Lubbock at the New West and Main Street Saloon clubs. Rolling Stone magazine did a review of the Virgils, echoing the enthusiasm for the new group. Fat Dawg ' s was also the Virgils ' first big break. Lubbock ' s clubs have always been supportive and ac- cepting of new groups, Coates said. Music is my life, declared Coates, who has been playing his guitar since he was eight years old. He said he likes to model himself after Lubbock ' s Jesse Taylor, who he sees as the epitome of the hard- working musician totally dedicated to his art. The group ' s original songs also reflect a dedication to the social problems of the world today, especially the cruel cycle of poverty. Coates said he feels the conservative atmosphere at Tech inspired him to re- evaluate his views on society, which is reflected in the fairly anti-establishment tone in his music. But the style is upbeat and great to bop to. It has an ear- thy, unpolished, garage band sound. Songs are taken from the 1950s and 1960s, he said. Coates said his guitar style has been influenced by Buddy Holly, Roy Clark and Buck Owens. The Monkees showed him how much fun a career in music could be, he said. And indeed it seems, as with other student performers, Coates has found an outlet for his con- siderable talent and a difficult, yet exciting career. — Annette Bousquet Designed fry Tony RenUria Student Performers