Marc Bolin has played at hundreds of funerals in his 42 years, but none quite like the one he played the tuba at on Tuesday. ![Press conference]()
Bolin, a student at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music who plays several instruments, was recently approached by organizers of a press conference being held to announce rock band Mötley Crüe’s final tour. A seasoned performer and arranger of brass music that has deep roots in the New Orleans funeral tradition, Bolin was asked to put together a suitable musical arrangement for the occasion and to select a group of musicians who would fit the bill.
A fan uses her mobile device to record the event. Photo by Rebecca Kendall.
A musician who has performed with B.B. King, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Lalo Schifrin, Herman Olivera, Pete Escovedo, Sheila E., the Black Eyed Peas, Deltron 3030, Aloe Black and Stevie Wonder, Bolin didn’t have to look far.
He handpicked Eric Miller, Mike Cottone, Jonathan Pinson and Josh Johnson from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at UCLA; Tristan Hurd and Erick Jovel from the Herb Alpert school; and UCLA alumnus John Montgomery.
On Tuesday at the Roosevelt Hotel, these talented musicians set the mood for the rockers’ grand entrance at the funeral-themed press conference, which was attended by throngs of international journalists and live-streamed on the band’s website.
The UCLA musicians opened the event by playing a Mötley Crüe-inspired funeral dirge outside the venue on Hollywood Boulevard as onlookers waited for band members Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars to arrive by hearse. ![Motley-Crue]()
"I never thought that just playing a Mötley Crüe song down would be the way to do it," said Bolin of his six-minute, heavy-metal-meets-brass-band arrangement. "I really like the idea of mash-ups, and there’s a tradition in the New Orleans brass band world to make older tunes your own. It’s almost as if you’re giving a head nod to those who have come before you while connecting to a wide audience and the general public en masse."
Vince Neil (from the left), Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars from Mötley Crüe face a throng of media and fans at their funeral-themed press conference. Photo by Christelle Nahas.
In recent years, UCLA has become a go-to place for organizers of such high-profile events, said Michael Dean, chair of the music department. For example, UCLA’s Philharmonia orchestra debuted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2011. Last year, the UCLA Bruin Marching Band opened for the Rolling Stones at the Staples Center.
"The performance ability of our students, and the quality of our students, is quite high," said Dean. "It’s very gratifying to have them be the musicians that people request. It says a lot about what we do here." ![A brass ensemble consisting of UCLA master's students in the Herb Alpert School of Music and the Theolonious Monk School of Jazz pose with]()
Dean said that the mindset of the 21st-century musician and the expectations people have of them are different from that of the 20th-century musician. An opportunity to play at an event like this challenges students to think creatively, be flexible and learn about how multifaceted the music world is, he said.
A brass ensemble consisting of UCLA master's students in the Herb Alpert School of Music and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz pose with "mourners" on Hollywood Boulevard. Photo by Rebecca Kendall.
"The idea is to break down those walls while they’re here," Dean said. "What we’re hoping is that their eyes are opened to the entire musical world and not just to their own expertise. And these kinds of events do that for them. Some young musicians choose a career path leading to a symphony orchestra after graduation, but many others do not."
Hurd, a trumpet player from Seattle, said experiences like this are what make being a UCLA student special.
"I’m new to Los Angeles, so getting to see Hollywood like this is really something," he said after the performance. "I’ve never played this type of gig before, and seeing how these kinds of events work is incredible. It’s a great experience and a great way to meet people in the music and entertainment world. Los Angeles is such an opportunity-filled city."