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Grrr Band

Ten Years of KUG


Submitted on January 23, 2020

The KUG (Keep Us Grrr…ing) Band Dinner was never intended to be an annual event. However, on January 31st, the event will celebrate its tenth anniversary. What began as a simple fundraising effort has morphed into an annual celebration of Tiger Bands, where friends, family, and band alumni come together for a joyous evening.

“When we did it in 2011, we really thought it would be a one-off,” said Dr. Pete LaRue, Director of Tiger Bands. “To start with the goal was fundraising, but then it dawned on us that the great value was this feel-good atmosphere that quickly developed. So it’s really evolved over the years.”

Since its inception, the event has featured guest speakers, who range from former Band Scholars to supporters in the community. This year’s featured speakers are current Band Scholar Adam Betz, Professor of Religion Dr. Sheila Klopfer, former Band Scholar Chad Acklin ’99, and Georgetown College legend Happy Osborne ’82. The dinner will also feature performances by a clarinet quartet and tuba quartet.

Dr. LaRue is particularly excited about the music at this year’s event. Those attending can look forward to a minuet by Haydn performed by the clarinet quartet and a piece titled Brazil performed by the tuba quartet, which Dr. LaRue described as a “jazzy, snappy number that anybody will love.”

What the event has come to represent is the family atmosphere of Tiger Bands. It serves as the perfect opportunity for supporters and friends of band to come together and enjoy each other’s company again. Dr. LaRue takes great pride in that sense of family that has established within the band community during his time at the helm.

When asked what has led to that family atmosphere, he said “We’ve always tried to recruit a certain type of young person, and we’ve really just had a great pool of people over the years. One of our goals has always been to take a good kid and help them to grow into a really great kid.”

The tenth annual KUG Band Dinner will take place on January 31st at 7:00 pm in the Jones-Hall-Nelson Suite. Tickets are $15.00, and inquiries about tickets can be directed to Dr. Pete LaRue at [email protected]. All proceeds will materially benefit the Band Scholars and Tiger Bands.


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