A concert for the ages celebrates the generations-spanning clientele of music attorney John Branca ’72 and the launch of the John Branca Institute for Music
More than half a century of popular music came alive on October 18 as Occidental celebrated the establishment of the John Branca Institute for Music with an hourlong concert in Thorne Hall. In June, Occidental announced a $5 million gift from legendary attorney John G. Branca ’72—partner and head of the music department at Ziffren Brittenham, one of the world’s most respected entertainment law firms—that will establish the new music teaching and learning facility.
The Occidental Music Department flexed its melodic muscle in performing some of the greatest hits of a handful of Branca’s most-renowned clients, including Carlos Santana (“Oye Como Va,” “Smooth”) the Bee Gees (“How Deep is Your Love”), the Beach Boys (“Good Vibrations”), and Rodgers and Hammerstein (“It Might as Well be Spring”). Michael Jackson was well represented with the Occidental Symphony Orchestra’s performance of a special arrangement of “Human Nature”—one of seven top-10 singles off Jackson’s Thriller, which remains the best-selling album of all time—while the Glee Club performed his gospel-tinged anthem “Man in the Mirror,” a No. 1 hit in 1988. All totaled, 84 students (including a few recent alumni) and eight faculty musicians, singers, or ensemble directors performed that night, bringing many in the audience, including Branca himself, to their feet with a standing ovation.
The concert offered an appetizer of what Branca’s gift will mean to Oxy’s ascendant Music Department. “The Branca Institute will allow us to highlight in an academic way the study of popular music and the music industry, and to do so within the context of a liberal arts education,” says David Kasunic, associate professor of music, who will serve as the institute’s inaugural director.
In addition to underwriting renovations to Booth Hall (under the direction of Peter Grueneisen of nonzero architecture), the transformative gift will support the continued expansion of the Music Department with a wider focus on contemporary music and enhancement of the music business curriculum. In October, Billboard named Occidental to its annual list of top music business schools for the fifth consecutive year.
The institute will also work with community colleges, in particular Los Angeles City College—where Branca completed a two-year degree prior to transferring to Occidental—to increase transfer opportunities for students with diverse backgrounds and perspectives interested in furthering their education in music. The institute will also develop special programming and joint research activities in conjunction with the Harvard Negotiation Project, which is based at Harvard Law School and directed by Harvard Business School Professor Jim Sebenius.
“Occidental College has a diverse student body and provides the best, most personalized undergraduate education in Los Angeles,” says Branca, who graduated from the College cum laude and with honors as a political science major. “As a trustee and alumnus, I am proud of the College’s mission and academic excellence.”
In October, the College announced a $500,000 gift from the Mike Curb Foundation to establish the Mike Curb Endowed Program in Popular Music History. The gift will underwrite a range of guest speakers and career development events for students and alumni, as well as the creation of the Linda and Mike Curb Fellowship, which will capitalize on Oxy’s proximity to the SoCal music industry and bring that talent to campus.
A longtime philanthropist and friend of Branca, Curb is former lieutenant governor of California (1979-83), a Grammy Award-winning producer, 1972 Billboard producer of the year, and a BMI multi-award-winning songwriter. He continues to preside over his own independent record company, which has launched the careers of numerous stars.
Veteran music producer Michael Lloyd, who worked with 1970s pop stars including the Osmonds and Shaun Cassidy and oversaw the soundtrack for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, producing the Oscar-winning No. 1 hit “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” will be the inaugural Curb Fellow next fall. Curb Fellows will give talks, masterclasses, and workshops on popular music-making and history.
A recent six-figure gift from Lyn (Gawley) Pohlmann '64 and John Pohlmann '62 will support the Booth Hall renovation. In addition, a $250,000 gift from the Ray & Vera Conniff Foundation will establish the Ray Conniff Oxy Jazz Ensemble Endowed Fund to provide programmatic and operational support of the Occidental College Jazz Ensemble and build and sustain a youth jazz ensemble to be composed of Northeast L.A. residents. The gift was facilitated by Conniff’s daughter, Tamara Conniff ’93, creative director of GoldState Music, the first female editor-in-chief of Billboard, and an inaugural member of the institute’s advisory council.
Expect more collaborations to follow. “John Branca is the ultimate connector and difference-maker in the music industry,” President Tom Stritikus said in his remarks. “The John Branca Institute for Music will solidify Occidental’s commitment to educational and industry partnerships that will benefit our students.” To paraphrase the Beach Boys, we’re pickin’ up good vibrations.
Top photo: Chris Kim, the Choi Family Director of Instrumental Music, conducts the Occidental Symphony in a performance of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature.”
