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Music Student Alumni News

~Alumni Will McIntrye's duo Tomboy has been featured on Buzzfeed's article "10 Queer Lady Musicians You Seriously Need In Your Life Right Now" Also, check out their Youtube Page!

~ Since graduating from the UCSC music department in 2012, Kendra McKinley has jumped headfirst into a life of songwriting and live performance. Beginning with a job performing on a river boat tour in Portugal, she spent ninety days traveling in eight European countries playing concerts, writing songs, and studying with the local musicians she met along the way.
Now residing in San Francisco's Mission District, she continues to write and perform original music both as a solo act and with her full electric band, which features her older brother, and fellow UCSC music alum, A.J McKinley. She also works as a music teacher and is a committed member of the San Francisco music industry meet up called Balanced Breakfast: a weekly forum for music professionals of all trades to discuss the state of the music industry, plan events, and provide community for the local scene. 
McKinley is currently recording her second album at Tiny Telephone Recording Studios (SF) to be released in 2016.
Highlights:
-Performing at The Fillmore (Jan. 2015) in the first all female line-up in the history of the venue.-SXSW (2015)

-Cover story in Santa Cruz Weekly:http://www.santacruz.com/news/kendra_mckinley_poised_for_big_things.html-Listed one of "Best New Bands": http://www.bestnewbands.com/featured-artists/passion-psychedelic-pop-kendra-mckinley/

~Elliot Nguyen (B.M. Music - Voice '14) is the Choral Director for St. Mary's High School. Elliot holds a private teaching studio in Livermore, and made his debut with a few different opera companies in the Bay Area. He is also singing Count Ceprano in Rigoletto with Island City Opera in Jan.

~Nilu (B.A. Music- Piano '11) has been performing her compositions and arrangements in the LA area. Nilu's arrangement of "How To Save A Life" by The Fray, was in the episode of the hit show "Grey's Anatomy". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwmVmz38ANg She also recently performed at His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday celebration. 

~Zachary Peletz, (Individual Major: Music Performance and Production, '06). Zach is a lighting and video design programmer specialist. In this capacity he has worked for various productions including: 2008 Beijing Olympics, Red Hot Chili Peppers tour, Jennifer Lopez (J.Lo) tour and Miley Cyrus "Bangerz" tour. 

~William McIntyre (B.M., American Studies/Music -Percussion, '07) is a composer for major network T.V. series, for which he has won two ASCAP awards. He plays with the Nublu Orchestra and The Lucky Cheng Orchestra and is composer for Shore and Tomboy.

~Kent Nagano (B.A., sociology/music, ’74) is an internationally renowned conductor, currently serving as music director of the Bavarian State Opera. He has won two recent Grammy Awards for Best Opera Recording and for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.