Robert O. Briggs
Encyclopedia
Robert Orlando Briggs was the longtime director of the University of California Marching Band. He was the fourth full time director since the founding of the band in 1891.
Briggs was born in Modesto, California
on Aug. 20, 1927, the great-grandson of pioneer James Briggs, who cofounded the town. He graduated from Modesto High School
and briefly attended Modesto Junior College
before entering University of California, Berkeley
in 1947. Briggs joined the Cal Band, played the cornet
and took up the french horn. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in music in 1951, he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War
, joining U.S. Army bands at Fort Ord
, Monterey, CA and Okinawa, Japan. Later, he earned a master's degree in music from San Francisco State University
.
After his military service, he landed the post of band director of Armijo High School
in Fairfield, CA which he held until 1967 when he returned to Cal to assist Cal Band director James Berdahl. When Berdahl took a leave of absence in 1971, Briggs filled in as acting director before being officially appointed Cal Band director in 1973.
Briggs served as the director of bands at UC Berkeley until his retirement in 1995 and was succeeded in the position by Robert Calonico
. His retirement was spent starting the Solano Winds, a local community concert band in Fairfield. He died on September 17, 2008.
Briggs was born in Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
on Aug. 20, 1927, the great-grandson of pioneer James Briggs, who cofounded the town. He graduated from Modesto High School
Modesto High School
Modesto High School is a high school in Modesto, California, U.S.A. It offers the International Baccalaureate Program, and was the first public school to do so in the Central Valley of California.Modesto High School is the oldest high school in Modesto....
and briefly attended Modesto Junior College
Modesto Junior College
The Modesto Junior College is a community college located in Central Valley's Modesto, California.-Accreditation:Modesto Junior College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In January 2008, the Western Association Colleges and Schools notified the college that it had...
before entering University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1947. Briggs joined the Cal Band, played the cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
and took up the french horn. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in music in 1951, he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, joining U.S. Army bands at Fort Ord
Fort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, Monterey, CA and Okinawa, Japan. Later, he earned a master's degree in music from San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
.
After his military service, he landed the post of band director of Armijo High School
Armijo High School
Armijo High School is a public secondary school located in Fairfield, California. The school serves about 2500 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District....
in Fairfield, CA which he held until 1967 when he returned to Cal to assist Cal Band director James Berdahl. When Berdahl took a leave of absence in 1971, Briggs filled in as acting director before being officially appointed Cal Band director in 1973.
Briggs served as the director of bands at UC Berkeley until his retirement in 1995 and was succeeded in the position by Robert Calonico
Robert Calonico
Robert M. Calonico is the Director of Bands at the University of California, Berkeley, where his duties include directing and arranging for the Cal Band and conducting the University Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band. The Cal Band's most recent recording, "University of California Band," was...
. His retirement was spent starting the Solano Winds, a local community concert band in Fairfield. He died on September 17, 2008.
External links
- Robert Orlando Briggs 20 August 1927 - 17 September 2008 Cal Band Alumni Association
- Beloved Cal Band director emeritus Robert Briggs dies at 81 By Yasmin Anwar, Media Relations, University of CaliforniaUniversity of CaliforniaThe University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
Press Release.