UCLA’s Solid Gold Sound is welcoming a new leader. Justin McManus will join the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music faculty as assistant professor of music, director of athletic bands and associate director of bands. 

“I’m excited to be joining the school of music,” said McManus. “UCLA is the No. 1 public university in the United States, and the marching band is a great connector for all layers of the UCLA community, whether we are talking about the students, the alumni, Los Angeles or expanding our reach as a global university.”

Before joining the school of music, McManus was an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut, where he was the director of athletic bands and the assistant director of wind bands. UConn, a Division 1 basketball powerhouse, boasts a 315-member marching band and a 150-member pep band. Prior to that, McManus spent nine years as the assistant director of the University of Notre Dame bands department. He received his doctorate at Boston University.

“Our marching band is one of our great treasures, bringing school of music students and nonmajors together to be UCLA’s musical ambassadors to the world,” said Robert Fink, acting dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. “We are confident that we have found a strong and talented leader as the marching band approaches its 100th anniversary.”

Read more about McManus here.