Friday, September 3, 1982
Daily Nebraskan
Students entertain at Disneyland
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By Brad Gifford
At least once in your college career, you are likely to be
tempted by someone else to skip an exam and take off for
a few days just to get away from school and have some
fun. Most students somehow find the strength to fend off
their desires and the person who is doing the persuading.
But Steve Mendyk fell prey to Joan Mundie when she
proposed that he join her and two friends in Kansas City
to audition for a summer band job at Disneyland in
Anaheim, Calif.
So Mendyk skipped his test last January and joined
Mundie and two friends on their excursion.
In March, after she had all but forgotten about the
audition, Mudie's phone rang. Art Bartner, director of the
University of Southern California Marching Band, had just
informed her that she and Mendyk had been chosen,
out of the 1 ,000 musicians who auditioned, to perform
and receive instruction in a unique music education pro
gram known as the Disney Entertainment Work Experi
ence Program.
"I was very excited and practiced like crazy in the
time after the call until we left on June 1," said Mundie,
a senior majoring in music, specializing in the french horn.
Two weeks of intense practice with 18 other musicians
also selected was followed by a three-day drive to Disney
land. In two weeks, the group memorized 45 songs, six
different sets or programs and their choreography.
"It was pretty physical," Mendyk said of the choreo
graphy, "but it's difficult to entertain a crowd and keep
their attention when they can go see 'Pirates on the Car
ribean Sea' ride or see 'Magic Mountain.' "
In a few shows, the musicians were decked out as ani
mated Disney characters. Mundie was Captain Hook's
sidekick, Mr. Smee, and Mendyk was dressed as Goofy.
When they were performing in these costumes, children
would approach them, hug them and want their pictures
taken with them, Mendyk said.
Performing was only half of the program, however.
Special classroom instruction, designed to help trie
group prepare for a career in professional entertainment,
was the highlight of Mendyk's summer, he said. Leading
professionals in such fields as movie and TV music writ
ing, TV producing, and jazz and symphony music in
structed the college students, giving them knowledge of
many career areas.
These clinics were conducted from noon to 4 p.m. and
the students performed from 4 to 9 p.m. in Disneyland
fit
m &!! for
Friday night, September 3, come out and sneak-a-peek of
the Midway. You'll be able to ride all the rides for just $6
from 6 p.m. until midnight. So bring the gang, sneak-a-peek,
and save.
Does not include gate admission to the State Fair
mm 6 p.m.
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SEPTEMBER 3-12, 1982 STATE FAIRGROUNDS LINCOLN, HE
ENTERTAINMENT: Sept. 3 UbtriM Sept. 4 Manhattan Tranaf er Sept. 5 Roy Clark Sept. I Air Supply
Spt. Truth or Conaaquancaa Spt. 9 Alabama Sept 10 Rick Springfield Sept. 1 1 Tha Daach Boy a
Sept. 12 Barbara Mandrall
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Staff photo by Craig Andresen
Steve Mendyk and Joan Mundie
park. They practiced on their own from about 8 to 10:30
a.m., so there was not much free time.
Mendyk said that he remembers most the solo he
played during the song "By the time I get to Phoenix."
"Every day I would have to get out in front of the
band, get down on one knee and play it," Mendyk said.
"One day Dr. Bartner grabbed about six teen-age tourists
and had them kiss me and run their fingers through my
hair while 1 played." He was used to it, though because
before that Bartner had always picked just one girl from
the crowd for the effect, he said.
Each student in the group received a $180 per week
stipend, ate with the other performing professionals at a
discount and were given free housing in an apartment
complex. The most valuable thing they gained, however,
was career insight, they said.
"I realized what it was like to play in a band five days
a week," Mundie said. She has also come to the con
clusion that "if you want to get a good job or a respect
able job, you have to have that piece of paper," referring
to the graduate degree she plans to earn at UNL.
Mendyk said his career visions changed very little after
his summer job, but he is now sure that he can "work a
music job five days a week as a job and not just for
enjoymei t."
Homecoming hopefuls
must apply by Sept 10
Deadline for Homecoming royalty applications is
Friday, Sept. 10 at noon, said Sara Boatman, director of
Campus Activities and Programs.
The theme of this year's Oct. 10 through 16 Home
coming Week, co-sponsored by Dr Pepper, is "Wouldn't
You Like to Be a Husker, Too," Boatman said.
Activities for Homecoming Week will include a 10
kilometer run, a sports trivia contest, a volleyball tourna
ment and the Oct. 15 Diana Ross concert. The royalty
will be crowned at halttime during the Uct. lb iNeorasKa
Kansas State football game.
You, too, can still get
a booth at Lincolnf est
A special meeting for individuals, clubs, or organiza
tions that have reserved booths for Uncolnfest, scheduled
for the middle of this month, will be Wednesday. The
meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the fifth floor auditorium
of the Lincoln Center Building, 215 Centennial Mall S.
The Lincolniest booths, located between N and O
streets along 15th Street, will feature food and inforjna
tion on Lincoln organizations and activities. Of the 106
booth spaces available, 68 have been reserved.
Individuals, clubs or organizations wanting to reserve
a booth can still do so. Exhibitors should contact the
Lincoln Center Association or attend the meeting Wed
nesday. Correction
In an article about The Attention Center for Youth,
the Daily Nebraskan incorrectly reported that Lori
Delay, volunteer coordinator at the center, was a UNL
criminal justice major. She actually is a third year un
declared student.
The article also stated that volunteers work about
16 hours a week. The article should have said that
volunteers work three to five hours per week.
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