GORDON HENDERSON is the Director of Bands and Department of Music Vice Chair at UCLA. Professor Henderson directs the 250-member Bruin Marching Band, and the Varsity Band. Under Henderson's direction, the Bruin Marching Band has appeared at five Rose Bowls, two Cotton Bowls, three Sun Bowls, the Las Vegas Bowl, the Aloha Bowl, the Emerald Bowl, and the Fiesta Bowl. In 1993, the UCLA Bruin Marching Band received the prestigious Sudler Trophy, presented each year by the John Philip Sousa Foundation to recognize excellence and innovation. In 2006 and 2008, groups of fifty band members performed at the Hong Kong Chinese New Year Night Parade, and in 2010, fourteen drummers from the Band performed at the 27th Annual Ekitopia Festival Parade in Nagoya, Japan.

From 1989 to 1996, Henderson directed the Jazz Ensemble I, performing with numerous guest artists including Roy Hargrove, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Burrell, Conte Candoli, Matt Catingub, Bill Watrous, Steve Houghton, Snooky Young, Gerald Wilson and Paquito D'Rivera. Under his direction, both the Jazz Ensemble I and the Jazz Combo won their respective divisions at the 1995 Reno International Jazz Festival.

Henderson has served as Head Horn Instructor or Brass Arranger for three Drum Corps International Champions: the Santa Clara Vanguard in 1989 and 1999, and the 1992 Cavaliers from Rosemont, Illinois. In 2008, Henderson served as Program Coordinator for the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps from Casper, Wyoming, who celebrated their 50th anniversary with their first appearance in the DCI Semifinals competition since 1995. He also served as a consultant with the Troopers in 2009 and 2010. Other corps he has worked for over the years have included the Imperial Guard, the Pride of Cincinnati, the Guardsmen, the Cadets, the Capital Regiment, Pacific Crest and the Academy.

Since 1990, he has been the Arranger for the Tenrikyo Aimachi Marching Band in Nagoya, Japan, the eight-time All-Japan National Champions. In July and August of 2009, Henderson served as an adjudicator for the World Music Contest to be held in Kerkrade, the Netherlands, where he judged over 80 bands, drum corps and concert percussion ensembles from 14 countries spanning four continents. He also served as an adjudicator at the Kuala Lumpur International Marching Band Competition in December of 2009.

Henderson was an Assistant Director and Drill Designer for the 736-member Olympic All-American College Marching Band that performed at the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. He has composed and/or arranged band music for several major motion pictures including In the Line of Fire, Little Nikita, Fatal Instinct, Legends of the Fall, Don't Say A Word, First Daughter, Road Trip, and Click.

Henderson is active as an arranger, guest conductor, adjudicator, drill designer, and clinician throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.

Keith Kupper
office: (310) 825-3835 
email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Keith Kupper became the Assistant Director of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band on September 1, 2010. He graduated from UCLA in the Spring of 2010, after serving as Drum Major of the Band for the three previous years.