At UC Merced’s dinner for the most significant donors and university leadership, Jimmy Dunne performed their new Alma Mater live — over a video of their students and university.
With tears streaming down his face, a donor stood up and said he’s writing a check for $1,500,000.
Chancellor Dorothy Leland turned to Jimmy Dunne cheering, “That’s what I call an Alma Mater!”
CREATING THE SOUND OF UC MERCED
We had the honor to write the Alma Mater for California’s tenth and newest university — UC Merced.
With 10,000 students and growing exponentially, UC Merced is a unique university located in the San Joaquin Valley near Yosemite National Park — and the first American research university to be built in the 21st century.
It has a special mission to increase college-going rates among students in the San Joaquin Valley.
It also serves as a major base of advanced research, a model of sustainable design and construction, and a stimulus to economic growth and diversification throughout the region.
Jimmy Dunne met with a number of the members of the University’s Board at the university, and had numerous meetings with students, the university’s band, parents, and the university’s leadership — talking about the story and soul of the university. His greatest research was taking walks through the campus and its classrooms — listening to the hearts of its passionate students and teachers.
He wrote “My Merced,” a song that speaks to the profound effect of this nurturing home on its students’ lives.
Jimmy Dunne and Stephan Oberhoff produced a number of versions of the motif and melody (along with exceptional musicians/singers) — affording UC Merced to incorporate the audio branding into myriad touchpoints and events at the university.
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