Pepperdine University

“We Will Climb”
By Jimmy Dunne

Pepperdine is a stunning university — perched on the hill of Malibu, with peerless views of the Pacific Ocean.  In the country’s elite “Top 50” of America’s 4,000 schools,  it’s a Christian-focused university with a strong emphasis on character, purpose, and integrity.

Pepperdine leadership reached out to me to create an alma mater, to reimagine their fight song, and to create a strong Songbook Library of pieces to be used in every type of usage under the sun.

I started the journey with Pepperdine by meeting with board members, administrators, student leaders, alumni and professors to listen.  To try to hear and feel that voice shared by the Pepperdine family.

As with every university, I feel so privileged to be invited into a university’s sanctuary; to candidly explore the rawest feelings of its tribe.

One thing that so many in Pepperdine’s family spoke to — is how they climb.  The magnificent university is perched above the Pacific Ocean with amazing views.  They climb the hills of the campus class, they climb back down, and they do it all together.  They have classes in professor’s homes on campus, they study abroad together; and, most importantly, they inspire each other to truly make a difference in the world.  I wanted to try to capture that.

Stay tuned for the release this month of their ‘Fight Song,” and an entire Songbook Library of iterations in every style imaginable of the alma mater, anthem and fight song motifs.