From clarinet to guitar, Lopez invests in future
Campus Times
February 21, 1997
photo by Jamie Bigornia
Senior Mario Lopez gets his influence from a variety of music styles.
His musical preference varies from jazz to hard rock. Lopez, a self-taught
guitarist, learned how to play his first song, "Sign" by Tesla
in the 10th grade. Lopez hopes to become a high school band director after
college.
Not only does senior Mario Lopez play the electric and acoustic guitar,
he also knows how to play the clarinet, bass, baritone and congas, and he
writes music. One might consider him musically inclined.
Born and raised in Baldwin Park, the 21-year-old Lopez has been familiar
with musical instruments since the fifth grade, when he decided to begin
taking clarinet lessons.
Lopez attended Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park, where he played
the clarinet in band tournaments, and during his junior year, began to play
the guitar.
"I taught myself how to play it. My dad had a guitar and one day
I just sort of took it over," said Lopez.
Unspoken was the name of the alternative metal band Lopez played the
bass in from his senior year of high school until his sophomore year of
college. In his sophomore year, the band recorded and sold copies of a demo
tape. Every once in a while, the band still gets together to practice.
After following his older sister, Maricela, to the University of La
Verne, Lopez, who describes himself as open-minded and shy, began attending
in 1994 as an undecided major.
It was not until his sophomore year that Lopez decided to major in music
education. He became part of the Jazz Ensemble on campus, for which he plays
the electric bass.
After being nominated in the spring of 1996 by the Music Department,
Lopez received the Academic Award of Music.
A few weeks ago, Lopez played the congas for a band playing "Hotel
California" during a talent show held in Brandt Hall.
Lopez's favorite jazz musician is trumpet player Miles Davis, but he
also enjoys playing the guitar solo from "Samba Pati" by Santana
and Metallica's album, "And Justice for All."
Said Lopez, "I am really flexible when it comes to my favorite
type of music. I like classical, heavy metal, Latin, jazz, basically everything.
I appreciate many kinds of music. It depends on what mood I am in."
"Music really hit me my sophomore year [at ULV]. That is when I
began to listen to it," said Lopez. "Before that, I had just listened
to whatever my sister listened to."
Whenever Lopez is not attending class or working as a second year student
manager in Davenport Dining Hall, he is spending his free time playing the
guitar, listening to music, writing music or just hanging out with his friends.
Lopez is also a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, where he was
formerly the secretary and is now the Phikeia Educator.
Family and friends are Lopez's first priority. The one person he looks
up to most is his mother, who he says is always there to keep the family
together through difficult times.
"They [family and friends] are who put me through to where I am
right now," Lopez said.
Lopez plans to graduate in May and become a director in a high school
band, or teach music elsewhere.
"I hope to someday be well off, comfortable and have a great family,"
Lopez said.
Dr. Reed Gratz, professor of music, said, "If bands had captains
like sports teams did, Mario would be that. He is the main guy in the Jazz
Ensemble.
"Mario is one of the most respected students here in the Music
Department, and one of the best music theory students that ULV has had in
a long time. He is really involved with nearly everything on campus having
to do with the Music Department," said Gratz.