The UCLA College boasts many prominent alumni in a
broad array of fields, from business executives to entertainers
to scientists.Among the youngest of these celebrated graduates
is guitarist Brad Delson, a member of Linkin Park, the
highly successful and internationally acclaimed alternative
metal/hip-hop/rock band. In 2001, Linkin Park s first
album, Hybrid Theory, was the world s top selling album
of the year. In 2002, Hybrid Theory received a Grammy
Award for Best Hard Rock Performance, as well as nominations
for Best Rock Album and Best New Artist.
A 1999 communications graduate, Delson, 27, has created
the Delson Scholarship Fund in the UCLA College to
provide undergraduate scholarships for Los Angeles-area
inner-city high school graduates, particularly those who
attended Nimitz Middle School in Huntington Park.
Delson spoke about his experience at UCLA and his
decision to establish the scholarship fund.
CR:When did you become interested in music?
Delson: I ve been interested in music as far back as I
can remember. I played trumpet in my elementary
school orchestra. I started learning to play guitar when
I was 12 or 13 and took lessons for about 5 years.After
that I taught guitar and played with friends in local
bands through high school. I did it as a hobby, something
that I loved, but I never thought I would pursue
it professionally.
CR:When you were looking at colleges, what made you
choose UCLA?
Delson: Growing up near UCLA, I may have taken it
for granted and thought about colleges that were further
from home. But then, when I visited the campus again during my senior year in high school, I really
just fell in love with it. I was also offered a scholarship,
and that weighed in on my decision.
CR:You were a communications major, with a specialization
in business.What were your career goals?
Delson: That s a good question. I liked communication
studies because it s interdisciplinary. One of the
values of a liberal arts education is that it s possibly the
greatest opportunity in life to be exposed to a number
of different disciplines. It really expands your perspective
and understanding of the world and how it works.
Also, I was still very interested in music, and I had a
number of internships in the entertainment industry. I
figured maybe I d go to law school and then pursue
the business side of music.
During that time I was performing in a band with a
group of my friends, and people actually started to like
the music we were playing. So we just took it from
there. We signed a publishing deal while I was at
UCLA. During my senior year I was debating,
Should I do the more traditional route, go to graduate
school I don t really have a record contract or
should I just take a risk and pursue music? I chose the
latter.
It was a little scary, but, fortunately, it paid off.
CR: Do you think your education has contributed to
your music career?
Delson: Absolutely. That s one of the themes I try to
impart to younger students. I ve had the opportunity to
speak with kids at Nimitz Middle School, where one
of my friends has taught. I think my career is very
compelling to kids growing up.They identify with the
artists and musicians they see on TV and hear on the
radio. I tell them that, although my career is maybe
more glamorous than others and may seem antithetical
to going to school and being committed to educational
goals, the two go hand in hand. My education at
UCLA has contributed to my success tremendously.
CR: In what way?
Delson: There s much more to being a musician than
just playing your instrument. Linkin Park is our career,
our business, and ultimately we re in charge of our
own destiny.Although we have people advising us,we
make the decisions. Our bass player, who was my
roommate at UCLA, got his degree in philosophy, and
the other guys are smart and educated, and I think it
really informed our decision-making process and
allowed us to maximize our success.
CR: Linkin Park is a very philanthropic band.Why?
Delson:We feel that it s important for us to give back,
because we ve been so fortunate in our careers and
we've received so much support from people around
the world. That directly influenced our decision to
start Music for Relief, a global effort by the music
industry to help people who have been affected by a
disaster such as the recent tsunami in South Asia.
CR:What led to your decision to create a scholarship in
the UCLA College?
Delson: The idea came out of my experience at
Nimitz Middle School.When my friend invited me to
speak to her class, I chose to focus not only on my
music career but on my experience in college and
how that helped me to be successful.
In some high schools in LA, the graduation rate is a
lot lower than it should be, and the number of students
attending college is quite low. I think it s important
to get kids at a young age to start thinking about
college, because that will inform their experience in
high school and give them something to work toward.
I hope to go to Nimitz every year and speak to the
kids about my experience at UCLA, and let them
know that we've created this scholarship for them.
Our goal is to award one full, four-year scholarship
every year.We ll be awarding the first one in the next
academic year.
CR:You re one of the College s youngest major donors.
What would you say to other young alumni who might
be starting to think about giving to UCLA? Why is it
important?
Delson: I realize that I m in a unique position, but it
doesn't matter how much you give. Even if it s a small
amount whatever is comfortable it s important to
make a commitment to give back.
I have a great feeling when I think about UCLA the
education I received, the friends I made, and the
support I got from the professors and staff.With the
rising cost of tuition and the cuts in state funding, it s
important now more than ever for alumni to contribute
to the school, to make it as great a place as it
can be.
-Thanks
Amelie!
Labels: interviews
