Fifty years ago, UCLA became the first university in the United States to have an independent ethnomusicology department.

Clubs and extracurricular activities can often be shoved aside in the name of schoolwork, but Erin Ward’s devotion to the ultimate goals of Dance Marathon permeates the rest of her life. Ward, a second-year psychology student, just completed her second year on the Dance Marathon committee as community outreach and education director.

Hardly a sporting event passes without the UCLA Bruin Marching Band cheering on the athletes, and as part of the band, third-year bioengineering student Jessica Schlosser has helped to keep up the energy.

Balancing school, work and musical tastes is all in a day’s work for the band Seriously.

Film music rarely ever graces the stage away from the screen, but on Sunday, the American Youth Symphony will perform works by noted Hollywood composer Jerry Goldsmith. The concert, which will follow a symposium discussing the music and life of Goldsmith, is the second of a three-part chronological series dedicated to showcasing some of Goldsmith’s works, including the scores for “Alien,” “The Omen” and “Star Trek.”

Whether they are actors, political activists or even the second man to walk on the moon, stars of all sorts have found the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books to be the perfect place to extend their reach into a different art.

When asked to picture a singer performing with a saxophone player, chances are an image of some smoky old jazz club will come to mind. However, for a group of UCLA music professors, that image is only one of many styles that can come from combining sax with voice. From opera to cabaret, the chamber group unites classical and jazz saxophonists, vocalists, pianists and other players in a concert showing just how versatile voice and sax pairings can be.

Incorporating young talent from all over Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, the American Youth Symphony aims to provide pre-professional musicians with the skills they need to earn places in top orchestras.

The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony attempts to bring forth compositional works by Jewish composers, as well as highlight pieces relating to the Jewish faith. However, tonight the symphony will perform a concert that also focuses on a human struggle that affects everyone regardless of religious affiliation: cancer.

Combining the talents of UCLA’s top instrumental musicians, conductors, and world-renowned faculty members, the UCLA Wind Ensemble will present a concert featuring classic repertoire alongside more modern works, including a rock song turned band piece.