Conservatory Professor Wins Second Grammy Award

All photos on this page by Jason Millner

University of the Pacific Associate Professor of Voice Eric Dudley won his second Grammy Award on February 4, 2024 as part of an ensemble that bested talented competition including world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Dudley sang with the innovative group Roomful of Teeth, which won Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for the album Rough Magic. The award was announced at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

“It’s natural to have a lot of pride when you can compete against some of the great musicians in the world, which has been the case in this category. It’s traditionally full of musical heavy hitters,” said Dudley, who watched the ceremony with his wife Melanie and son Ethan from their East Bay home.

Dudley, a co-founding member of Roomful of Teeth who is no longer an official member of the group, returned to the ensemble to sing and play synthesizers for the Grammy-winning album. “This was the first big project we have done since the pandemic, and it was an effort that meant a lot to the whole group,” Dudley said. “Rough Magic was a double-album set and it had so much new music. Even the name was unique, with Rough Magic coming from a line in The Tempest by Shakespeare.”

Dudley was a member of Roomful of Teeth when it won a Grammy in the same category back in 2014 and was also selected to perform on stage during the pre- telecast ceremony that year. Additionally, Dudley also was part of another Grammy-nominated effort that was recognized but did not win this year. He sang and played synthesizers for William Brittelle’s Psychedelics, which was nominated in the Best Contemporary Classical category.

Dudley has been part of the conservatory faculty for six years. The award brings pride to Pacific’s Conservatory of Music, said Dean Peter Witte. “While Eric’s immense range inspires his students and colleagues at Pacific, his easy demeanor makes him a fantastic teacher,” Witte said. “We are thrilled to be his colleagues.”

Pickleball and Padel Arrive to Fanfare on Stockton Campus

Pacificans and members of the public gathered at the world’s first pickleball and padel complex on a college campus for a grand opening, ribbon cutting and celebration of the United States’ and the world’s fastest-growing sports. The eight pickleball and four padel courts at the facility adjacent to the Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center were filled with students, regents, faculty, staff and others—some trying the popular sports for the first time. About 200 people attended the event on February 23.

Last year, Pacific President Christopher Callahan announced the university had partnered with San Diego-based Taktika Padel to build the facility on the northwest corner of campus. He is pleased to see the efforts come to fruition. “Today, we are unveiling a complex that does not exist on any college campus in the United States or, for that matter, the world,” Callahan said. “What you are seeing is the brainchild of my friend Gabriel Perez Krieb, founder and chairman of Taktika Padel.”

Krieb shared praise for Callahan and the Pacific team who made the complex a reality in little more than half a year. “I have been to facilities all over the United States and I would venture to say this is one of the best built. This is a trailblazing effort, to be sure,” Krieb said. “These are sports for everyone. These are designed to be very social sports. People from four years old to 70 are playing the sport and playing it well.”

The facility is now open daily and ready for action. Community members can reserve courts during the day using the Playbypoint app and searching “Taktika Padel Stockton.” Pacific students, faculty and staff will have exclusive, free access daily from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Equipment can be rented free of charge at the facility.

Current Pacific men’s tennis player Riley Hillenbrand, Class of 2026, said his teammates are embracing pickleball and padel and even using them in training regimens. “The sports serve two purposes because both are fun to play and they can help your tennis game, too,” he said. “We incorporate volleying into our tennis training. The new courts are a great addition to our (racket sports) complex.”