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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1999)
Benefit Continued from Page 7 and his Christian faith have helped him tremendously, as well as the love he gives and re ceives from friends and family. “I have cancer, but it’s not slowing me down,” Becerra says. "I am so blessed to be able to play my trombone.” According to many of his friends and teachers, Becerra has a wonderful attitude about his sit uation. "If you saw him walking down the street, you’d never know [he was sick],” says Dana Huddle ston, administrative coordinator for athletic bands. “He’s got a great spirit and a strong face.” Ron Bertucci, Becerra’s trom bone teacher from LCC, says Be cerra has an incredible effect on all of those he comes in contact with. “Through his actions and what he’s going through in strength, he makes everybody aware of how lucky we are and the opportuni ties we have that perhaps we’re not taking advantage of,” Bertuc ci says. Though he is only 23, Becerra says he has lived a full life. He’s played with some of his favorite musicians, including Andy Mar tin, an internationally famous trombonist who Becerra sponta neously called one day and is now one of his pen pals. He’s traveled around the country and world and has plans to take a trip to New Orleans this spring. He is currently the head coach of Junc tion City High School’s soccer team, his alma matter. “I have lived a wonderful life, and I’ve lived a lot,” he says. “I don’t take any thing for granted anymore. The small things . . . mean a lot to me,” Becerra says. He says he saves little things, like tick et stubs and the letter he got that announced him as head soccer coach. After under going a bone marrow trans plant last year, Becerra was in the hospital for almost two months. Once he began to re cover, Becerra said he started Courtesyphoto Ray Becerra is a junior trombone player and is a member ot the Oregon Marching Band, basketball band and Green Garter Band. playing the trombone in the hos pital. "1 played quietly, and people would open their doors to hear,” he recalled. “It was kind of cool.. . Music is very healing.” Becerra continues to study and teach private lessons at the Uni versity, as well as coach the high school soccer team. “I’m telling my body that I don’t have cancer ... I’m going in the other direction, to see how long I can go,” he said. What is remarkable is Becerra’s attitude toward his life. Though he is challenged by cancer, he has nothing but positive things to say about life. i m not scared oi dying be cause I know where I’m going,” Becerra said. "I don’t think it’s my time to go, but if it is, it’s ok.” Though he says all the atten tion is kind of strange, he highly appreciates all that people are do ing for him. “It’s nice to see how many peo ple really love you,” he says. “(I want to say] a huge thank you to everyone... I’m so happy they are showing their love through all that they're doing.” Sunday’s concert is free of charge, but voluntary donations will be accepted to pay Becerra’s medical expenses and help send him on a trip to New Orleans. Famous funk artist to visit Eugene Bernie Worrell, of Parliament fame, will visit the Wild Duck Feh. 2 By Ben Garvey lor the Emerald Former Parliament-Funkadelic keyboard captain Bernie Worrell will steer his own mothership into the Wild Duck Music Hall on Feb. 2. Accompanied by his fellow cosmic travelers, the Woo War riors, Worrell is touring the West coast to promote the band’s new album “Bernie Worrell & The Woo Warriors Live.” From being one of the founding members of George Clinton’s P Funk, to collaborating on critical ly acclaimed music projects with groups such as The Rolling Stones and The Pretenders, Wor rell has performed on more than 300 albums. But Worrell was not the cosmic cat as we know him until he started hanging around his local barber shop — George Clinton's barber shop, that is. According to Worrell's Web site, he and Clinton began planti ng the seeds of P-Funk in 1968.Worrell helped produce for P-Funk such tunes as “Flash light,” "Atomic Dog,” “Knee Deep,” “Cosmic Slop” and “Red Hot Mama.” Since leaving Parliament in 1980, Worrell has had a success ful solo career. His album, “Funk of Ages” launched his solo career, and his material has been sam pled by rap and R & B ar tists such as Dr. Dre, Ice cube, Salt n’ Pepa, Snoop Doggy Dog and En Vogue. In the latest live collaboration with The Woo Warriors, Worrell produces an interesting and unique blend of funk and jazz with elements of African motifs. The album is less of one artist performing a certain style but more of a conglomeration of var ied artists. Like P-Funk, Worrell and The Woo Warriors bring dif ferent cultural traditions and in fluences into the music. The album's first track starts off with an eerie blend of synthesiz ers and Australian instruments, Turn to FUNK, Page 10 jioutmu kmc TO W I N ONSEN Write the '(TOlWffl" Heart Beat and win a gift certificate for a free hot tub rental at Onsen Win someone’s heart and a prize when you place a Heart Beat in the Oregon Daily Emerald this Valentine's Day. example (not actual size) 1 Call 346-4343 to place your Heart Beat today, or fill out this form and stop by the Emerald classified office: Suite 300 EMU 1 Heart Beats will run in the Emerald on Friday, February 12. • Deadline: Wednesday, February 10,1p.m. name. phone_ address_ cash/check/credit card #. write message to appear in ad here j (if more than 25 words type may be small and hard to read) .1 ODE employees not eligible to win Find Fun Stuff in the ODE Classifieds .5^'-W£OI{ND c& Aw <2/2<A//.'r TI(H{ to-Aarty, ^(OIMOOTAND MH«. scandals®
