Colin Lamerdin

Class of 2014

Jazz Band • Jazz Choir • Rock Band • Musical Theater

UC Santa Cruz
B.A. in Film, Minor in Electronic Music

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For Colin Lamerdin, San Marin Performing Arts was where performing became something welcoming, collaborative, and genuinely fun. The confidence he built onstage—and the friendships he made along the way—have stayed with him long after high school.

After graduating from San Marin, Colin attended UC Santa Cruz, earning a B.A. in Film with a minor in Electronic Music. He spent some time traveling and working a variety of jobs before returning to the Bay Area, where he now works as a Fund Manager for the University of California system.

Career Highlights

Although Colin works full time outside the arts, music remains a regular part of his life. He plays guitar and writes music almost daily, and when schedules allow, he still gets together with old friends to play some of the same songs they were performing more than a decade ago at San Marin.

In college, Colin had the chance to play Captain Hammer in the Dr. Horrible section of a musical revue—an experience he says his 15-year-old self would have been very happy to hear about. More recently, he wrote and recorded his own bedroom-pop album, a project he describes as incredibly rewarding.

“Putting on a show creates such a strong sense of camaraderie, and even now, we’re still referencing those musicals and sharing stories from our time together. No exaggeration: my time with SMPA was by far the most memorable part of my high school career.”

— Colin Lamerdin

REFLECTIONS & ADVICE

Colin credits San Marin Performing Arts with giving him the confidence to get onstage in an environment where performing felt accessible to everyone.

“The environment was so friendly and relaxed; it felt like anyone who wanted to perform could jump right in without any pressure.”

Just as important were the friendships that grew out of making music and theater together.

“Putting on a show creates such a strong sense of camaraderie, and even now, we’re still referencing those musicals and sharing stories from our time together. No exaggeration: my time with SMPA was by far the most memorable part of my high school career.”

One memory that stands out is his senior-year production of Beauty and the Beast. With so many of his friends involved, Colin remembers it as a fitting send-off to their high school years.

And, he adds, there were also “every performance by Aaron and the Inter-dimensional Herbivores, of course.”

For students hoping to pursue the arts professionally, Colin emphasizes the importance of speaking up for yourself.

“If you want to work in the arts, you have to be comfortable advocating for yourself. And perhaps even more importantly, you can’t be afraid of being annoying. No one was ever given a job by being politely quiet.”

But his advice extends just as much to students who ultimately choose another career. Colin believes making art has value regardless of whether it ever becomes a paycheck.

“Doing art is knowing art.”

Whether it’s music, acting, painting, or something else entirely, he believes firsthand creative experience changes the way you experience art for the rest of your life.

“If you know how the sausage is made—or even better, if you’ve been the one making the sausage—all the art you experience for the rest of your life will be richer, more textured, and probably also way cooler.”

Once a Mustang, Always a Mustang.