Gavilan’s Bach to Blues puts college on stage
Last Saturday’s Bach to Blues concert did more than just teach
South Santa Clara and San Benito counties that Gavilan College is
synonymous with world class music.
It allowed many young musicians to dream while breathing life
into a music program that has been an ever-growing blip on the
community radar screen for the last few years.
Gavilan’s Bach to Blues puts college on stage
Gavilan’s Bach to Blues puts college on stage
Last Saturday’s Bach to Blues concert did more than just teach South Santa Clara and San Benito counties that Gavilan College is synonymous with world class music.
It allowed many young musicians to dream while breathing life into a music program that has been an ever-growing blip on the community radar screen for the last few years.
A lot of credit goes to inspirational teachers in the program who have rallied local musicians around the cause and nurtured local musical talents.
Margarita Garces began her musical career almost by accident when she took her 13-year-old daughter Stephanie for lessons with Nate Pruitt, a vocal instructor at Gavilan whose stage demeanor last Friday resembled that of a Southern Baptist preacher; casting out demons with sizzling scale passages at one moment, shepherding the audience with smooth and sweet sustained notes the next.
“The first day I couldn’t hold a tune the size of a bucket,” said Garces. “He was so encouraging. He made it feel so good.”
Eventually Pruitt and the ensemble class helped Garces improve her vocal abilities till she was asked to back Pruitt up during the closing song of last Friday’s concert.
“I love to be on stage. When I found out that they were singing at Bach to Blues I thought ‘I’m there!'” Mr. Pruitt was incredible. He said just do whatever you want to do. Here is the basic tune,” said Garces, who along with other singers donned choir robes and brought tambourines.
“I’ve made a list of the things I wanted to do before I die and this is one of them. I can check it off the list,” said Garces.
Vocal and instrumental ensemble class instructors Albert Marques and Art Juncker have also influenced a lot of students through their class, which was reinstated two years ago. The two instructors, the former a flamenco and classical guitarist and the latter a jazz and classical pianist, meet with 18 students twice a week to mentor them.
“It’s like a big family there. Everybody roots for everyone else. It is a really nice feeling with the ensemble,” said Garces. “I’ve never been a music student before, but Gavilan has some of the best music teachers that I’ve ever heard of.”
Many of the students got chances to play their tunes before the Bach to Blues concert on an outdoor stage for the pre-show.
As they scrambled to do sound checks and tune, Juncker watched with an amused expression. “I am introducing the students to the real world of music. It’s scary,” he said with a amused smirk as students raced to tie up loose ends on the makeshift stage.
“Let’s go, we gotta go,” announced Juncker as time came for the first performance. “This is way below the professional standard.”
Though the students had harsh conditions, being outside, without as much light and sound equipment as found in the theater, they sang and played their tunes right up until the Bach to Blues was about to start. Some vocals had a nervous shakiness to them while others were confident and crisp. There was more than one well-done, jazzy guitar solo and the bands overall were very tight.
The students exhibited the fruits of the music department labor over the last few semesters, part of which culminated in the acquisition of a very nice concert piano for the department.
“Our original goal was to buy the piano,” said Marques. The plan was that it would take about 5-7 years to raise $30-35,000 through the Bach to Blues concerts. However, after last year’s concert, Tim and Janice Filice were so impressed with what they saw they acquired a Yamaha c76 concert piano. Marques estimates that the piano would cost $70-80,000 brand new. “We were able to take a short cut.”
“In addition to the piano their is a lot of equipment that we need to get,” said Marques. The next step, besides buying sound reinforcement and recording equipment, is to convert an art lecture room into a piano/recording studio where more intimate concerts and recitals can be held.
“People don’t relate Gavilan to music. We are trying to change that image,” said Marques. “People that come are pretty surprised to see the caliber of the faculty and local musicians.”
And the caliber of the faculty is rocketing skyward with the addition of Marques’ wife Maria Amikhanian who is leaving a position at CSU Fresno for Gavilan. Part of her role as a new faculty member on the music program is to perform in the community to spread the word that Gavilan is a good place to learn your Do-Re-Mi’s.
Performing solo concerts since 1996, Amirkhanian has already played with local groups such as Hollister’s Oriana choral, some of the Gilroy High choirs, the South Valley Symphony and other symphonies from the South Bay.
“I think it is absolutely fabulous that because of Bach to Blues we are getting an infusion of money that we have been needing for a long time,” said Marta Sherwood, an ensemble student who sang My Funny Valentine in Friday’s pre-show. “It is inspirational for those of us who want to pursue inspiration as a career. A lot of musicians offer their talent for free and a lot of music programs are the first to be cut. You see it from grade school, middle school, high school and then college.”
The ensemble class meets twice a week, Monday and Wednesday at 12:45 for two hours. Each student is given a chance to select a song and the rest of the class learns it.
“I like the jazzy-bluesy stuff because it fits my voice,” said Sherwood. “Being in the ensemble class has been very encouraging to me personally. It has helped me to develop myself as an artist. As students we are just there to support each other. And we have our two instructors Art Juncker and Albert Marques who are really inspiring. And we have fun too. There are serious moments too, but we have fun.”
