High-quality music instruction at Mission Bay High School is one of several reasons that students from outside the Mission Bay Cluster will enroll in Pacific Beach schools.
Recent articles in the Voice of San Diego and the Beach and Bay Press (“Hard work of parents and teachers keeps Mission Bay Cluster successful”) describe the many years of hard work, proactive planning, and dedication by teachers, parents, and school district staff to create elementary middle, and high schools with programs that not only keep local students in PB schools but also attract hundreds of students from all over the district into the Mission Bay cluster.
“Two of the unique aspects of our music program are master classes and professional coaching made available to our students,” said JP Balmat, music director at Mission Bay High School. “Typically a master class will be a musician talking about their life as a musician and the skills they have picked up while performing professionally for many years. This experience is usually more of a lecture format with opportunities for students to play and receive feedback.
“Professional coaching, on the other hand, is when professional musicians come into the school and work on our school concert music with selected sections of instruments. Professional coaching can occur several times a month.”
An example of a high-quality master class experience occurred on Nov. 3. Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Curtis Taylor and faculty from the University of Iowa visited a workshop with two of the high school’s performing ensembles – the Mambo Orchestra and the Preservationists.
Devan Yasuhara, a junior bass player with the Preservationists, is inspired by his grandfather’s love of jazz. “I think the bass has the coolest sound around,” Yasuhara said. “I enjoy being around people who enjoy playing music as much as I do.”
Yasuhara was impressed with the University of Iowa faculty and their master class. “I appreciated them making time for a visit to Mission Bay High School and play for us.”
Mission Bay senior Logan Shimabukuro plays violin in the Mission Bay music program. In addition to his school music, Shimabukuro participates in extracurricular music programs – the Young Lions, All About Music Youth orchestra, as well as a pre-college program at USD. “The master classes offered at Mission Bay are great… they continue to inspire me as a musician,” Shimabukuro said.
Senior pianist with the Preservationists, Sabrina Klestinec, said the master class offered by the University of Iowa helped her try different rhythms while playing a current jazz selection, “St. Louis Blues.” “This was very helpful to me because I was able to step out of my comfort zone and try a different rhythmic pattern on the spot,” Klestinec said.
Later in November, 27 high school music students attended a master class given by trombonist and singer/songwriter Natalie Cressman and Brazilian composer, guitarist, and singer Ian Faquini.
Cressman has toured for the last 11 years performing and collaborating with some of the most influential musicians on the New York jazz scene. Faquini has toured throughout Europe, Japan, Brazil, and the United States. Together, Cressman and Faquini perform at various venues in the United States – the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the San Francisco Jazz Center, as well as venues in South America and Europe.
Their November visit to Mission Bay High School was inspiring to student musicians in both instrumental and vocal ensembles.
Brady Newell, junior trumpet player, is a member of the Mambo Orchestra and the Preservationists. Newell remembers being inspired by his grandmother’s love of trumpet music. “From both of these master classes I was given great advice that has made a noticeable difference in my approach to personal practice, rehearsing in a group setting, and performing with a group,” Newell said.
A second unique aspect of the Mission Bay music program is the professional coaching. “Each month several professional musicians will visit our campus and work with certain smaller sections of our performing groups,” Balmat said. “Take our string orchestra for example. On a recent Wednesday morning three coaches worked with smaller sections of our strings on specific music for upcoming performances. Our music coaches each have a professional career aside of working with our students. We find smaller spaces on our campus furor students and coaches to practice in.”
Junior cello player Isabella Donley-Garcia lives in La Mesa and attends Mission Bay. “Since attending Mission Bay, I have grown tremendously as an academic student and as a musician,” Donley-Garcia said.
Keven Gobetz, a professional bass player with the San Diego Symphony, serves as a professional coach in the Mission Bay music program. “I went to high school in New York. What the music program at Mission Bay offers these students is so much richer, and better supported than my high school music program ever was,” Gobetz said.
So how does a music program sustain itself and attract talented music students from outside the Mission Bay Cluster as well as outside the school district? How does a music program offer master class and professional coaching experiences? The answer is found in the all to familiar phrase – “It takes a village.” Easy to say, but harder to accomplish.
Mission Bay does that with a talented and stable teaching staff, nurturing ongoing partnerships with local music organizations, collaborating with parent and community groups for ongoing resources and funding, and a commitment for young student musicians to have continuous performing experiences both on and off campus. These experiences require funding, which requires fundraising from the community.
