Santa Maria Sun / Music

Making music thrive

BY JOE PAYNE

The Music Association of California Community Colleges (MACCC) is an organization that works to advance music education in the state’s community colleges. It does this by functioning as representation in the state Legislature. One way MACCC works to advance music-making among the state community colleges is through its yearly conference, which several Allan Hancock College faculty and students, including yours truly, attended this year.

The composer’s touch: The composer of the programmed choral works, Dr. Morten Lauridsen, addressed the MACCC Conference choir about the context of his music. PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHY TARANTINO

The conference ran from Nov. 16 through 18 at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway in San Francisco. As members of the Allan Hancock College Singers, some classmates and I attended in order to sing in the MACCC Conference Choir made up of more than 200 statewide community college students. We started rehearsal at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night, when we were introduced to our choir clinician and director Don Brinegar, a master choral director who quickly started molding the large group of singers into shape.

The choir performed several works by the composer Dr. Morten Lauridsen, professor of composition at USC and composer-in-residence for the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1994 to 2001, who joined the choir for a few rehearsals, explaining the context of his music and playing the piano, as he did for the final performance on Friday afternoon. That performance also included a concert band made up of California students under the direction of Dr. Edward C. Harris and a few selections from composition contest winners.

“We do a lot for the students, to give them experiences and to work with powerful instructors within the field,” said Jody Benecke, the MACCC Northern Choral representative on the executive board and director of vocal music at Santa Rosa Junior College. “Our goal is to get our students to see the whole wide world out there.”

Benecke was director of vocal music at Allan Hancock College from 2001 to 2006. She directed the choir, led vocal technique classes, and was involved with PCPA Theaterfest. She explained that the MACCC conference didn’t just give students an experience, but equipped instructors with much-needed information on conducting techniques, fundraising techniques, technology, transfer curriculum, and equipment.

Allan Hancock College’s Fine Arts Department chair and music instructor Dr. Marcus Engelmann and choral director and music instructor Dr. Ann Lucas both joined the conference, where they attended workshops, lectures, and round-table discussions, including a composition lecture with Lauridsen. Some seminars addressed budget issues and enrollment issues.

“One thing had to do with the issue of repeatability of classes,” Engelmann said. “For various reasons, at the state level, they are trying to reduce the number of times people can take a class. Our major concerns are for our performing ensembles, so it’s going to be a challenge for us.”

The state has been making cuts to programs across the board, but music, as usual, is especially vulnerable.

“Things that are good, that we need as a means for music to survive, they are trying to cut out quickly,” Benecke said. “So we try to have a presence in Sacramento and be a real force in all this political activity now.”

Conferring on music: Allan Hancock College’s own music instructor and Fine Arts Department chair Dr. Marcus Engelmann attended much of the educator seminars and roundtables at the MACCC conference. PHOTO BY JOE PAYNE

More than anything, the MACCC is a support system by teachers, for teachers and students of music.

“It’s a great chance for us to get a sense of what’s going on elsewhere in the state so we can improve our own department here at Hancock,” Engelmann said. “And it may be one of the smoothest-run conferences I’ve even been to.”

The final performance included several impressive and beautiful pieces by the MACCC band, followed by the choral performance of Mortensen’s Lux Aeterna, a cycle of sacred Latin texts about light; Sure on This Shining Night, a setting of the classic James Agee poem; and Dirait-on, from French poetry by Rainer Maria Rilke and set in a French folksong style. Mortensen accompanied the choir on piano for the latter two pieces, with Brinegar conducting. The performance made for quite an edifying experience for both performers and audience.

“Our little worlds are broadened by this greatly,” Benecke said. “The change that comes over the students; you can’t put a price on that.”

Music at the Maverick

The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez presents the rock and roll music of High Voltage Nov. 25 at 8:30 p.m., followed by DJPJ at 11:30 p.m. Concert on the Deck is on Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. Hot Roux performs classic rock and R&B Nov. 26 at 8:30 p.m., followed by DJPJ at 11:30 p.m. “Tales from the Tavern” will feature Wil Ridge in concert Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at 688-0383 or talesfromthetavern.com.

Singing under the trees

Altrusa of the Central Coast presents the ninth annual “Festival of Trees” Nov. 25 through Dec. 11. Joelyn Lutz will be singing and playing guitar Dec. 1 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Santa Maria Shopping Center, 1447 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. More info: 733-1122 or laura.selken@gmail.com.

These roots run deep

Unity Chapel of Light presents a concert titled “Spirit of the Season” in benefit of the Santa Barbara County Foodbank, featuring Jay Horn, Joelyn Lutz, Jim Townsend, and The Joyful Sound of Unity in concert on Nov. 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Unity Chapel of Light, 1165 Stubblefield Road, Santa Maria. More info: 937-3025 or ccscnetwork.org.

Tunes and brews

The Santa Maria Brewing Co. presents guitarist and singer Patrick Montgomery performing covers from various artists and styles on Wednesdays through November, including Nov. 30 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Santa Maria Brewing Co., 112 Cuyama Lane, Nipomo. No cover. More info: 349-2090 or davidsnyder561@comcast.net.

Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.