Pasadena Unified School District’s Annual All-District Spring Music Festival kicks off Thursday with the All-District Secondary Music Festival Choral performance at the Marshall Fundamental Secondary School, 990 N. Allen Avenue in Pasadena.
The performance begins at 7 p.m.
In the Festival, more than 1,000 students will perform under the direction of guest conductors from the Pasadena Master Chorale, the Pasadena City College music program and PUSD’s own music instructors.
The chorale phase will be followed Friday, March 4, by the All-District Secondary Music Festival Band and Orchestra performance, starting at 7 p.m. at the Pasadena High School at 2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.
The Spring Festival culminates with the All-District Elementary Music Festival, which showcases the abilities of hundreds of younger musicians from elementary schools whose performances will include an honor band, honor orchestra and a beginning string orchestra. This event will be held on April 7, at the Eliot Arts Magnet Academy, 2184 N. Lake Avenue in Altadena, starting at 7 p.m.
Karen Klages, PUSD’s District Music Specialist, says what makes the greatest impact in the annual Festival is the coming together of all schools in the district in this event that celebrates the student’s and their bands’ abilities to create music.
“We have seven middle schools — the kids get to make new friends who share the same passion for playing music,” Klages says. “The middle schoolers see high school kids and they get a glimpse of what they have to look forward to. They work hard on their playing and at the festival they get to showcase it. Every single student worked hard to get here and wants to be here.”
Jennifer Olson, District Art Coordinator, says the Spring Music Festival has been going on for about ten years and has inspired many of the former student performers to pursue careers in music and performance.
“I was present at a board meeting last week and Larry Torres, one of our board members, said that his daughter participated in the festival last year,” Olson says. “It inspired her to major in performance.”
Olson says even with each school having their own chorale and band and orchestra programs, the Festival provides an opportunity for the schools to improve these programs further.
“For this festival, we have them bring their top performers, their best students, and we bring them all together as an all-district ensemble rather than a school ensemble,” Olson continues. “So you might be in Marshall Choir but when you come to this festival, you’re all-district choir.”
PUSD will be bringing in Jeffrey Bernstein from the Pasadena Master Chorale among the guest conductors for the Spring Festival this year, says Olson. Other guests from colleges and different vocal companies have been conductors in the past Spring Festivals.
Robert Rico, a Pasadena High School senior and alto sax and baritone player, started playing at the Festival as a middle school student.
“It’s a good experience meeting other students from our district and sharing our trait of loving music,” Rico said. “We get to work with a lot of different teachers; they have different ways of playing and teaching, and I learn more from each different teacher. As a middle school student it was exciting to come to PHS and see all the high school students. And now I’m in high school playing the festival.”
For more information about PUSD’s Spring Music Festival and the district’s other arts initiatives, visit www.facebook.com/pusdarts or call PUSD at (626) 396-3600, ext. 88129.
