The music program is designed to assist student to: Apply lessons of assigned course work and or knowledge and skills attained throughout the course work to new and varied subjects. Use course work and information taught throughout the course to draw conclusions or create new sources of information that can be shared with others. Generate new ideas, express their selves creatively, or solve complex problems in an original way.

The Music Program offers a diverse curriculum, designed for both music–majors as well as non-majors. The overall program provides students with the knowledge and experience for a broad understanding of the musical arts. The program is divided into four core subsections, “Music Theory, Music History and Literature, Instrumental Performance, and Vocal Performance. Students wanting to major in music are required to enroll in the core courses designed around their individual selected emphasis of study. Majors are expected to have a breadth of knowledge of Tonal Harmony based on the common practice period, Western History and Literature from the Middle Ages to current practice, Intermediate skills in piano proficiency, Individual lessons with students selected instrument of major, and performance experience with ensembles. Upon completion of the core courses, students are encouraged to enroll in the advance course of Music Theory, Ethnomusicology, Jazz studies, Music Technology, or Performance. In all course students are expected to develop critical think skills, evaluate through the Musical Arts their own beliefs and assumptions, as well as broadening their creative capabilities. To assist students to accomplish and develop their skills, the department has several performing ensembles, including, three levels of Vocal Ensembles, a Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Ensembles, Jazz Band, Opera and Musical Theater. The Ventura College Department of Music has been the catalyst in developing, The Ventura Music Festival, New West Symphony, Ventura Master Chorale and continues to be the center of the musical arts in Ventura county. Students graduating with an Associate of Arts in Music degree or the Associate of Arts Transfer degree may transfer to a four-year institution to complete a Bachelor’s Degree. Career opportunities for music majors includes, performing artists with Symphony Orchestra, Opera and Musical Theater, studio musician, solo artist, composer, film and television composer, recording engineer, teacher in music, arts management, music librarian, orchestration and producer and executive director of musical events and organizations.

The Music Department has a diverse instructional program and it is divided into three subsections:

1. MUSIC HISTORY: The history of music, music literature, and its place in world cultures.
2. MUSIC THEORY: A comprehensive study of theoretical practices of music composition, encompassing the periods between 15th century to the present, which includes ear training, music dictation, and sight singing.
3. MUSIC PERFORMANCE: Performance of voice and instrumental music in choirs, orchestras, chamber music ensembles, opera, jazz ensembles, and early music groups.

 

The Music Department enables students to earn an AA-T Degree, the equivalent of the first two years of a college or university music education. Many of the courses offered are required courses for a general liberal arts and sciences degree in humanities. This also includes a private lesson program, where students work with individual instructors.

Students will study with a music faculty who are recognized experts in their field. Courses are designed to develop and introduce Chamber Music and Orchestral instrumental music skills, attract advanced young artists, developing musicianship through many types of ensembles.

The Music department also includes The Schwab Music Academy, an annual summer music program housed on the campus of Ventura College Performing Arts Center. The Academy provides professional instruction and leadership to students that register for courses and music ensembles designed to educate and enhance the knowledge of instrumental music.

In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, more than 63 VC students in 21 separate disciplines performed music by more than 54 composers on 14 separate concerts performed via Zoom, Facebook and YouTube during the Fall 2020 semester.

 

FALL 2020 Performers

(listed by discipline)

SOPRANO
Alexandra Calor
Alma Valenciano
Deanna Baxter
Deborah Delamore
Jadzia Winter
Jesstina Torres
Karra Koch
Kyra Maal-King
Olivia Bacon

ALTO
Adalia Jimenez
Gryphon Seveney
Gwen Armstrong
Johanna Gabbard
Karin McManus
Mayra Mehrotra

TENOR
Daniel Smithson
Dylan Cox Quayle
Neirin Winter
Seryozha La Porte

BARITONE/BASS
Cameron Friend
José Espinoza
Carlos Puga

VIOLIN
Adrianna Hayes
Brandon Martinez
Carlos Ozuna
John Lyans
Laura Liang
Sophia Holdorf
Tarah Brown Gilson

VIOLA
Isaac Kim
Joseph Parcher
Yoav Vega

CELLO
Lily Marquez
Miriam Wu

BASS
Donovan Rutledge

FLUTE
Christian Arevalo
Jay Lawton
Karen Jo Peralta
Olivia Bacon

CLARINET
Anna Hayes
Gabriel Bacon
Richie Zaragoza

OBOE / ENGLISH HORN
Christian Arevalo
Emi Reisman

TRUMPET
Crista Guerrero Donovan
Emilio Shuman

HORN
Aseret Medina
Hayden Amendola

FRENCH HORN
Aseret Medina

TROMBONE/TUBA
Luke Storm

SAXOPHONE
Jacob Hernandez

PERCUSSION
Diego Lara
Logan Norton
Maritza Alejos
Samuel Riggs

PIANO
Alex Curry
Jesse Jeremiah Cardenas

GUITAR
Chris Mahon
Johanna Gabbard
José Espinosa
Justice Papuzza
Michael Purdy

COMPOSER
Mel Swope

 

REPERTOIRE

(Performed by applied music students in VC’s Performance Monday Series and by Ensembles including the VC Chorus & Singers, Chamber Music Program, Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Band in VC’s Virtual Concert Series, as well as by VC's Opera & Music Theatre Department)

Tomaso Albinoni (Remo Giazotto)
Adagio in G minor

Lilac Atassi
By Lake Dunmore

Johann Sebastian Bach
Flute Sonata in C major, BWV 1033 / I. Andante
Cello Suite No.3, BWV 1009  VI. Gigue
Quia respexit (from Magnificat, BWV 243)
Violin Partita No.2, BWV 1004 / I. Allemanda

Samuel Barber
The Daisies

Hector Berlioz
Sur les Lagunes (from Les Nuits d’été)

Leonard Bernstein
Somewhere (from West Side Story)

Felix Borowski
Adoration

Jean-Baptiste Bréval
Cello Sonata in C major, Op.40 No.1 / I. Allegro

Benjamin Britten
The Salley Gardens

Leo Brouwer
Etude No. 6 (from Estudios Sencillos)

Antonio Caldara
Come raggio di sol
Sebben Crudele

Matteo Carcassi
Étude in A Minor (Op. 60, No.7)

Ernest Chausson
Les papillons

Stefano Donaudy
O del mio amato ben

Duke Ellington
C Jam Blues

Gabriel Fauré
Après un rêve (Op. 7, No. 1)
Sicilienne (Op. 78)

Percy Grainger
Walking Tune

Edvard Grieg
Norwegian Dance Op. 35, No. 2

Louis “Louiguy” Guglielmi
La Vie en rose

Franz Joseph Haydn
Divertimento, Hob. XI:113 / I. Adagio

Joe Hisaishi
A Town with an Ocean View (from Kiki's Delivery Service)
Gustav Holst
The Planets, Op. 32 / I: Mars: the Bringer of War
First Suite for Military Band, Op. 28, No. 1 / Movement III: “March”

Freddie Hubbard
Red Clay

Antonio Lotti
Pur dicesti, o bocca bella

Astor Piazzolla
Libertango

Henry Purcell
Dido’s Lament (from Dido and Aeneas)

Gabe Mangold
Requiem

Alessandro Marcello
Oboe Concerto in D minor, S D935 / II: Adagio

Felix Mendelssohn
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21 / Dance of the Clowns

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Flute Concerto No. 1, K. 313 / I. Allegro maestoso
Piano Concerto No.23 In A Major, K 488 / II: Adagio

Andrea Ramsey
Hope Lingers On

The Real Group (Anders Edenroth)
Bumble Bee

Ned Rorem
Early in the Morning

Gioachino Rossini
Overture to William Tell: Prelude

Camille Saint-Saëns
Le cygne (from Le carnaval des animaux)

Franz Schubert
Der Neugierige (from Die schöne Müllerin)
Ständchen (from Schwanengesang, D 957)
Wanderers Nachtlied II

Kirby Shaw
A Nightingale Sings in Berkeley Square

Dmitri Shostakovich
Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano: III. Elegy

Jean Sibelius
Finlandia

Stephen Sondheim
Johanna (from Sweeney Todd)

Wadada Leo Smith
Sarhanna and Kashala

Mel Swope
August March
Triplet

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Chanson Triste, Op. 40 No. 2
Symphony No. 1 in G minor / II: Adagio cantabile
The Nutcracker, Op. 71, TH 14 / Act 1: No. 2: March

Traditional
Greensleeves

Michael John Trotta
Ubi Caritas

Roger Quilter
Go Lovely Rose (from Five English Love Lyrics, Op.24)

Antonio Vivaldi
Sonata No. 5 in E minor, RV 40

Giovanni Buonaventura Viviani
Sonata Prima / Adagio & Andante

Douglas E. Wagner
Weep You No More

Kurt Weill
What Good Would the Moon Be? (from Street Scene)

Eric Whitacre
Glow

Erasmus Widman
German Dances, Euphrosina 19

C.S. Wilcoxon
Rhythmania

Stevie Wonder (Paul Langford)
Sir Duke

Du Yun
Angel's Bone