“We have some great talent around here,” stated music performance major Jesus Antonio Rodriguez. “There are students our age who are playing pieces beyond their time. Students go on YouTube and see a 40-year-old man playing and say ‘wow I wish I could play that.’ Well we have people playing like that right now.”
Rodriguez is just one of the performers that have been preparing for Friday’s Scott Henderson Memorial Concert in the Burnight Center. While he has been practicing the guitar for five years, this is only Rodriguez’s second time performing.
Playing a piece called ‘La Catedral’ by Agustin Barrios Mangore, a three-movement piece, Rodriguez is worried about having to omit the first piece due to time constraints.
Zineb Fikri, a vocal performance major, sees the concert as a way to better herself while competing with others.
“I have a very competitive nature and I like to try my hardest to be the best I can be whenever I perform,” said Fikri.
Fikri has been practicing opera in the Applied Music Program for three years, but has been practicing opera for four years. This is her third time performing at the Scott Henderson Memorial Concert and plans on singing ‘The Trees on the Mountain’ by Carlisle Floyd.
“When I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to be in music. I knew I could sing, and that competitiveness pushed me to try singing opera,” said Fikri.
Fikri agreed with Rodriguez on the talent that seems to be amounting in the Applied Music Program.
“We have a bunch of students in this program who are doing their best,” stated Fikri.
These students in the Applied Music Program auditioned earlier in March to perform at this concert. Making use of the practice rooms available in the music department, the sound of their practice can be heard immediately. The performances will range from operatic pieces to guitar duets.
Music major John Eric Santamaria is going to be performing a musical duet with his partner Javier Castillo, and has been practicing for the past three weeks. With help from Castillo, Santamaria composed his own piece to perform at the concert.
“I was jamming out with Javier and he said ‘Hey, maybe I can put something with this.’
“It took us five hours to complete the song. Javier actually has it down on paper, and we plan on selling the piece.”
Santamaria and Castillo also perform outside of the college with the bands Midday Knights and Weird Creatures. This includes performances at Long Beach Community College and Cypress College.
“If you think sports is tough, try playing music,” said Rodriguez. ” Sports may be physically demanding, but music is all mental.
“Students should come see us perform. Some of these people they might just be famous.”
Students can purchase tickets at the Burnight Center an hour before the concert starts, or for a discounted price online at the concert’s website.
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