Talon Marks Online Arts
The Cerritos College pop rock band ensemble and Citrus College pop rock band ensemble were brought together for a musical exchange at the student center for a night of music, networking and socializing on Thusday.
While the school regularly casts faculty from the music department, and students for musical concerts, this recent meeting of two college bands was an idea conceived a month ago by Cerritos College Director of Bands and Orchestra, David Betancourt and the Citrus College Music Department Faculty.
It serves as a means to address the lack of exposure between college music departments and to increase the number of networking events for Cerritos College music majors.
Betancourt said, “The neat thing was for both groups to get to hear a different group that does the same thing, because there are not many colleges, community or four year, that have this kind of ensemble.
“To get another school that does a pop rock surf group, that was really nice. To hear what they are doing, they get to hear what we’re doing, to bring the audience together, make new friends and all of that positive stuff.”
This event was oriented for music majors but even undecided majors like Jessica Clark from Citrus College found the event to be a positive experience.
It allowed her to see the reputation held by the Cerritos College Music Department in the Drum and Corps International circuit, come to life on stage.
“I thought it was a really cool idea when I heard about it. I was really curious to see how Cerritos was and it was awesome, they were really great,” Clark said.
In exchange, the Cerritos Music Department got a firsthand look at the high energy and quality of the precedes the Citrus College Pop/Rock band.
Clark credits the broad spectrum of education in the music industry that Citrus College offers to its students as the reason behind the high quality of their performances.
Instructor Gino Munoz contributes to that spectrum in teaching to develop both a strong work and social ethics in relation to the mastership of a musical art.
“We really emphasize at the college, practicing, minimum eight hours a day. On top of that, doing rehearsals, and then doing homework that they have to do for the colleges,” Munoz said.
“It’s work ethic and probably up there is being a good human being. Those are the big ones,” he continued.
These were some of the principles and ideas that were exchanged in the aftermath the event where both campus’ got an opportunity to connect and trade ideas during friendly conversation.
Undeclared major Joana Gutierrez really enjoyed the energy created by the bands and looks forward to any future band exchanges.
“I never knew that something like this occurred at Cerritos. It would be nice to see what kinds of chemistries are created when other bands come to play at our school.
“There was a small sense of rivalry felt between Citrus and Cerritos before and after each one went onstage, but I think it was a friendly rivalry,” Gutierrez said.
