VCS Radio Conservatory

STAY TUNED!!!!

VCS Radio Symphony's live film score: A trip to the Moon
featuring Tchaikovsky's Overture 1812 

VCS Radio Jazz Ensemble's live premiere from their upcoming album 
Including a work considered by many to be impossible to perform; and an…

Pictured: Above the stage at Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre

Can Elementary students play the blues???   OH YES!!

The elementary Blues festival February 20th at 6:30pm at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre

VCS Radio Explorer Ensemble - a giant 60-member band of VCS 4th and 5th graders with special VCS 6th grade guests!

Featuring:
Basic Basie
How to Catch a Jewel Thief - (their own composition!)

VCS 3rd Grade Band finishes with their own blues composition complete with many solos and lots of energetic fun!!

For parent information

Every year I throw interesting challenges at my amazing creative music students for our ambitious experimental concert in February. 

This time the jazz band had two challenges: 

First, they have to create musical imagery of an aircraft flying through a storm.

Pictured --  Saturday creative artists going for the ultimate challenge!

Some kids want to be ahead of the class. They want to advance as far as their talents take them. These are the students that crave an extra challenge. Is there a way to move ahead fast?  OH YES!!!

The VCS Work-Ahead Sessions are a popular way to advance quickly through the achievement levels. They're free mini-lessons weekdays before school and on Saturdays for elementary kids.  after school sessions are reserved for middle and high school. Students get to check off requirements for each page in their conservatory books. Each checked-off book advances the student to the next level.

Advanced levels come with greater opportunities.

Level IV gets solo privileges in the VCS Explorer Ensemble. Level VI artists get to join the VCS Radio Symphony. Level VII artists get to join the VCS Radio Jazz Ensemble. Level VIII is honors level and will award our creative artists 5.0 weighted GPA for high school.

As always -- no need to sign up -- just drop in. 

Here's the Schedule:

Pictured above -- Mr. Garza and student artist, Kaden Connelley working on the chops.

Mr. Matt Garza, our long-time trumpet instructor had his last day at the conservatory today. He's moving to his home state of Texas with a great position there -- and for that, we're very happy for him and wish him well! He's an amazing teacher, musician and friend. Our loss is Texas' gain!!

People have been asking about this project for a long time, but we had to wait until the time was right

In 2018... the time is right!! 
Beyond the Mouse Project #1

Georges Melies' A Trip to the Moon

Yes... the one featured in HUGO!

This is the one with the cringe-worthy, yet beautiful "rocket-ship-in-the-moon's-eye" shot. 

How are our own VCS students going to score this ground-breaking film? 

Well, let me tell you :) 

For the first part of our special project, we're going to go back to the first years of movie-making. we'll start in 1902 with one of my all-time favorite filmmakers, Georges Melies.  His groundbreaking skills and endless imagination truly brought dreams to the screen.

There's no secret about my love for pioneering film-making and especially for the music that has always been a part of its storytelling fabric. Even in n the very early pioneering days of silent films, many theaters had their own music directors who would weave together sections of classical or folk tunes in arrangements designed to fit the action on the screen as best they could. This type of improvisation gave way to full original orchestral compositions and performed live at the more expensive epic production premieres. 

The fascination with film and classical music continued, even into the sound era. Watch any Warner Brothers' Looney-Tunes cartoons. Bugs Bunny will surely give you a lesson in the great classics.

View from the orchestra - photos by Vera Tu

Our talented orchestra filled the hospitals and the mall with the joy of our savior's birth!! To hear people in the mall stop and sing carols as the orchestra played and to see strangers wish each other a Merry Christmas is a wonderful thing!!

It's been a great season so far! Now it's time to spread Christmas LOVE during the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping! The VCS Radio Symphony will be presenting a free performance of traditional Christmas music at Solano Town…

Today we head for local convalescent and rehabilitation hospitals to bring Christmas cheer!

Dear parents, 

The time has come for our 1st Concert of the school year! This concert is going to include all of the elementary ensembles: 

The VCS Radio 3rd Grade Song Flute Orchestra, the VCS Radio 4th and 5th Grade Wind Orchestra, 

We’re really excited for a night of music and fun. 

Here are the details: 

This is going to be CRAZY good!!!

We're actually going to try something we've never tried before...

VCS Radio Elementary Explorer Orchestra. This is our advanced elementary group.  

We'll open with traditional fare, but then...

Remember…