VCS Radio Conservatory

More than 50 conservatory students and their parents joined me at Davies Symphony Hall in Downtown San Francisco to attend a concert! 

It was the San Francisco Symphony's performance of Richard Strauss' tone poem, Don Juan along with…

Jazz Band to produce their next album at the legendary Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California in May!

The sounds of the iconic Star Wars Saga came from the minds of George Lukas and his company nestled in a country ranch surrounded by vineyards and yes, Lake Ewok!!

With the closing of Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, it was a struggle finding a new recording home large enough for our growing ensemble. The only other west-coast studio with the facilities we need is Capitol Records in Hollywood, a wonderful place where the kids have worked before, but scheduling crunches and transportation concerns were looming.

Merry Christmas!! It's A time to rejoice and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior!!! 

Just so you know: Barney, the purple conservatory truck is back from the doctor!   

Many have asked what I plan to do…

It was quite a weekend! After teaching my Saturday classes, I met up with a VCS family in Sacramento to help them shop for an artist-level trumpet for their son. This is a special time, especially for the young artist…

The VCS Radio Symphony kids knock "The Lord of the Rings" out of the park! The VCS Radio Explorer Ensemble Rocks out Christmas Music. The 3rd graders pass their pre-band phase with flying colors and begin their instrument selections. 

…

Pictured: Senior student, Hunter Sumner putting on the finishing touches on Tuesday's 
amazing musical experience from "Middle-earth!"

TWO CONCERTS

6:30 pm Tuesday, November 6th
Elementary Students at VPAT

3rd, 4th and 5th-grade bands (The VCS Radio Elementary…

Radio World Magazine does a two-page feature on our network project. 

Each Wednesday at 3:00 Pacific time, high school radio stations across America come together for a one-hour LIVE show. It's called the National High School Radio Network. 

On its third year, the programme is broadcast on radio stations from California to New York.  

Broadcasters, Andrew Fisher and Tyler Aas (pictured above) along with Ryan Butler, David Cassinelli, and Aaron Jesinger have made great strides in broadcasting, showing they can do play-by-play with the best of them! They're middle school students, making them…

This energetic group represents VCS Radio Jazz Ensemble for the 2018-19 season.

VCS Radio Symphony to perform Tolkien's Lord of the Rings -- not the movie, but the original trilogy as composed in Symphony #1 by Dutch composer, Johan de Meij. 

His monumental work is in five movements built on five episodes and characters from the epic story. The symphony, itself was completed in 1987 receiving accolades worldwide; performed by such prestigious orchestras as the London Symphony. 

(photo by Vera Tu)

Saturday afternoon was alive with JAZZ as the VCS Radio Jazz Ensemble presented their unique brand of music to an enthusiastic audience. It was part of the 3-day outdoor Vacaville Jazz Festival being hosted at Nut Tree Plaza this last weekend. The problem was the train that circled the plaza's outside park area where the band was to perform. The train whistle and bell were so loud that it would have ruined the performance. Blowing the piercing whistle and clanging the bell is required of the train at all of the park entrances for safety. 

The train is part of the business of Nut Tree. It has to run! Well, maybe not.

The VCS Radio Conservatory Presents 

The VCS Radio Explorer Ensemble
The VCS Radio Jazz Ensemble 
The VCS Radio Symphony  

CONCERT SEASON #33 

Last year's projects represented a fantastic achievement for VCS conservatory students! Fans witnessed the groundbreaking film score to "The Lost World," the students' national recognition from DownBeat Magazine, and their excellent new album recorded at the legendary Fantasy Studios! With all that success, what's in store for year thirty-three?  

This upcoming season is the most challenging and exciting to date! We'll be celebrating the music of America's most noted  composer, Leonard Bernstein on his 100th birthday with "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story." We'll be performing the original 40-minute symphony of Johan de Meij -- based on Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings!" Of course, as is the tradition, the VCS Radio Symphony members select a musical work scheduled to be performed this season by the San Francisco Symphony. The students will attend their concert and then perform that same work themselves here in Vacaville. This year the students chose Richard Strauss' extremely challenging tone poem, "Don Juan!"  

Our season's grand finale will be the amazing Buster Keaton feature film, "Steamboat Bill Jr." with music by the VCS Radio Symphony LIVE.