Thurston and LBHS Singers and Musicians Combine for Thursday's Spring Concert

Submitted by Tad Heitmann:

Singers and jazz musicians from Thurston Middle School (TMS) and Laguna Beach High School (LBHS) are putting their talents together in the first-ever combined Spring Concert in the Artists Theatre, June 6, 7:30 p.m.

A celebration of the great variety and shared heritage of American popular songs and jazz standards, the joint program includes spirituals, show tunes, film songs, and contemporary hits and spans groundbreaking compositions from Mingus, Kern and Brubeck to Wonder, Hancock and Adele.

The combination of vocal and instrumental groups is the brainchild of choral director Roxanna Ward and Jazz Band director Roger Shew and grew out of adjacent rehearsal times, collaboration around school musicals, and the conviction that the two forms belonged together in the same show.

"Roger and I have been talking about doing this for a long time," explained Ward.  "We collaborated during FOOTLOOSE and several of the other musicals, which gave me the chance to direct his jazz musicians.  Because we traditionally focus on American music in our Spring Choral Concert and jazz is such a quintessential American form, joining forces makes great aesthetic and educational sense.  We also share this fantasy of putting together a music festival that pulls all of our performers from both schools together and this combined concert feels like a step in that direction.  Besides, keeping things creative, collaborative and fresh is what making great music is all about."

Each group will have a portion of the program but the concert will culminate in a closing number - Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing..." - in which all four ensembles, totaling more than 100 students, will perform together.

The Spring Concert also gives Laguna Beach a last chance to enjoy the talents of departing Seniors, including the "Three Divas" - Haley Castuera, Karina Parker, and Makenna Zur Schmiede - and jazz musicians Emily Bader, Elliot Glass, Morgan Lebby and Jovan Majano.  Zur Schmiede is working on a special solo for the evening and Castuera and Parker will sing the duet "A Boy Like That" from WEST SIDE STORY.

"We have the pleasure of working with some really talented and dedicated young musicians," said Shew.  "But these performers also work as hard as they do because of the excitement of creating something unique together.  They already know all about the rewards of collaboration, so in addition to adding new songs to their repertoire many of them really crave  this aspect of making music.  That joy shows through in every piece.  It's a challenge to put this many musicians and singers together on one stage but I guarantee it is something that these performers, and their audience, will never forget!"

The Spring Concert is made possible, in part, by the generosity of the Festival of Arts Foundation.

"Each year, the Festival of Arts Foundation has supported excellence in music education at Laguna Beach Schools," said Ward.  "We believe the performing arts represent one of the best investments we can make in our children and the Foundation has always shared that view.  On behalf of my colleagues and our students, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the $2,500 grant we received for this year."

SPRING CONCERT, featuring the Thurston Middle School Chorus and Jazz Band and the LBHS Chorus and Jazz Band. Tickets at the door.  Requested donation: Students and Seniors $5; Adults $10; $25 maximum per family. All proceeds are used for the purchase of music.  To honor the work and support the livelihoods of composers, the music programs in Laguna Beach follow strict copyright and licensing policies.