SHOWCASE SERIES
Rock Jam! 2016 - Saturday, May 14, 2016
Welcome to our biggest and most exciting show yet! (Well, I say that every year but it's true!) This year we took a break from our usual sidewalk venue, accepting a special invitation from Pastor Mark Schweitzer of Faith Community Church in Palmdale to use their facilities for our concert! This was the first time we've had the chance to work with a professional quality sound system and sound engineer and we jumped at the opportunity!
The show title and theme for this showcase - Rock Jam! 2016 - represents our curriculum focus during the past 12 months. During our lesson time together over the past year the students and I have been focusing on the art and technique of jamming. The term "jam" refers simply to group improvisation - the band, as a whole, works together to create something original "on the fly". In Rock, Blues, Jazz, and other contemporary music forms, jamming often assumes a major part in the expression of those forms, especially in live performance. Individual soloing skills as well as solid communications skills between the performers are critical to pulling off a successful "jam". Many of the selections presented during this showcase embody one or more concepts related to improvisation and jamming.
For this, our 2016 Showcase, we gratefully welcome back the following returning student performers: Cody Clark (vocals), William Collins (guitar),Jake Kuhlemeier (guitar, bass), Pranesh Kumar (guitar), Evan Larson (bass), and Stephen Schweitzer (guitar). We also wish to extend a very warm and most enthusiastic welcome to our new, first-time student performers: Ryan Alonso (guitar), Jayce Alvey (guitar), Clarisse Angeles (guitar),Presley Gilbert (guitar), Andrew Jun (guitar), Jessica McLaren (vocals, guitar), and Brody Penner (guitar). As another first for this show, we have invited two of the students of drummer Chris Cooke - Mark Costa (drums) and Paul Jun (drums) - to join us on several of our numbers. This is an amazing group of performers!
We also wish to acknowledge and thank the several additional musicians who helped us pull this show off: Chris Cooke (drums), Jim Ely(keyboards), Vic Grady (vocals, guitar), and special guest performer Mo Grundy (vocals, harmonica). Great job gentlemen!
Our very special thanks go to Pastor Mark Schweitzer and Faith Community Church for inviting us to use their wonderful facilities, and to sound engineer Matthew Garten for working so hard to help us sound great! You guys rock!!
We feel so excited about this performance and are already looking ahead to 2017 - see you then!!
Whiskey Man <Molly Hatchet>
Student Performers: Jake Kuhlemeier (electric guitar), Stephen Schweitzer (electric guitar), William Collins (electric slide guitar), Jayce Alvey(electric guitar), Evan Larson (bass)
Additional Musicians: Mo Grundy (vocals, harmonica), Jim Ely (keyboards), Chris(drums)
The Pretender <Foo Fighters>
Student Performers: Cody Clark (vocals), Jessica McLaren (vocals), Stephen Schweitzer (electric guitar), Jayce Alvey (electric guitar), William Collins (electric guitar), Evan Larson (bass), Mark Costa (drums)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Jim Ely (keyboards), Chris Cooke (drums)
Pipeline <The Ventures>
Student Performers: Andrew Jun (electric guitar), Stephen Schweitzer (electric guitar), Pranesh Kumar (electric guitar), Presley Gilbert (electric guitar), Jake Kuhlemeier (bass), Paul Jun (drums)
Additional Musicians: Jim Ely (keyboards)
Born Under A Bad Sign <Cream>
Student Performers: Jake Kuhlemeier (electric guitar), William Collins (electric guitar), Evan Larson (bass), Paul Jun (drums)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals)
The Death Of Me <City And Colour>
Student Performers: Cody Clark (vocals), Jessica McLaren (vocals), Evan Larson (bass)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (acoustic guitar & vocals), Chris Cooke (drums)
Wayfaring Stranger <Traditional>
Student Performers: Clarisse Angeles (acoustic guitar), Evan Larson (bass)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (acoustic guitar), Jim Ely (keyboards), Mo Grundy (harmonica), Chris Cooke (drums)
Deserted Cities Of The Heart <Cream>
Student Performers: William Collins (electric guitar), Jake Kuhlemeier (acoustic guitar), Pranesh Kumar (electric guitar), Evan Larson (bass)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Jim Ely (keyboards), Chris Cooke (drums)
Wooden Ships <Crosby, Stills & Nash>
Student Performers: Cody Clark (vocals), Jessica McLaren (acoustic guitar & vocals), William Collins (electric guitar), Jake Kuhlemeier (acoustic guitar), Pranesh Kumar (electric guitar), Clarisse Angeles (acoustic guitar), Evan Larson (bass), Paul Jun (drums)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Jim Ely (keyboards)
Cinnamon Girl <Neil Young>
Student Performers: Jessica McLaren (vocals), Jayce Alvey (electric guitar), Jake Kuhlemeier (electric guitar), Evan Larson (bass)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Chris Cooke (drums)
Come As You Are <Nirvana>
Student Performers: Jessica McLaren (vocals), Presley Gilbert (electric guitar), Brody Penner (electric guitar), Evan Larson (bass)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Chris Cooke (drums)
Smells Like Teen Spirit <Nirvana>
Student Performers: Presley Gilbert (electric guitar), Brody Penner (electric guitar), Ryan Alonso (electric guitar), Jake Kuhlemeier (bass)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Chris Cooke (drums)
Crossroads <Cream>
Student Performers: Stephen Schweitzer (electric guitar), Evan Larson (bass)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Chris Cooke (drums)
Dream On <Aerosmith>
Student Performers: Jake Kuhlemeier (electric guitar), Stephen Schweitzer (electric guitar), Evan Larson (bass)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Jim Ely (keyboards), Chris Cooke (drums)
Rockin' In The Free World <Neil Young>
Student Performers: Pranesh Kumar (electric guitar), Ryan Alonso (electric guitar), Jayce Alvey (electric guitar), Andrew Jun (electric guitar), Jake Kuhlemeier (bass), Mark Costa (drums)
Additional Musicians: Vic Grady (vocals), Chris Cooke (drums)