Art in the Park: News

Welcome to the winter session of the Lalo Guerrero School of Music.   This session of classes will begin on Monday, October 3, 2011 and run through November 29, 2011.  The final performance will be on or about November 29^th.

Latino Heritage Month 

This session we are celebrating Latino Heritage Month with an exploration of Latin Jazz of the 60’s and Brazilian drumming.  Students who participate will be taught by some of the best musicians and performers in Los Angeles. Renowned jazz drummer, Mike Shapiro, has been playing with the Brazilian star Sergio Mendes for many years. Working with movement coach & stage actress, Amy Ellenberger, students will grow in courage and confidence.  We are also fortunate to welcome teachers Jamelle Williams, brass teacher from New Orleans and John Villalobos, guitar/tres expert. Choir director, Roxie Trotter, will continue her passionate work, which has led our choir to perform at the Disney Concert Hall, City Hall, Hollywood Bowl & Ford Theater with such groups as Ozomatli & Toxic Airborne Event.

While learning technique and music theory, there will be certain pieces that will be learned in the genre of Latin Jazz.  These pieces will be showcased in the final or performance event.  The approach to this session is to build upon previous sessions for the intermediate and advanced students.  The beginners will be concentrating on the basics and may only learn one or two of the aforementioned pieces so that they can also perform in the final event.   The course offerings will enable a Latin jazz themed show with costumes and choreography all supported by one or two bands.

This summer session will be different from other summer sessions in that it will concentrate on the very large number of advanced and intermediate students returning from the Winter Session.  In addition, the summer session will be very application oriented vs a technique concentrated one.  A "Glee" show will be produced and the students will be singing, dancing and acting accompanied by two student bands.  A final performance will be presented at a local theater venue. 

Registration and orientation for the Summer Program will be held July 5th at Art in the Park from 4 to 6 PM.

In the recent past, the Choir of the Lalo Guerrero School of Music performed at the Hollywood Bowl with the great band of Ozomatli to a sellout crowd of some 18,000 people.  Prior to this event the choir performed at the Disney Concert Hall with the band, Airborne toxic Event also to a sol out hall.  Just before the end of the year, 2010, the children were filmed as part of the Airborne Toxic Event's music video of their hit album.

Early this year, Art in the Park's choir performed with Airborne Toxic Event at the Anson Ford Amphitheater before a sold-out crowd.