Ensembles

Bluegrass Ensemble blends various musical styles, including fiddle tunes, blues, country, old-time string bands and jazz to form a uniquely American art form. The group performs traditional Folk and Bluegrass arrangements with guitars, banjo, mandolin, upright bass, percussion and vocals.. Students develop their musical repertoire and improve their playing techniques. This group meets weekly, providing students with an opportunity to rehearse and perform in an ensemble setting to prepare for concerts outside of the college.

The class meets every Tuesday evening for 1 hour.

Directed by Cliff Perry

Brass Ensemble is dedicated to the study and performance of selected music, arranged for multiple brass instruments which may include trumpet, trombone, euphonium and tuba. The size of the group ranges from Quartet to Septet and they perform music from Baroque to Contemporary composers. Students study and rehearse together weekly in preparation to perform in the Student Ensemble Recital every quarter.

The class meets every Friday for 50 minutes.

Directed by Alan Keith

Building on the participatory nature of Brazilian choro ("sho-ru") music, this ensemble welcomes any portable acoustic instrument students play, including voice. Choro is a source of better-known styles such as samba and bossa nova, and shares with many world music ensemble roles which function to keep the groove. The class covers how to make the most of these roles, as well as, learning classic tunes of the genre, from recordings and/or sheet music.

The class meets once per week for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor based on participant schedules.

Directed by Karen Tsao

Guitar Ensemble provides an opportunity for students to improve their music reading and improvising abilities while interacting with other guitarists. In addition to working on their guitar playing, students focus on developing performance skills. We explore a variety of musical genres and styles including classical, jazz and rock. Students will perform in the Small Ensemble Recital every quarter.

The class meets once per week for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor based on participant schedules.

Directed by Danny Godinez

Jazz Repertoire students learn jazz vocabulary and improvisation techniques while performing classic jazz standards. The range of instruments varies with the students who enroll, and may include a few vocalists too. The group meets weekly in preparation to perform in the Small Ensemble Recital near the end of the quarter and at other events on campus or in the community.

The class meets once per week for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor.

Directed by Steve Kim

Students perform contemporary percussion ensemble arrangements featuring marimba, vibes, drums, timpani, chimes and cymbals. This performance group welcomes all musicians, (not just percussionists), to experience the benefit of improving their skills in subdivision, concentration, sight reading, and rhythmic comprehension.

The class meets once per week in the evening for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor.

Directed by Don Dieterich

The Piano Ensemble is dedicated to the performance of various styles of music, giving students an opportunity to acquire ensemble experience on piano within a variety of combinations. Students study and rehearse selected piano literature arranged for multiple players on a weekly basis and they perform at the Student Ensemble Recital held every quarter.

The class meets once per week for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor based on participant schedules.

Directed by Helena Azevedo

The Saxophone Ensemble is dedicated to the study and performance of selected music arranged for multiple saxophones giving students an opportunity to acquire ensemble experience. Students study and rehearse together in weekly class sessions in preparation to perform at the Student Ensemble Recital held every quarter.

The class meets once per week for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor based on participant schedules.

Directed by Doug Reid

Intermediate and advanced voice students are given an overview of available vocal ensemble literature and its historical context. They are assigned one or two pieces to be performed at our Small Ensemble Recital. During Fall quarter, the main concentration is opera. Winter quarter concentrates on musical theater. Spring quarter concentrates on operetta and ensemble song literature by classical composers. More advanced students may choose to concentrate on one or two mediums throughout the year. Auditions are arranged by the instructor.

The class meets once per week for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor based on participant schedules.

Directed by Dr. Charles Enlow

This group is comprised of an eclectic combination of instruments such as accordion, harp, flute, clarinet, sax, trumpet and trombone, and a full rhythm section. This ensemble performs arrangements by the popular group, Snarky Puppy, as well as, songs by many other fusion and popular jazz artists or groups. Auditions are required and arranged by the instructor.

The class meets once per week for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor based on participant schedules.

Directed by Jeff Kashiwa

A beginning look at jazz concepts, style, production, technique, and more. Between 8 and 16 voices, one-on-a-mic, with rhythm section, students work on various styles and grooves such as swing, Latin, funk, and ballads. Students explore improvisation in a friendly, low stress environment and discuss jazzharmonies, chord function, and vocal color. Previous choral experience is recommended for learning parts quickly.

The class meets once per week for 1 hour. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor based on participant schedules.

Directed by Evan Norberg

Woodwind Ensemble is comprised of various combinations of instrumentation, often including flute, clarinet and alto sax. They learn transcriptions of the string quartet music of Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Debussy and Vivaldi, and other notable composers, in preparation to perform in the Student Ensemble Recital near the end of the quarter. 

The class meets once per week for 50 minutes. Rehearsal schedule is arranged by the instructor based on participant schedules.

Directed by Jeff Kashiwa

Chamber Chorale is a group of 30-40 singers that performs primarily Classical literature, often with orchestra. The Chamber Chorale tours every year and performs concerts at community venues in Fall and Spring quarters. During Winter quarter, chorale members serve as the opera chorus for our Opera Workshop productions held in the SCC Campus Theater. Auditions are arranged by the instructor.

The class meets daily for 50 minutes.

Directed by Evan Norberg

Shoreline Concert Band is comprised of 40-60 musicians which includes Shoreline Community College music students, as well as, community members enrolled in the Continuing Education program of the college. The band plays a variety of high quality literature including many of the favorite band compositions of the past to original compositions written for the Shoreline Concert Band. The collective goal of this group is to provide enjoyable, high quality concerts for the community it serves.

The class meets every Monday evening for 2.5 hours.

Directed by Darin Faul

Funk & Groove is a 14-20 piece group that performs popular music from various genres; Soul, R&B, Funk, Disco, Rock and Pop. A full rhythm section of drums, bass, guitars and keys, in addition to a full horn section of saxes, trumpets and trombones provide the backing for 5-8 vocalists. The group also includes two sound engineers for monitors and front of house positions as well. This ensemble performs on campus, in local clubs, and in theaters. Students gain knowledge of diverse popular music styles and firsthand knowledge of running the technology needed to perform the music in a live setting. Auditions are arranged by the instructor.

The class meets twice per week for 50 minutes.

Directed by Jeff Kashiwa

Jazz Ensemble is an 18-20 piece traditional big band comprised of SCC's more advanced jazz players and is open to all students through audition. While focused on traditional big band arrangements from Basie, Kenton and Ellington the ensemble also performs more modern arrangements including Funk, Latin and Fusion styles. This group performs at least two major concerts a year and tours in the spring quarter. Jazz Ensemble has participated in the Las Vegas Invitational Jazz Festival and they earned the 2nd place award from the Reno Jazz Festival in 2016. In 2019, the group will perform in New Orleans. Auditions are arranged by the instructor.

The class meets twice per week in the early evening for 2 hours.

Directed by Jeff Kashiwa

Shoreline Singers is a classical ensemble made up of students with past choir experience. Styles range from renaissance to contemporary music, jazz, spirituals, and pop. Students continue their education with top notch voice instructors here at Shoreline Community College and explore advanced skills related to tone, resonance, blend, and balance while learning about the various styles. Auditions are arranged by the instructor.

The class meets four days per week for 1 hour.

Directed by Evan Norberg