Viewpoint’s Music Department marked the month of March with two Middle and Upper School concerts, bringing student musicians from the band and choral programs to the Carlson Family Theater.

On March 16, the Spring Band Concert featured a wide range of ensembles, including the Combined Beginning Middle School and Sixth Grade Band, Middle School Concert Winds, Upper School Wind Ensemble, The Four and a Half, and Middle and Upper School Jazz ensembles. 

The program opened with selections such as “Golondrina” by Jorge Vargas and “Red Comet” by Michael Oare. The Middle School Concert Winds performed “Ijó Ajoyo” by Duroje Gwamna and “Pastel Sunset” by Heather Hoefle, along with “The Throne Room” from Star Wars, arranged by Johnnie Vinson. The Upper School Wind Ensemble presented works including “Baba Yetu” and “Sir Duke,” arranged by Jay Bocook, with additional selections conducted by seniors Noah Fournier ’26 and Romy Harari ’26. The program also featured a flute duet by Ellen Su ’28 and Colin Brun ’26, as well as student-arranged works. The concert concluded with performances by the Middle School Jazz Lab and Upper School Jazz Ensemble, featuring selections such as “Basically Basie,” “Black Orpheus,” and “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday.”

The concert series continued on March 18 with the Sixth through Twelfth Grade Choral Concert. The program featured performances by Voices Now, Viewpoint’s unique performance group of Upper School singers, Sixth Grade Choir, Middle School Vocal Ensemble, Upper School Concert Choir, and Combined Choirs. 

Voices Now opened the evening with “It’s Your Thing” by The Isley Brothers, arranged by Voices Now director Bill Brendle, followed by “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell. The Sixth Grade Choir performed “Bhombela,” a traditional Zulu piece with student rhythm leaders, and “Sing to Me.” The Middle School Vocal Ensemble performed “The Old Mill” and “I Sing Because I’m Happy,” while the Upper School Concert Choir presented selections including “Lacrimosa” from Mozart’s Requiem and “Fire (from Elements)” by Katerina Gimon. The concert concluded with a combined choir performance of “Happy Together,” bringing all vocalists together for the finale.

As the spring semester continues, our musicians will take part in Arts Fest on Saturday, May 30, a culminating celebration of the arts at Viewpoint. The event will feature student work from across all divisions, including visual art, film, theatre, dance, and musical performances.

Viewpoint’s campus was once again filled with exceptional music as the school hosted its annual CAIS Honors Music Festival across Friday and Saturday, February 6-7, culminating in two outstanding performances by 250 student musicians from 18 independent schools across Southern California.

This year’s festival held added significance as Viewpoint celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Carlson Family Theater (CFT). The first performance ever held in the theater in 2006 was the CAIS Music Festival.

The festival featured two concerts in the CFT, beginning with the Choir Concert at 3:30 p.m., followed by the Instrumental Concert at 5 p.m. Dr. Kristin Herkstroeter, Music Department Chair at Viewpoint School, served as the event organizer.

A hallmark of the CAIS Honors Music Festival was the opportunity for students to work with three guest conductors from other independent schools and music programs, expanding their musical experience beyond their own campuses.

"Working with guest conductors is such a valuable experience for our student musicians. Every conductor does things a little differently and it is important that students learn how to adapt," said Herkstroeter. "Conductors often also share their journey to becoming a conductor. This is invaluable for our students, as they are just starting to think about their career journey."

The Choir Concert featured the Concert Choir under the direction of guest conductor Mr. John Hendricks of St. Paul’s Schools. The ensemble performed songs that ranged from classical works such as Haydn’s “Gloria” to contemporary selections including “Holding the Light” by B.E. Boykin and “Ad Astra (To the Stars…).”

Following the choir performance, the Instrumental Concert opened with the Concert Band, conducted by Mr. Steven Fox of Crescendo School of Music and Dance. The ensemble performed selections including “October” by Eric Whitacre and “Baba Yetu” by Christopher Tin.

The evening concluded with the String Orchestra, led by composer and educator Mr. Richard Meyer, performing selections from “Serenade for Strings” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as well as contemporary works including “Momentum” and “Swamp Thang.”

“I hope that our students are proud of the hard work they put into the festival, both in preparing before the festival and then at the actual event. I hope that they realize how rewarding it is to work hard to create the magic of music,” Herkstroeter added.

Viewpoint School extends its congratulations to the student musicians and music teachers from the following participating schools:

• Archer School for Girls
• Brentwood School
• The Buckley School
• Cate School
• Chadwick School
• Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences
• Flintridge Preparatory School
• Harvard-Westlake Middle School
• Harvard-Westlake Upper School
• La Jolla Country Day School
• Marlborough School
• Marymount High School
• Mirman School
• Polytechnic School
• Rolling Hills Preparatory School
• Sierra Canyon School
• St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
• Viewpoint School
• Westridge School for Girls

In case you missed it, watch the Choir Concert, Band Concert, Strings Concert, or the Full Concert from this year’s CAIS Honors Music Festival.

For Viewpoint student Jasper Hughes ’27, years of dedication to music recently culminated in his selection for one of California’s top student jazz ensembles.

“The story my mom likes to tell is that she first realized I was rhythmic when she gave me a couple of straws to play with and I was banging on my stroller to the music,” Hughes said.

Hughes was selected to perform with the California All-State Jazz Ensemble, an elite honor group that brings together top student musicians from across the state through a highly competitive audition process. The ensemble rehearsed and performed January 15-17 as part of the California All-State Music Education Conference.

“All-State is such a long shot for jazz,” Hughes said. “There are only three drummers in one jazz band.”

Hughes, who began formal drum lessons at age 4, deepened his focus on jazz during the pandemic, studying with professional drummer Bernie Dresel beginning in late 2020, a mentorship he credits with preparing him for opportunities like All-State during his high school years.

Preparing for All-State required months of focused practice, from refining technique to learning complex jazz and Afro-Cuban styles. Hughes said much of his preparation centered on listening, repetition, and understanding the language of the music before stepping into rehearsal.

“Four bars into the first rehearsal, I thought, ‘These are the best players I’ve ever played with,’” Hughes said. “It sounded just like the recordings I practiced to.”

In addition to All-State, Hughes was also accepted into the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Symphonic Band, another selective honor ensemble. The group will rehearse January 30 and 31 before performing February 1.

“The music is completely different,” Hughes said. “It’s much more serious and much more structured, and it’s pushing me in areas where I’m less experienced, which is what makes it valuable.”

Music has remained a constant throughout Hughes’ life, shaping both his growth as a musician and the way he approaches new challenges. For younger musicians hoping to follow a similar path, Hughes emphasized the importance of committing fully to the process.

“You have to fall in love with practicing,” he said. “If you want to do this, you can’t go halfway. You have to go all in.”

Each year, Viewpoint’s Upper School musicians are recognized at the national level for their commitment to excellence in both music and academics. In December, 11 juniors and seniors earned induction into the Tri-M Music Honor Society, a program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).

Tri-M is the only national honor society dedicated to middle and high school musicians and focuses on developing student leaders through music education, service, and advocacy. The students recognized this year include:

• David Wang ’27
• Jamey Tsugawa ’27
• Jasper Hughes ’27
• JP Walker ’27
• Kayla Paschall ’27
• Kian Tabandeh ’27
• Niya Lal ’27
• Noah Fournier ’26
• Racheal Chun ’27
• Samson Harrington ’27
• Winston Ge ’27

Selection for Tri-M is based on a comprehensive audition and review process that evaluates students’ musical growth, technical proficiency, and overall musicianship. Auditions assess students across three areas: sight reading, technical elements such as scales and arpeggios, and a prepared solo performance.

Students are also expected to showcase excellence in academics and active participation in community service. According to the NAfME, student members across the nation collectively contribute over 750,000 service hours to their school and local communities annually, raising nearly $1 million for causes close to their hearts.

Congratulations to the students who have earned induction into the Tri-M Music Honor Society. More information on the program can be found here.