Vocal Music

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.

The house just up the road from Viewpoint is more than a classroom for Bill Brendle, Middle and Upper School Music Teacher. The Castle Oaks recording studio, once a hub for Grammy-winning artists and film composers, helped shape his career as a professional musician. Today, it introduces Viewpoint students to the same creative process that once brought world-class artists through its doors.

That connection was on display last month when Brendle’s Voices Now students, a select group of Upper School vocalists, took the stage at Catalina Jazz Club. The annual performance gives students the opportunity to experience what it feels like to perform in a professional venue.

“The goal of this concert is for students to have a spotlight, either as a soloist or as a duet,” Brendle said. “Their job is to choose their own song and find something that connects with them somehow. From the beginning, I treat them as if I were working with professional vocalists.”

That philosophy reflects Brendle’s own background as a professional musician, arranger and musical director. He collaborated with Brazilian music legend Sergio Mendes on two Grammy-nominated albums recorded at Castle Oaks, including one that won.

Brendle first connected with Viewpoint in 2001 when he was hired to play keyboard for a Middle School production of “Annie Get Your Gun.” Soon after, he began accompanying a vocal jazz ensemble at the school, which evolved into what is now Voices Now.

His role eventually expanded to include directing the ensemble, composing music for theater productions, and launching Viewpoint’s Digital Music program. Today, he teaches multiple levels of the course, where students learn songwriting, music production and recording technology while creating their own music.

Many of those classes take place inside the Castle Oaks studio. Now part of the Viewpoint campus, the space gives students the chance to step into a professional recording environment once used by artists including Destiny’s Child and Lisa Marie Presley.

“I love seeing their reaction the first time they walk in,” Brendle said. “They realize they’re in a place where real records were made.”

The same space where Brendle once worked alongside professional artists has become a place where Viewpoint students can discover their own artistic path, whether they are performing at Catalina Jazz Club or producing music in the studio just up the hill.

The spirit of creativity was alive across campus on Saturday, May 31, as Viewpoint welcomed families, friends, and community members to Arts Fest 2025. This annual celebration showcased the artistic achievements of students in Grades TK–12 through music, film, visual art, theater, and dance.

Founded in 2018 by Music Department Chair Dr. Kristin Herkstroeter, Arts Fest was envisioned as a school-wide event that brings together every artistic discipline under one creative umbrella. Now in its seventh year, the festival continues to provide a vibrant platform for students to share their work with the wider community.

“The Arts at Viewpoint are thriving, and this past weekend’s Arts Fest was a wonderful reflection of that. From our youngest singers to our most advanced artists, the Viewpoint community came together to celebrate everything we do in the arts. One of my favorite parts of the event is the opportunity for combined musical performances. This year, the Primary, Lower, and Upper School Choirs sang 'You Are My Best Friend' by Queen. The Middle School Jazz Lab and Upper School Jazz Ensemble performed 'Work Song' by Nat Adderley, and the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Grade Strings shared 'String Explosion' by Frank Rodgers. These moments are especially meaningful for our younger students, who gain so much by performing alongside older students,” said Dr. Kristin Herkstroeter, Chair of the Music Department and organizer of the event.

Held throughout the Middle and Upper School indoor and outdoor spaces, the event featured an array of experiences: music performances in the canyon, visual art exhibitions and live demos, scenes from this year’s Upper School musical, award-winning student film screenings, and a showcase from the school’s dance program.

Highlights included a spirited performance by the combined Primary, Lower, and Upper School Choirs, dynamic sets from Fifth Grade Strings and Primo Orchestra, and engaging panel discussions with student filmmakers following documentary and short film screenings. In the Visual Arts, guests admired student-created pieces across all grade levels and enjoyed a live ceramics demonstration by Upper School students.

As the school year winds down, Arts Fest shines as a hallmark event that celebrates student passion, growth, and artistic expression, and reflects the strength of Viewpoint’s thriving arts community.

Congratulations to our Seventh and Eighth Grade students for their exceptional performances at this year’s Music in the Parks Adjudicated Festival, held on May 2 at Knott’s Berry Farm. With 88 students performing across four ensembles, Viewpoint’s Middle School musicians earned top honors in every division they entered.

• Jazz Lab – Excellent Rating, 1st Place in Division
• Concert Winds – Excellent Rating, 1st Place in Division
• Vocal Ensemble – Excellent Rating, 1st Place in Division
• Middle School Orchestra – Superior Rating, 1st Place in Division, Top Scoring Orchestra and Instrumental Ensemble at the Festival

This marks the third consecutive year the Middle School Orchestra has received these top honors, solidifying their place as a standout ensemble in the festival.

“This is the fourth year we've participated in Music in the Parks, and it’s inspiring to see the students rise to the occasion year after year,” said Kristin Herkstroeter, Music Department Chair. “They always work harder knowing they’ll be judged by other music educators. They take it seriously and want to represent Viewpoint well.”

Each ensemble prepared for months in advance, using the opportunity not only to rehearse but to refine their technique and collaborate more closely.

“The music program at Viewpoint is thriving,” Herkstroeter added. “Not only do a significant portion of our students participate, they also work hard so that their ensembles perform at a high level.”

Congratulations to all of our young musicians and their directors for another year of excellence and growth. You can see these students perform at our annual Arts Fest event on Saturday, May 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on campus.