Cuesta College has presented several performances by its own music department throughout the years. Recently, several students from the program participated in the Holiday Extravaganza on Dec. 6, and Cuesta jazz combo students participated in Combopalozoza on Dec. 9 at the Harold J. Miossi Performing Arts Center.
This poses the question: what exactly happens behind the scenes of these events? More precisely, what is music education like at Cuesta College, and what does it do to prepare its students for a future in music?
Cuesta College music professor Ron McCarley said that performances are an important aspect in the education of his students, especially for Cuesta’s jazz combos, where musical improvisation is the focus. There are many instances where the combos can be seen performing, from Cuesta Promise Day to twice a month at Linnea’s Cafe in Downtown San Luis Obispo.
“I try to get them out in public often,” McCarley said. “If they’re going to sound good improvising in public, they need to have that experience a lot of times before it really settles in.”
Apart from performances and rehearsals, Cuesta College offers additional coursework that prepares students for a professional music career. One of these classes is musicianship, a class that students take throughout three semesters, where they learn to train their ears to identify notes by listening to them. McCarley said that musicianship is a particularly difficult class for students.
“It’s really breaking down this specific skill within what it means to be a musician,” said McCarley about the musicianship classes.
The jazz combos are made of students who have been divided into small groups, and different groups meet at different times. Therefore, they also participate in forums where they have the opportunity to perform for one another and engage in discussions together.
Spencer Hafley, a student from one of Cuesta’s combos who was present at one of the forums, said that being able to improvise and play an instrument in front of people is a skill that requires a lot of practice.
“Music is a language and to speak it fluently, and be able to come up with stuff on the spot, takes a lot of work on the craft,” Hafley said.
Another student involved with the Cuesta jazz combos, Kurtis Furtado, said that his time with Cuesta’s music program has greatly helped him in his professional development as a musician. Before arriving at Cuesta, Furtado said that he was a mostly self-taught musician, and that working with Cuesta’s music faculty has greatly helped him improve their skills.
“The way they’ve guided me to actually learn how to properly play and to pursue more knowledge of how to get better is amazing,” Furtado said.
The music education given to those participating in the jazz combos and other performing groups at Cuesta College is extensive, and McCarley said that there is a lot of hard work that goes into helping students become disciplined and successful musicians.
“When a student really changes their state of mind and their relationship to music and to life is very exciting to me,” McCarley said.
