Many graduates of the College’s music department are now professionals
Music is the universal language, and San Jacinto College offers a wide range of music courses and degree options to help students develop their talents and pursue careers in the dynamic music industry.
Students have many opportunities to perform in large and small ensembles, not only in recitals, but also in concerts that are open to the public. Solo performances are also an option for some students during a concert.
Classes for music majors include music theory, choir, small vocal ensemble, string orchestra, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, concert band, and small instrumental ensemble (woodwind chamber, jazz combo, steel drum band, brass choir, guitar ensemble).
The College offers private music lessons in piano, organ, voice, percussion, guitar, bass, and all orchestral, brass and wind instruments. In addition, class piano, class percussion, class voice, and class guitar are offered. Private lessons are available to music majors, and non-music majors.
Music opportunities are available at all three San Jacinto College campuses. Throughout the year, there are performances, clinics, seminars, master classes and festivals.
An integral division within the College’s music department is audio engineering (read more about this program on page 3). “Our average student has a serious interest in music, and many are musicians,” commented Les Williams, director of audio engineering at San Jacinto College. “But what we teach is not exclusive to music. Not everything you record is necessarily musical. Most of our students have a passion for how to capture sound and how to make it louder.” Students go on to become recording engineers, live sound engineers or entrepreneurs who create their own sound studio businesses.
Many graduates of the College’s music and audio engineering programs are working in the music industry. A small sampling includes: Elvia Garcia, assistant orchestra director for Pasadena Independent School District; Jessica Rangel, elementary music teacher; Kelsey Burg, keyboardist at Fairmont Park Church; Mike Zuniga, bassist at Lakewood Church; Scott Foulkrad, Toyota Center audio and video director; Walter Donaldson, sound engineer at I Heart Media Inc.; Joe Barelas, sound engineer for Bayou Music Center; Michael Lehew, Crosby Independent School District associate director of bands; Lupe Flores, Harris County Department of Education music therapist; Donald Johnson, professional percussionist and producer with Beanz N Kornbread; Steve Valdez, platinum music producer with Sony/BMG Columbia Records.
The San Jacinto College music department also offers summer music camps that are open to the public and are designed for elementary to high school students. Summer music camps include band, piano, guitar, woodwind and brass, keyboard, jazz and rock, and choir. Young band students work with clinicians and attend master classes in preparation for concluding concerts.
For more information about the music programs at San Jacinto College, visit sanjac.edu/career/music. For information about summer camps, visit sanjac.edu/summer-camps.
– Rob Vanya
