Local jazz bands in the William S. Hart Union High School District awaited their turn to perform for attendees in the Golden Valley High School gym, sharing their love for not only music, but also community.
The annual Downs Fischer Jazz Festival returned on Feb. 27, hosted by the Golden Valley High School Music Department and the GVHS Band and Color Guard Boosters.
As many students often learn an instrument and spend their teenage years trying to perfect it, long-lasting relationships can often arise.
This is the case for 17-year-old friends Keira Rubenstein and Aaliyah Lyon-Moore, who have bonded over their love for music during their high school years.
“We do this every year to showcase to everybody in the valley and bring together the community in a warming way, instead of a competition way. It’s a nice way to also view everybody preseason, as well, and a way to connect,” Rubenstein, who is a junior at Golden Valley, said. “I’ve been in the Advanced Jazz Ensemble as a bass player for three years. I did bass through La Mesa (Junior High) then grew into it.”
Rubenstein also plays the electric bass and percussion, focusing on the marching snare.
“I absolutely love jazz. I am a drum captain, so I focus mainly on winter percussion and field season. But jazz is such a relaxing way to express yourself and learn how to grow without doing stuff so physically. I love seeing how each year, we pick charts to specialize in what genre or section is the strongest, and just seeing how everybody shows their personality and brings the music to life,” Rubenstein said.
Rubenstein and Lyon-Moore want to pursue music education, and even though Lyon-Moore is a grade above, Rubenstein considers her one of her “biggest inspirations.”
“She did guitar my freshman year, and we did band together. She has been one of my biggest inspirations, like switching instruments, and being able to excel in a profound way,” Rubenstein said. “The people I’m working with, especially in the rhythm section, we’ve all grown really close, and it’s nice to have a family where you can express yourself in different ways, even if you’re fighting,” Rubenstein said.
Lyon-Moore, who is a tenor saxophone player, discussed her time at Golden Valley as it’s coming to a close.
“I started learning saxophone in middle school at La Mesa, then wanted to take it more seriously, so I switched. I also play flute, alto saxophone. I started guitar in COVID, then I played flute also in my seventh-grade year,” Lyon-Moore said. “I chose the saxophone because I love the sound. This is a really dedicated group, and it’s inspiring to be a part of, because everyone wants to be better.”
Having a positive experience with her peers, Lyon-Moore hopes to carry on the legacy as she inspires the next generation.
“I like how we all get along and have the same sense of humor, and we all have a shared interest, which is music, so we bond over that. I hope that I can inspire people. I want to be a mentor. I want to get better at music as my expression,” Lyon-Moore said. “It would be nice to gig sometimes, but I feel like even if I’m just doing music education, I’ll be happy with it.”
Their band director, Angel Nazario, discussed watching the progress of the students throughout his four years at Golden Valley.
“This is the first year that I’ve had a set of students for four years. The setting up the stage, the tables, the chairs, food and all that is all put together by the boosters and the kids. So I really just watch all of them do the work. I can just sit back and relax and enjoy the music, not just from my kids, but the kids in the Santa Clarita community,” Nazario said.
Nazario is nothing short of proud of how his students have grown throughout the years in not only meeting the standards, but even setting the bar. From instruction to constructive criticism, Nazario is excited to see how his students will carry the torch.
“There’s a level of maturity and growth from the students, from a musical standpoint, from a leadership standpoint, from a family culture standpoint — I think that’s the biggest one. When I first got here a few years ago, the kids struggled to get the change very quickly. In the few years, I’ve seen these kids take on tasks with little to no directions from me,” Nazario said. “As educators, we need to adapt to the kids. I love seeing my kids wanting to do music education.”
