In Its 11th Year, Bach To Blues Brings Menu of Musical Styles to Gavilan

Gilroy residents and music lovers showed their support and appreciation for the music department last weekend—and listened to some great music.

Bach to Blues is an annual fundraiser for the music department. The theater was packed, and people waited in line to buy the last available tickets for the concert.           

“We had 75 extra people come this year” Noemi Naranjo, Gavilan College program specialist, said.

The goal this year was to raise $25,000 to update the piano lab on campus with new electronic keyboards, headsets and hardware. Each purchase of a ticket helped the music department get closer to its goal.

The audience enjoyed an array of music from students, alumni and faculty. Watsonville Taiko, Anna Martin, (the winner of the Marian Filice Youth Piano Competition), Maria Amikhanian, Alberto Marques and Friends, John Garcia and Nate Pruitt all gave the audience a piece of local music to rock to.

“We have amazing performers locally, and we need the support from the community to help out the music department,” said Amikhanian, pianist, faculty member and coordinator for the concert. “We want the people to know they don’t have to drive an hour and half to San Francisco to hear great music.”

Many of the performers said they want the audience to leave with a little something from the concert.

“I want them to leave saying, ‘that was fun; it was something different,' and we would like to see them again,” said Marques, faculty member and flamenco guitarist.

Vocal/instrumental student Mark Rocha wants them to leave with the memory of him and his fellow classmates as inspiring artists.

Rocha, along with other students from the vocal/instrumental ensemble class, entertained the audience before the show and during intermission. The audience cheered on each student during each performance.

“The vocal ensemble class gives me the opportunity to mesh with people that come from different musically backgrounds. I wouldn’t normally mesh with them in my personal life, “Rocha said.

To learn more about the Gavilan College music department or to get information about future events, go to gavilan.edu/music/index.html.