Quite a few schools in San Diego County offer music classes, but nothing matches the accomplishments of Mission Bay High School. Founded in 1974 by legendary local bandleader Rey Vinole, the school’s program is now run by former MBHS student J.P. Balmat, with students performing, touring and recording at a professional level.
On March 17, the Pacific Beach Woman’s Club, at 1721 Hornblend St., will be the site of a benefit concert, with performances from all the school’s bands (including the acclaimed Preservationists) as well as a special appearance from local music icon, boogie-woogie pianist Sue Palmer. Funds raised at this event will be used to help send a group of music students to take a working trip to New Orleans, set for April 14 to 18.
The fundraising goal is $10,000. While music has been supplanted culturally a bit by film and gaming, Balmat still sees an enthusiasm for music in new students. “Absolutely,” he said. “I still believe there is no experience that can compare to picking up an instrument and expressing yourself through music. Students get it. It is a neverending game or film that is always evolving, and there are so many opportunities to create your own story.” Although Balmat is open to all types of music, he feels strongly that jazz is the perfect root sound for students to delve into. “For me, jazz has it all: melody, harmony, communication, improvisation; and it summarizes our history as a country,” he said. “Jazz is an American-born art form, created through the struggles of slavery, segregation, racism and the ability to overcome all these obstacles to create something beautiful. This is a powerful thing for students to understand. It’s not just the notes on the page. It’s telling the stories of our country and the people that lived through the horrible and wonderful times. As the great Louis Armstrong said, ‘What we play is life.'”
For Balmat, New Orleans as the birthplace of jazz is the perfect place for a music student to immerse himself. “What better place to learn from?” he mused. “Our students spend countless hours listening and studying this music and learning about the history of New Orleans. I want to show them where this music originated. I want them to work with and perform with musicians that have been playing jazz their entire lives. Most of the musicians and New Orleans come from a long line of musicians that had a hand in the creation of jazz. This is something students need to experience. For me, it is the grand finale to everything we have been working on.”
A total of ten students will make the trip. “These are the students that have shown a tremendous amount of talent and discipline in my program,” he said. “Most of them have been with me three or four years. They practice constantly, honing their skills, and are wonderful performers and ambassadors for our program.” While there will be time for sightseeing, students will be kept busy with visits to historical sites such as Congo Square and the French Quarter. “Our big performance opportunity will be a performance workshop at Preservation Hall,” Balmat said. “This is the center of traditional jazz in New Orleans. There is no bigger honor than to be welcomed into the sanctuary of jazz. We will also be doing a live performance on radio station WWOZ and additional performances at The Old US Mint, which is now the New Orleans National Jazz Historical Museum. Each of these events will feature professionals from the city.”
Palmer got involved with the school after meeting Balmat through a musician in his group, Euphoria Brass Band – trombonist April West. “I used him on my last CD, ‘Bricktop, on clarinet,” Palmer said. “He asked me to give lessons to the various piano players as they go through high school.”
These kids are so enthusiastic and wanting to learn and be professional musicians. It’s quite heartening to see them improve and grow up. “My last student, who is still in high school, Edward Gabrielyan, has already been involved with Gilbert Castellanos Young Lions series,” she notes. For this show, she will be backed by the school band. “They do a wonderful mix of New Orleans tunes,” Palmer enthused. “Last year, we did the tune ‘Caravan,’ boogie-woogie style. The show is great fun, but my favorite part of the whole thing is that the students get to go to New Orleans – I can’t imagine doing that in high school.” Balmat is grateful for the help local music fans have given to the school over the years. “It’s important to state that there would be no program without the wonderful support of our community,” he said. “They are the ones that raised the money to get our program off the ground 10 years ago, and they keep working to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate in music. We would not be able to take these trips if it wasn’t for these individuals donating to our cause. I am so proud to have grown up in this town and now work at Mission Bay.” MBHS New Orleans Fundraiser: Saturday, March 17 at the Pacific Beach Woman’s Club, at 1721 Hornblend St. 7 p.m. All Ages. $10. missionbaymusic.com.