OCC Music Department

Come fill your soul with beautiful music and beautiful artwork! Our OCC Chorale, directed by Kelly Self and accompanied by Joe Lawrence, present a FREE program in the Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion on Wednesday, May 15, at 2:30 p.m.

One of many highlights of the program: The world premiere of a newly commission work by composer Amy Gordon!

What fun we had at our OCC Music Faculty Recital last week! Thank you to everyone in the sold-out crowd, and thanks to everyone who performed or helped.

We're lucky to have such a talented, supportive, and friendly music community here. Let's do it again next year, shall we??

Tomorrow!!! We cannot wait to have OCC alum Reetu Bala with us to unlock the mysteries of Bollywood. Come enjoy the music, dancing, costumes, drama, and romance, plus a reception afterward.

Like all CME events, this one is free and open to the public!

Have you bought your ticket yet for our first-ever(-or-at-least-in-a-really-long-time) Music Faculty Recital? Don't wait--the recital hall is a small place and we expect this event will sell out!

This is a great opportunity to hear your teachers making music together, and the program includes jazz, Broadway, classical, and lots more. Don't miss it!

Ticket link in first comment below.

We're so excited to have internationally renowned artist Sylvia McNair visiting us tomorrow evening! She'll be working with five of our wonderful voice majors, and you can attend for free. The masterclass starts at 7 p.m. and there will be a reception afterward.

Want to support our choirs just by eating ice cream? Visit Handel's Ice Cream (Newport Beach location, 2200 W. Ocean Front) and be sure this image is on your phone. When you show it to the cashier, 20% of your purchase will be donated to the OCC Chamber Singers and Chorale!

What a fantastic article (with a video!) about our upcoming OCC Chamber Singers performance of Handel's "Messiah"....in Spanish! Get your tickets now (link in first comment below) and join us on Saturday evening!

Hear Handel’s ‘Messiah’ entirely in Spanish as ‘El Mesías’ The special rendition being performed this weekend by the Orange Coast College choir is one way to make the well-known masterwork new for listeners.

Come hear our season-opening concert tomorrow evening! Music by Stravinsky, Amy Beach, and Andre Thomas, featuring the OCC Symphony and a grand finale with the OCC Chamber Singers and Chorale.

Tickets are only $10 and parking is free in lots C and D. Please buy your ticket in advance at www.occtickets.com. See you there!

So much fun seeing everyone who visited our Pi Rho Sigma/Music Club booth at the OCC Pirate Involvement Fair yesterday!

This will be a great year. Don't forget to attend the first meeting of PRS/MC on Wednesday, September 20, at 3:30 in Music 102!

Tomorrow! Come hear the OCC Chorale (Kelly Self, director; Joseph Lawrence, piano) in a FREE mini-concert in the OCC Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion (right next to Starbucks)! Hear choral works and solo numbers in one of the most visually and acoustically splendid spaces on the OCC campus.

Can't get there by 2:30 or can't stay the whole time? No worries--come and enjoy for as long as you're able!

You are invited! Our next Coast Musical Encounter will take place on Wednesday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in MUS 102 (Recital Hall), featuring internationally renowned composer and author Dale Trumbore addressing “Overcoming Performance Anxiety”---which is ALWAYS a hot topic for performers!

This session is FREE and open to all, and will be followed by a reception with great food! Please come, and bring a friend/classmate who would also like to overcome those awful nerves!

Happening now in the Student Union! Anna and Bryan are bringing the soul and you can come enjoy them at no cost! (If you can’t make it today, join us for another Music Hour on any Tuesday at noon.)

Students from Natasha Shoro’s 2D Color and Design class visited our building today to add some of their artwork—inspired by listening to music—to a few of our blank walls! We loved watching them work and we feel so lucky to get to enjoy their creations for a while!

Come sing with us! Whatever your experience level, we've got a choral ensemble that will welcome you.

Don't miss it! Coast Musical Encounters returns in person on Wednesday, April 13, 7:30-8:30pm, MUS 102!

Find out how to prepare your auditions, portfolios and applications with the all-important "ins & outs!" This is a very informative session on applying to music schools presented by Annie Bosler, and an illuminating glimpse into the world of the professional musician and how to prepare for careers in music.

The program is free, and it's followed by a reception with refreshments!

Bring some music into your midterm week! Join us in the new OCC Student Union on Thursday, March 24, at 12:30 p.m. for a brief and casual lunchtime performance celebrating music by women. You'll hear some of our talented faculty and students playing music that ranges from classical to Adele!

This Women's History Month event is sponsored by the OCC Global Engagement Center, which is providing snacks to all who attend! You can come for the whole thing or just stop in for a song.

TONIGHT! Join us on zoom at 7:30 p.m.: https://cccd-edu.zoom.us/j/96358989786!

Happening tomorrow!

Our first Coast Musical Encounters event of the school year features OCC alum Adriana Manfredi, one of the most successful mezzo-sopranos on LA's classical scene and in Hollywood's studios. She'll tell us about her own journey, and she'll hold a mini-master-class with two of our fabulous voice students.

Join us at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday, October 20) at https://cccd-edu.zoom.us/j/96358989786!

The OCC Music family is mourning the loss of Ira Trachter, whose generous spirit and copious talents have brought joy to us and to our audiences for many years. Ira left this earth with one last song and one last round of applause, surrounded by friends who loved him. We will miss him enormously.

It's been almost a year and a half since we've sung in choir together and THAT'S LONG ENOUGH!

We're back on campus and ready to make beautiful music this year, and we hope you'll encourage all the singers you know to join us! Pre-registration isn't required; singers are invited to come to Music Room 101 on Monday, August 30, at 12:05 p.m. for more information and voice placement into a choral ensemble!

Come and bring a friend, and let's make some joyous noise.

The OCC Piano Department needs YOU! If you've never played piano before, our outstanding Piano 1 classes will start you on a life-long journey of making beautiful music at the piano. If you've played a little, Piano 2 will meet you at your skill level and further develop your skills. The Piano 2 class on MW, 9:25-10:25, CRN 20217 is low on enrollment, so enroll now!

Our Piano 3/4 classes and Piano Master Classes will accept students even if waitlisted. Contact Prof. Teresa de Jong-Pombo to assure your place in the class, or with any questions, at [email protected]

Making music is fun. Making music TOGETHER is better! If you’re an instrumentalist in Orange County, Orange Coast College has an ensemble for you, whether it’s our OCC Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensembles, or Guitar Ensemble.

OCC students can earn credit for participating, and community members can register for FREE.

Visit www.occmusic.com or contact Eliza at [email protected] to learn more and find the group that’s right for you!

Humans of the OCC Music Department:

"It was an easy choice to attend OCC because of the affordability, the location, the diversity, and the excellent professors. I had the privilege to tour with the Chamber Singers to Chicago and New York City, and the preparation I received through private study, choir, piano, and theory helped with my transition into CSUF. But the community at OCC was the best part of my experience. Everyone is family. We treat each other with love and uplift our fellow classmates. Orange Coast College guided me in my path to success and encouraged me to be brave, put away my doubts, and just go for it."

--Brandi Birdsong, professional soprano and educator; CSU-Fullerton graduate

Visit www.occmusic.com and let the OCC Music Department be part of your story!

Humans of the OCC Music Department:

"When I came to OCC, I already knew my career path was to teach history, but I wanted to make sure I had the opportunity to make music as well. Playing in the Wind Ensemble was been the most gratifying experience for me, and returning to OCC every week to play with the Wind Ensemble is a cathartic experience and a welcome reprieve from a busy life. I’m also part of Taps for Veterans, an organization that provides buglers/trumpeters to sound Taps for military veterans’ funerals and ceremonies. It has been an incredible honor to be a part of such a tremendous organization. I can’t overstate the joy that OCC has brought to my life."

--Michael Armstrong, history teacher, amateur trumpeter, Chapman University grad, and community/alumni member of the OCC Wind Ensemble

Let the OCC Music Department be part of your story! Visit www.occmusic.com to learn more.

Humans of the OCC Music Department:

"I didn't grow up in a musical environment, but I was always drawn to the music around me. It was not until I enrolled at OCC that I decided to pursue music as a career, and it has changed my life tremendously. Music serves as my creative outlet and has saved me emotionally countless times. My piano teacher at OCC believed in me from day one, and I have heard my OCC friends share similar stories as well. I enjoyed everything about being a student at OCC, and the lifelong friends and beautiful connections that I have made throughout my journey continue. To this day, I'm still a part of the OCC family! You always feel welcome here, and it's for life."

--- Minh Pham, pianist, piano teacher, competition winner, and festival performer; OCC and CSU-Long Beach graduate

Let the OCC Music Department be part of your story! Visit www.occmusic.com to learn more.

After a year that's been much too quiet, we're excited to make music together again! OCC has online and in-person classes for fall, and no matter your interests or experience level, we've got opportunities for you.

Visit www.orangecoastcollege.edu to enroll or register!

Happy Pride from all of us at the OCC Music Department!

Tonight, tonight....

We've got SO MUCH great music for you in our 2021 spring program, to be posted tonight at 7:00 p.m.! Watch this page for the video and enjoy it at your leisure!

This Wednesday, May 26, at 7:00 p.m., we'll be releasing our OCC Music Department Virtual Spring Concert! It's a showcase of talent and ingenuity, featuring performances from our ensembles, our beginning classes, and our advanced soloists.

Watch this page on Wednesday! (This is not a live event---you can enjoy the music at any time, and it'll be a great backdrop during finals week or a great reward after you've officially survived this extremely tough year!)

Don't miss our third and final Coast Musical Encounters event of the year tonight---Wednesday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m. PDT!

Composer and singer Jonathan Woody will be speaking about Microaggressions in the Music World: Racial Reckonings for Musicians. Jonathan is an incredible performer who recently made waves with his composition "Nigra Sum Sed Formosa: A Fantasia on Microaggressions," which combines Monteverdi-esque music with traditional Latin text and a collection of remarks people have made to Jonathan and some of his colleagues of color.

Free and open to all. We look forward to seeing you tonight at https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/96540844490!