By Daniel Larios
Staff Writer

May 6, 2014 – Featuring jazz, blues, strings and vocals, Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Music Department will host a series of spring concerts in May that include a benefit performance to support SMC’s acclaimed Applied Music Program.

Concerts will be held in either The Broad Stage or at The Edye at the SMC Performing Arts Center at Santa Monica Boulevard and 11th Street.

A Day in the Blues on Thursday, May 8 at 11:15 a.m. puts its twist on blues standards written and performed by legends such as Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King and Johnny Cash.

The music will be performed by Terry Carter and The Tomcats featuring Steve Trovato on guitar, Terry Carter on guitar/vocals, Robbie Fontana on bass and John Atkinson on drums.

The concert at The Edye is free, and complimentary tickets are available at the SMC Music Office in Room 211 of the Performing Arts Center.

On Sunday, May 18 at 4 p.m. the Vocal Department will showcase SMC’s advanced voice students, directed by Gail Gordon. They will perform classical, jazz, musical theatre, and contemporary commercial songs. The performance is in The Edye and costs $10.

The Benefit Concert for SMC Applied Music Program will be held on Friday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. at The Broad Stage.  The concert will be co-directed by Keith Fiddmont and Dennis Parnell and will be performed by SMC’s music students. Tickets are $10.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to provide your support for the Applied Music Program, one of the distinctive programs of SMC’s Music Department dedicated to fostering the development of outstanding instrumentalists, vocalists and composers,” officials said.

In addition, the SMC Strings Program, directed by Dr. Martine Verhoeven, will perform on Thursday, May 29 at 11:15 a.m. at The Edye.

The program features a “light concert of delightful musical selections” performed by SMC string students, officials said. The concert is free and complimentary tickets are available at the SMC Music Office in Room 211 of the Performing Arts Center.

SMC’s Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Ian Brekke, will perform Friday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. in The Broad Stage.  Tickets are $10.
“SMC’s award-winning jazz vocal ensemble, backed by LA-area jazz musicians, blends its voices in a program of jazz repertoire specifically arranged for four-part harmony,” said officials.

The Music Program’s May concert series will wrap up on Saturday, May 31 at 2 & 4 p.m. at The Edye with a performance by the SMC Chamber Choir.

Directed by William Belan, the program titled “From the Ridiculous to the Sublime”  will pair works by noted composers and offer “both the sacred and the profane sides of their imagination.” Tickets are $10.

For tickets and information, visit www.smc.edu/eventsinfo or call (310) 434-3005 or (310) 434-4323.