Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

PLAYING an instrument is not easy. Believe me, I’ve had five years worth of piano lessons and I never became a great pianist. It takes a lot of practice, patience and discipline to be able to do that. That is why I have a lot of admiration when I see young people who are part of a band. With all the distractions going around in their generation, I am amazed that they even have the discipline to practice on their own, much more be alongside others.

In Vallejo, the Jesse Bethel High School Jaguar Band rank with the premier and finest bands in Northern California. Founded since the opening of the school in 1998, the Jaguar Band has been under the direction of Ken Smith. Having gained an enviable reputation through the years as an outstanding band in Concert, Marching and Jazz programs, the band has also consistently received honors and superior ratings in each of these idioms. This outstanding, competitive performance group also has accumulated hundreds of awards from parades, field shows and concert competitions.

The Band was also undefeated last fall, in the Division 1A at the Northern California Band Association (NCBA). The Color Guard took the 2009 NCBA Winter Championship in April, and last spring the band was overall Sweepstakes Champion at the Del Mar Band Festival. Composed of 96 members, the Band is a truly diverse group, with approximately 80 percent Filipinos.

Since the State of California no longer funds the art and music programs in most public schools, the Vallejo Unified School District in conjunction with the City of Vallejo continues to maintain music programs in most of their middle schools and high schools. Smith, who has been awarded Teacher of the Year in 2008, believes that it is important for students to be able to pursue their art. "The arts help create well-rounded students," he said and added, "Countless studies have shown a positive correlation between participation in music and academic achievement."

‘Work hard, perform well, grow musically and have fun’

Striving to learn about music and marching through hard work, dedication and the pursuit of quality performance, the Jaguar’s looks to its philosophy, which is to, "Work hard, perform well, grow musically and have fun."

Band member, Kriselda Bonifacio, who is the Trombone and Quint Tom section leader, has been with the Jaguar Marching Band since her freshman year. "I joined the Jesse Bethel Jaguar Marching Band with the intentions of furthering my musical education and to with my friends. (But) Being in the band brought me so much more than I could ever imagine," she said and explained further, "While being in the program I gained leadership skills and life skills that I could have never learned on my own."

"The band is home away from home for most of its members," said Smith. "The band room is the first place they go in the morning and the last place they leave after school. It also develops teamwork, self esteem and leadership, and teaches the students how to set goals and work hard to achieve them."