I had the pleasure recently of traveling to Seattle, Washington, with the SBCC Lunch Break Jazz Band to participate in the Bellevue College Jazz Festival. I wish to commend Director Jim Mooy for his many hours putting the trip together. As a retired band director, I am very familiar with the monumental task of organizing such a venture, providing for the needs of the students, and ensuring that it is a valuable contribution to their education. In additional to playing at the festival itself, Jim also arranged for them to perform at local venues.
Santa Barbara City College is well-known for its outstanding music department, and it was well represented by all of the students who participated. Also on the trip was the New World Jazz Ensemble, under the very capable direction of Tony Ybarra. Both Jim and Tony are gifted educators and Santa Barbara is lucky to have them.
Throughout the trip, I was extremely proud of the students both on and off of the stage. They were wonderful ambassadors for our city. I was truly proud to be able to say, “We are from Santa Barbara, California.”