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“I have met friends who have a passion for music and they inspire me. We have great teachers and private instructors who are enthusiastic to help students. . . I’m glad that I’m in this great program.”

-Risako Harada

Daler Babaev performs Sweetfin (2022) by SMC student Cooper Gillespie. (Marc Federici | The Corsair) Dany Godoy (right) and Sang Hee Cho (left) play Four by Miles Davis. The Santa Monica College Applied Music Program Showcase at the Broad Theater in Santa Monica, California on Friday,

Applied Music Program Shines in the Spotlight at The Broad Stage

Maxim Elramsisy | Staff Writer

Applied Music Program students took to the stage on Friday, May 6, in a performance showcasing the prodigious program of dedicated students. The scholarship benefit concert raised money to support recipients as they transfer to four-year institutions.

Students must audition to apply to the Applied Music Program, which pairs students with faculty for private instruction in preparation for transfer to universities and conservatories.

“I have met friends who have a passion for music and they inspire me,” said sophomore trumpetist Risako Hareda, “we have great teachers and private instructors who are enthusiastic to help students. There are many opportunities to perform on stage. I’m glad that I’m in this great program.”

This year’s showcase featured music spanning across centuries and genres. Students of various instruments, including voice and composition, played pop music and original scores in solo and ensemble form, often with accompaniment of a pianist.

Jeffrey Smith performs Moon River (1961), a piece that involves multiple ensemble player swaps. ( Marc Federici | The Corsair )

Stoyan Stefanov plays Morning Light (2022) by SMC Lincoln Mendell alongside an ensemble. (Marc Federici | The Corsair)

Risako Harada perfoms Concertpiece No. 2 Op.12 (1910) with Gary Gray. (Maxim Elramsisy | The Corsair)

Nikki Iv plays Mozart's Violin Concerto in A Major: Adagio (1769). (Maxim Elramsisy | The Corsair)