Calabasas All Star Jazz Band to perform in China

By Stephanie Bertholdobertholdo@theacorn.com

A group of 23 teenage jazz musicians from Calabasas have been invited by the Chinese Children Song & Dance Institute and Shenzhen Civic Culture Institute to perform in a cultural festival in China from July 28 to Aug.14.

The Calabasas All Star Jazz Band will travel to ShenzhenZhuhai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Calabasas’ sister city of Anqing, where they will participate in music workshops and take part in joint performances with young Chinese musicians.

The Calabasas All Star Jazz Band is a nonprofit organization led by Josh Barroll, the director of the Calabasas High School music program. That program has been recognized as one of the finest music programs in California by various music associations. Barroll leads a number of awardwinning instrumental and vocal groups.

Siobhan Loftus, a parent volunteer for the band, explained that the Calabasas All Star Jazz Band “affords the young musicians of Calabasas opportunities that the school music program could not.”

But many of the performers, aged 14 to 18, are students at Calabasas High School, Loftus said. The All Star Band was chosen as the only representative of the United States in the Honshu (China) Children’s Performance Week. The band was also invited by three other cities in the southern area and one city in the eastern area of China to participate in several cultural exchange programs.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these young people to experience fascinating cultures and represent their community and country,” said Barroll. “They’ll share musical encounters and tour with young people from all over the world, including China, Russia, Australia, and Africa.”

The invitation included room, board, performances and student participation in cultural events. But, the cost is still staggering. Loftus said that the band must raise $50,000 to cover travel expenses and additional Chinese cultural opportunities.

The Calabasas City Council donated $10,000 to the group to kick off the band’s fundraising efforts and the band is currently soliciting donations from local businesses.

Residents will have the opportunity to hear the Calabasas All Star Jazz Band at a July 4th “Fireworks Spectacular” celebration at Calabasas High School. The band will play between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m.

Donations to the band can be mailed to Calabasas All Star Jazz Band, c/o Radhi Banerjee, 4422 Tedregal Ct., Calabasas, CA 91302. For further information, contact Banerjee at (818) 2229763.