The Moorpark Music Association is the only club for musicians at Moorpark College where students can join and compose their own pieces to be performed at the end of the semester.
Moorpark students can join the club by simply having an instrument and a passion for music. Students will be working together to compose their own music and showcase it at the end of the semester. Even if you’ve never composed your own music, you will learn how to do so, work as a team with others and walk out with a better knowledge of it.
The club began in the fall 2015 semester when Austin Scott, 19-year-old music major and president of the Moorpark Music Association, realized that there was no music club on campus. Scott felt it was a real shame considering there was a whole building dedicated to this craft, so he started to organize the club.
“I wanted to start a club that encourages originality and creativity,” said Scott. “Whether it’s composing, playing, arranging or anything else, we want students to do what they love to do.”
Royal Dean, 19-year-old music major, also fell in love with the idea of uniting student instrumentalists and composers to create and perform a variety of original works and quickly joined the club. Being an aspiring composer himself, he said it would be an amazing learning experience. Dean also plays the piano as well as composes and produces electronic and orchestral music on his laptop.
“This club has taught and is teaching me that writing and performing music is a very real, practical, strenuous, yet rewarding and creative process,” said Dean.
Dean isn’t the only one who feels that this club has helped him grow as a musician. Joseph Reyes, 20-year-old music major, learned what it takes to pull off a great performance and learned how to work better with others. Reyes got his friend, Faith Stone, 20-year-old anthropology major, to also join the club, according to Stone.
“It’s really helped me learn how to deal with different time signatures and different conducting styles,” said Stone.
Students are constantly working together and composing their own pieces to perform at the end of the semester, said Scott. Last semester, the concert was held in December and it had a great turnout, but Scott hopes the spring show is even better.
The show is on April 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. in room M109 in the music building. The show is free is and it’s all original compositions by students who attend Moorpark College. There will be various genres of music including jazz, country, classical and alternative, according to Scott.
“I want this club to be something that anybody who loves music, no matter what skill level or experience can come and perfect their craft,” said Scott. “The club kind of forces you to grow and that’s amazing.”
Anyone who attends Moorpark College and is interested are encouraged to join the Moorpark Music Association, which meets on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. in room M105 in the music building. They are taking students until Feb. 9. For more information, email [email protected].
