The 30th semi-annual Faculty Gala presented by ASCC and the Cerritos College Music Department at the Burnight Center Theatre took place on March 2.

The Faculty Gala is a benefit concert held every semester to raise scholarships funds for students in the applied music program.

The applied music program offers private music lessons in all band and orchestral instruments, as well as piano, organ, voice, electric and acoustic guitar. Music styles range from both classical and jazz.

This spring semester faculty gala featured performances by: Paul Da Silva, Conrad Immel, Sung Ae Lee, Christine S. Lopez, Andrew Maz, Angela Romero, Fang Fang Shi Inouye, Greg Schreiner, Keren Schweitzer, and Tammy Tsai.

Marina Macias, music major, reflected on the performances and change in perspectives. “I thought it was great. It was a really special, really special event to see because you hardly ever get to see the actual masters on stage, they’re teaching us most of the time and you learn from them a lot, they were all great,” she said.

Michael Enriquez, music major, also echoed a similar response about the spring Faculty Gala and talked about his favorite performance.

“I thought, it was a lot to take in with some of the pieces, overall it shows the talent of the teachers and what they can do and what they provide to the students as far as what they need to move on as a musical career.”

“I liked Dr. Maz and the classical guitar because I’ve been around in that scene with my friends, I can tell how much work and effort that goes into it and those pieces kind of hit me as very emotional and things I can relate too in my life.”

The instructors showed why they are the ones in charge and through their teaching methods, students and audience members alike can achieve similar musical success.

“I never came to one of these. My teacher (Tammy Tsai) played, so I wanted to see what she does. Tammy Tsai was really good, she blew me away, no wonder why she is teaching me.”

“I like the one that she did with the flute that one was probably my favorite piece.

“I think just hearing the flute and piano playing together, the harmony between the string instrument and wind instrument, it just sounded really nice.”

Cynthia Castro, business administration/human resources/music, gave her input on how attire can change a performance.

“They were all really great, they all performed their best, their outfits were really cool too, it’s good to go on stage and look nice, you don’t want to look and come in your pajamas and bunny slippers.”