Page 11 - Reedley Exponent 1-4-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent BPanorama
KCUSD schools celebrate the holiday season
See B6
Section | Thursday, January 4, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654 A new voice
The View From Here
In this week’s Panorama section, I profile David dela Concepcion, the new choral music teacher for the Kings Canyon Unified School District.
Though he
was in the midst
of a hectic sched-
ule last month, he graciously made time for an interview.
I wanted to share more here that I couldn’t fit into the story. Part of it comes from me going off on a tan- gent. I tend to do that when I talk to people in the arts because I love the arts, whether it’s music or paintings or the theater or literature.
For one thing, I had to ask dela Concepcion this:
Can anybody sing?
“Yes, everybody can sing,” dela Concepcion said. “People have dif- ferent talent levels, but everyone can sing. You’ve got the instrument right here (pointing to his mouth and throat). People who are actu- ally tone deaf? That’s a very, very tiny population. So you can make it work.”
One exception, dela Concepcion said, would be if you were a long- time smoker and older because there could be irreparable vocal damage.
He also said a big difference in being able to sing is based on wheth- er you sang as a child, at home or at church. He pointed out that children love to sing and do it all the time,
See COLUMN page B5
City launches
online
registration
for programs
By Felicia Cousart Matlosz
felicia@midvalleypublishing.com
Starting this month, all people who participate in the city’s variety of recreational programs will have to register online through a new program from DASH Platform.
“We hope the convenience of it for people will be well worth it for them,” said Sarah Reid, superinten- dent of the Reedley Community Ser- vices Department.
The launch was scheduled for Jan. 2.
In the past, people had to walk into the Reedley Community Center at 100 N. East Ave. to register for a class or program and pay the fee. Staff members couldn’t take regis- tration by phone (including credit card numbers).
Now, people who participate in city programs – from baseball leagues to year-round water activi-
See REGISTER page B2
Family Dance set for Jan. 26
By Felicia Cousart Matlosz
felicia@midvalleypublishing.com
This year’s city-hosted Fam- ily Dance is taking a cue from the Happiest Place on Earth – the dance theme will be Disney.
The dance, which has become a popular annual event at the Reedley Community Center, will be held on Friday, Jan. 26, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
“Everyone loves Disney,” said Sarah Reid, superintendent of the city’s Community Services Depart- ment. “We feel people will embrace it.”
See DANCE page B5
By Felicia Cousart Matlosz
felicia@midvalleypublishing.com
When the lauded Reedley High School Madrigals sang at a recent Kings Canyon Unified trustees meeting, new director David dela Concepcion led them with the flair that comes from a soaring joy for the sounds of music.
At 27, dela Concepcion is the new choral music teacher for the Kings Canyon Unified School Dis- trict, bringing an enthusiasm that honors the vocal music program’s traditions while looking to expand its possibilities and opportunities. He oversees the choir programs at Reedley High and Orange Cove High School.
“It was apparent from the beginning of the interview that David was a shoe-in
for our school and program. He knew about our program and traditions."
– John Ahlin, principal of Reedley High School
“This is so much fun. I love it,” he said during an interview last month at Reedley High. “This is what I’m living for. It’s great. You get to sing every day. You get to help kids make music and grow. You get to see them develop over time and hopefully have an impact on them.
“It’s been really great. The kids are all awesome.”
David dela Concepcion this academic year became the new choral music teacher for the Kings Canyon Unified School District. He oversees the choir programs at Reedley High School (where he's seen in this photo) and Orange Cove High School.
He succeeds Randy Lepp, the much-ad- mired longtime choral music teacher who retired in 2017.
Photos by Felicia Cousart Matlosz / The Exponent
Salma Lopez, a RHS senior, is in her first year as a Madrigal. She sang the two previous years in the concert choir. She admitted she was “a little skeptical” about what might happen after Lepp left. She said “I was so used to him.”
But Lopez said her trepidation was erased by how “very welcom- ing” dela Concepcion has been. Lo- pez is an alto and wants to pursue a career in singing. She said she’s ap-
Felicia Cousart Matlosz
David dela Concepcion is KCUSD's new choral music teacher
Dela Concepcion succeeds Randy Lepp, the beloved, longtime choral music teacher who retired in 2017.
“It was apparent from the be- ginning of the interview that David was a shoe-in for our school and pro- gram,” said John Ahlin, principal of Reedley High. “He knew about our program and traditions. Despite having other job offers, he sought us out, knowing our connection with
the community and the support our district has for music.
“He is producing great results for Reedley High School and Or- ange Cove High School.”
At Reedley High, dela Concep- cion directs about 80 students in mixed choir, concert choir and the Madrigals. Of those, 17 students this year are in Madrigals. At Or- ange Cove High, he has about 35
students.
preciated the type of vocal exercises that dela Concep- cion has introduced and the help he’s provided with her college auditions. In fact, she said she’s been accept- ed by her two top choices – Azusa and Biola – and needs to decide.
Given how well her se- nior year has been going, she said she has mixed feel- ings that it’s her last year with the choir program.
“Yes, it’s very bitter- sweet because he’s actually one of my favorite teach- ers,” Lopez said of dela Con- cepcion.
For dela Concepcion, music has been part of his life since he was a young- ster.
He was born and raised in Sanger. He sang as a child at his family’s church, the First United Methodist
See CHORALE page B6
Here are some of the 17 members of the Reedley High Madrigals, who performed at the Dec. 12 meet- ing of the Kings Canyon Unified School District governing board.
They are (from left) Claire Kaprielian-Santos (partially seen), Paige Linss, Roberto "Robbie" Campos, Shelby DiQuirico, Cesar Garcia Medina, Deeandra Men- doza, Nathaniel Applebee, and Heidi Harris.
RHS band directors play in the holiday season
Felicia Cousart Matlosz / The Exponent
Every year on a day in December, the Reedley High School marching band directors perform holiday songs at Kings Canyon Unified School District campuses and other KCUSD locations before playing at the city Christmas tree at G and 11th streets in downtown Reedley. This year it was Dec. 15. They are (from left) Daniel Paulsen, Jason Awbrey, Sam Gipson, Lisa Dewhirst and Michael McGraw. Erik Dewhirst, Lisa's husband, also played with the group.
The Reedley Christmas Band also performs holiday music in December. You can see more photos on B10 and watch video clips of both ensembles' performances on The Exponent's Facebook page.