Workman Jazz Festival
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A festival like no other. We promise to treat you right, and we have some wonderful adjudicators providing input for you, and working with your students. Our festival features a non-competitive, no-ratings format, and all bands receive on stage clinics from the full adjudication panel. Rather than have two superior performances leave here a tenth apart, we offer you the opportunity to receive a highly educational experience.
All groups will receive a 40-minute performance slot in which to set up, perform, and receive a clinic with all three adjudicators. Our festival is unique in that all our educators will work as a team to clinic your group together as a team on stage. We bring in fully qualified educators, and each one has a primary background - Brass, Woodwinds, or Rhythm Section.
Omar Vidaña graduated in 1999 from John Glenn High School in Norwalk, CA. He then attended Cerritos College, and studied under Dr. David Betancourt, Ken Foerch and Billy Frenzel. In 2005, Mr. Vidaña transferred to CSULB with a full music scholarship, and studied under James Barrera, Jay Mason, Dr. Joan Albuquerque and John Carnahan.
Mr. Vidaña is currently director of bands at Bellflower High School, and has earned superior ratings at SCSBOA festival for concert band symphonic winds every year of his tenure. He has led the Marching Band to an SCJA championship and 16 SCSBOA championship appearances winning the bronze medal three times in 3 different divisions. In 2014, Mr. Vidaña was chosen as the Bellflower High School Teacher of the Year. In 2016 -2019, 2021 & 2022 the Bellflower Buccaneer Brigade went undefeated in both the SCSBOA and CSBC field circuits and was given the privilege to attend one of the most prestigious parade competitions in the nation, the Arcadia festival of bands. Mr. Vidaña still finds the time somehow to frequently perform with his band Cumbia Brava which is one of the most popular versatile local bands in Southern California.
Brian McNair was director of instrumental music at Alta Loma High School for 25 years. He began his career teaching elementary and junior high music. At Alta Loma High School, Mr. McNair directed three Jazz Ensembles, Symphonic Ensemble, Concert Ensemble and the Marching Entertainment Corps. He recently retired and is now serving as a jazz clinician to four high schools, a junior high, and also directs the Riverside Community College Tuesday Night Jazz Ensemble.
Throughout his tenure at Alta Loma, Mr. McNair’s ensembles consistently garnered top performance awards including the most outstanding soloist, top high school performer, jazz combo and big band awards of excellence at the Reno International Jazz Festival. He built a music community and instilled in his students a love of music. He served as the director of the SBCMEA Honor Jazz Ensembles and was the director of the Chaffey District Honor Jazz Ensemble from 2012 – 2018. He has served and still serves as a clinician and jazz festival adjudicator. He feels very fortunate to be involved with a community of incredible educators that always assist in helping young musicians reach their potential.
David Betancourt has been the Director of Bands and Orchestra at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California since 1998. He is the conductor for the Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Pep Band, Pop/Rock Ensemble and facilitates the Cerritos College Drumline. Beyond performing as the showcase ensemble at various jazz and band festivals, the bands at Cerritos College take great pride in performing in countless civic events and participating in social outreach at hospitals and shelters. Dr. Betancourt facilitated the collaboration with the youth organization Impulse, which led to the addition of numerous courses as well as the development of a national reputation for Cerritos College in the Drum and Bugle Corps international circuit. He was chair of the music department from 2008-2011 and was the director of the California State University Wind Ensemble from 2008-2011. In addition, Dr. Betancourt was a supervisor for the Master of Arts in Teaching at the University of Southern California since the inception of the MAT program. Previous to his appointments in Southern California, Dr. Betancourt was Assistant Director of Bands at Northern Arizona University. He began his music education career as the Director of Instrumental Music of Hopedale Junior/Senior High School in Hopedale, Massachusetts.