Workman Jazz Festival
Schedule is at the bottom!
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.
Mark Novelich is a professional trumpet player, recording artist, and educator based in Southern California. With over a decade of experience as a performing musician, he has built a versatile career spanning live performance and studio recording.
As a professional musician, Mark Novelich has shared the stage with internationally recognized artists including Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Wonder, and El DeBarge, and is a regular performer at Disney California Adventure Park. His work in jazz has led to collaborations with acclaimed musicians such as Arturo Sandoval, Melissa Manchester, Gordon Campbell, and Jimmy Borges. He has also appeared on the television series Glee and performed as part of the house band for the ESPY Awards.
Mark Novelich’s playing is rooted in a deep respect for musical tradition while remaining adaptable across genres and performance settings. Whether on stage or in the studio, he brings a commitment to musical excellence to every performance.
Gary Pratt has had a distinguished career as a music educator, performer, conductor, adjudicator, and arranger. He is Emeritus Professor of Music at California State University, Northridge, where he served as chairman of the Wind Area, Director of Orchestras, and Director of Jazz Studies. His versatility as an educator has made him a sought-after clinician and guest conductor for jazz ensembles, orchestras, and concert bands, with guest conducting engagements in Europe and Japan.
As a professional jazz bassist, Mr. Pratt has performed and recorded with numerous legendary artists, including Louie Bellson, Lionel Hampton, Snooky Young, Conte Candoli, Pearl Bailey, Bobby Shew, Don Menza, Blue Mitchell, and many others.
In recognition of his contributions to jazz education, Mr. Pratt received the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) Jazz Educator Award in 2015 and was inducted into the California Alliance for Jazz (CAJ) Hall of Fame in 2018.
