Good things always start small. Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed is quite appropriate in the brief history of Orange Coast Musical Arts. Incorporated in 2000, it had a beginning that was quite simple but very romantic and a little bit magical. A few, very young musicians, had started with Mr. Hallman on recorders and learned how to read music and play some fun songs together. Seven of the students performed for the first time at Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1996. These young musicians then wanted to play band instruments and thus the little group was on its way to becoming a “band”. The group was called the Lets Do Lunch Band because the kids thought that since rehearsal was at lunch time it was a catchy name. The band had 8 members in 1997, including 3 flute players, drummer, two trumpets, a bass and then one of the mom’s learned the trombone to help out. It grew to about 20 in 1999, adding a French horn player, a sax and some more flutes! Members of the band just loved to get together and “jam” and then started to perform at nursing homes, community centers and “around town”. Mr. Hallman and Mrs. Fujieda guided the young musicians through all kinds of music, including their favorites “Hawaii-5-O” and “Georgia on My Mind”. Around 1998 a beginning band class was started for newer musicians.
In 2000, the new name of Orange Coast Musical Arts was taken to broaden the appeal to homeschoolers who wanted a quality instrumental music program for their children. An intermediate band was formed and then a violin class was added for the string players. The advanced band then changed its name to the Alpha Winds and found itself performing about 25 times a year, all the while attracting more and more musicians.
The mission of Orange Coast Musical Arts has always anchored itself on its humble beginnings to providing a quality instrumental music program for families who want a safe and interactive program that honor’s their faith and cannot find it anywhere else. Primarily this has meant homeschool families, but also now families looking for after-school activities.
Most notably OCMA had saved its pennies and purchased for the marching band a complete set of uniforms for parades. Dubbed as the only homeschool marching band in the West, the Sound Waves can be seen in 5 parades a year.
2009 also saw the maturing of the string-orchestra “Charis Chamber Orchestra” into a serious string ensemble lead by Carolyn Davidson and assisted by Julia Guftason. Thirty players balanced into violins, viola, cello and double bass have built a solid repertoire of classical, pop and sacred pieces.
The future of OCMA is to improve its delivery of instruction and programs to families who homeschool and to others who do not have access to a similar program at their public or private school. The instructors and parents who run the organization want children to learn to love music and develop their skills as musicians, future leaders, mature adults with excellent team-work abilities and encourage each in their faith.