In addition to his previous role as orchestra director, Mr. Chen will be assuming the role of band director this year following the former director’s departure.
In order to have a name more accurate to its broader responsibilities, Mr. Chen’s role has been relabeled to instrumental director. He is responsible for leading the school’s orchestra and all the instrumental music programs, including marching band, color guard, winter color guard, band, jazz band, drumline, winter drumline, e.t.c. His role is mainly in facilitating the success of these programs by working behind the scenes to coordinate the coaches and staff involved in running the teams, otherwise known as the Band Booster Board.
Previously, this position was held by Mr. Ma, who was also involved in other music-related programs and classes. Due to Aliso’s limited funds, there cannot be two full-time teachers for both orchestra and the instrumental program; Mr. Chen was given both roles as he had more years of experience at the school than Mr. Ma.
The smaller enrollment numbers at Aliso, as well as music classes in general, further contributed to the decision to consolidate these two positions.
Michael Huang (11) has been a part of the marching band since his freshman year. He says, “I’m very sad that Mr. Ma’s gone.” Mr. Ma’s absence has affected many students because of his large influence, and his leadership will be missed by his students and faculty who have known him and have worked with him.
Despite the change in directors, the program’s schedules will largely stay the same because it was built by Mr. Ma and the booster board before Mr. Chen came in, allowing him to integrate into the program more easily while minimizing disruption.
Some changes have occurred this year. Specifically, Wind Ensemble and Concert Band have combined since Wind Ensemble’s class numbers were too small to have their own period. Wind Ensemble is the most advanced class for woodwind instruments, while Concert Band is the entry level.
Mr. Chen said, “The problem is that [the classes’] levels are so vastly different that when I’m choosing repertoire or choosing music, it’s either too easy or it’s too hard because I have to choose something in the middle.”
Balancing the role of band and orchestral director has been difficult for Mr. Chen, who is now facing longer working hours and larger workloads.
Mr. Chen said, “So far it’s manageable, it’s just a new challenge [to] just mak[e] sure that I still have time for my family and, like, making sure that mentally I’m not getting burned out.”
He also said that assistance from the booster and students all around has truly made a difference in helping him stay on track for success.
Despite the demanding work, Mr. Chen has expressed that he is grateful, as the new role allows him to be involved in a broader scope of experiences after ten years of teaching orchestra, with three of those years specifically at Aliso Niguel.
