`ORCHESTRA IS MY INSTRUMENT' EDUCATOR LEAVING COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS AFTER 28 YEARS.Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer VALENCIA - For nearly three decades, Stewart ``Dirk'' Fischer has been a music professor, performer and mentor at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. . ``It's been one hell of a 28-year ride,'' Fischer said Friday as he prepared to wield his baton for the last time tonight at the helm of the college jazz band. ``The interaction with young musicians has been most satisfying.'' Fischer's last concert, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., will be the culmination of the annual R.K. Downs Jazz Festival Noun 1. jazz festival - a festival that features performances by jazz artists festival, fete - an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place); "a drama festival" at the college's performing arts center A performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is a multi-use performance space that can be adapted for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre. . His musical life started in the 1930s when the Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, city (1990 pop. 189,126), seat of Kent co., SW central Mich., on the Grand River; inc. 1850. The second largest city in the state, it is a distribution, wholesale, and industrial center for an area that yields fruit, dairy products, farm produce, teenager earned enough money to buy a trumpet and formed a group with his brother Clare and two high school friends. He played in the U.S. Army band, studying music after his enlistment ended and joining several big bands traveling the country to work the dance hall circuit. He took advantage of his Army training in cooking, opening the Owl Coffee Shop in Van Nuys, where he conducted music with a spatula spatula /spat·u·la/ (spach´u-lah) [L.] 1. a wide, flat, blunt, usually flexible instrument of little thickness, used for spreading material on a smooth surface. 2. a spatulate structure. for 14 years. In 1980, he earned a teaching credential A United States teaching credential is a basic multiple or single subject credential obtained upon completion of a bachelor's degree and prescribed professional education requirements. and became a part-time instructor at the college before working his way to the podium. Fischer says his teaching career, which has lasted nearly three decades, has been rewarding and exciting, but he's looking forward to spending some time with his wife, who recently retired from her career as a critical care nurse. The couple plans on doing some nonperformance-related traveling. ``Of course, I'll miss this place, but my wife and I have been waving to each other on the freeway for 38 years. Now that the kids are grown, it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to find out if we can live together,'' he said. He and his wife have a son in Philadelphia and a son in Washington, D.C., who they plan to visit while traveling the country. Fischer also has a few Army buddies who jammed with him during World War II who are overdue for some catch-up time. Performing at the annual jazz festival is a fitting finale for Fischer's colorful career. He's seen the college - and its pool of young musicians - grow significantly in the past 28 years. ``Downs was the original head of the music department and organized this yearly get-together,'' Fischer said. ``What used to be two and three groups getting together are now five and six, as well as CalArts Latin jazz Latin jazz is the general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz and classical harmonies from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and United States. The two main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. and whatever my band can to do brighten the thing.'' High school and college bands begin performing at 11 a.m. At 5 p.m., Fischer and his guest artists, George Stone on trumpet and piano and David Becker, playing sax, flute and clarinet, will rehearse for their 7:30 p.m. show. ``George Stone was the former director of the band for Hart High,'' he explained. ``Both of them are now on the music faculty at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (săn l  `ĭs ōbĭs`pō), city (1990 pop. 41,958), seat of San Luis Obispo co., S Calif., near San Luis Obispo Bay; inc. 1856. . We're also featuring
a couple of very good vocalists, Alice Aguiar and Roger Berteau, both
students in the band.''
Asked what instrument he'd have at his side on the road, Fischer couldn't be pinned down. ``I'm primarily a writer, which means I have a speaking acquaintance a slight acquaintance with a person, or one which merely permits the exchange of salutations and remarks on indifferent subjects. See also: Speaking with most instruments,'' he explained. ``Orchestra is my instrument. Both trumpet and sax, clarinet, piano and bass drums. Guitar escapes me. And I have been seated behind a harp, where I learned how to work the pedals.'' Fischer advised young musicians to ``make sure you have other skills so that you can support your music habit. Society places too much emphasis on the word 'talent,' when it's 95 percent work, sheer work. It's nice to have talented people in the world, but competent musicians are the result of a great deal of practice and effort and work. It's a discipline, forever challenging. Nobody has a lock on it.'' Carol Rock, (661) 257-5252 carol.rock(at)dailynews.com IF YOU GO The R.K. Downs Annual Jazz Festival will be held today at College of the Canyons, Vital Express Center for the Performing Arts, 26455 N. Rockwell Canyon Road, Valencia. Tickets: $12 for general admission, $10 for students with Associated Student Government card. Information: (661) 362-5304. Schedule of performers: 11 a.m. - Saugus High School Saugus High School may refer to:
11:45 a.m. - Hart High School Hart High School may refer to:
12:30 p.m. - Canyon High School Canyon High School can refer to:
1:15 p.m. - Golden Valley High School 2 p.m. - West Ranch Jazz Ensemble 2:30 p.m. - Valencia High Viking Jazz Ensemble 3:15 p.m. - Valencia High Concert Jazz Band 4 p.m. - CalArts Latin Jazz Ensemble 5-7:30 - break 7:30 p.m. College of the Canyons Jazz Band and guests artists George Stone and Dave Becker CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) Dirk Fischer, professor of music at College of the Canyons, says his soon-to-end stint as a teacher has been ``one hell of a 28-year ride.'' David Sprague/Staff Photographer Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
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