HORN OF PLENTY VALENCIA SENIOR LANDS GRAMMY GIG.Byline: CONNIE LLANOS llanos (yä`nōs), Spanish American term for prairies, specifically those of the Orinoco River basin of N South America, in Venezuela and E Colombia. Staff Writer CASTAIC -- Christopher Hernacki can spend hours perfecting every note that emerges from his bass trombone trombone [Ital.,=large trumpet], brass wind musical instrument of cylindrical bore, twice bent on itself, having a sliding section that lengthens or shortens it and thus regulates the pitch. The descendant of the sackbut, it was developed in the 15th cent. . ``One time I stayed practicing an eight-second set for an hour,'' the Valencia High senior and Castaic resident said. But this 17-year-old's drive for perfection will pay off in a few weeks when he joins 30 of the nation's best high school-age musicians, chosen to play with the Grammy Foundation's Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensemble program. For Hernacki, who plays numerous instruments including the euphonium euphonium or tenor tuba Large valved brass instrument, the leading lower-pitched instrument in military bands. It developed from the valved bugle and cornet in Germany c. 1840. It has four valves and a wide conical bore resembling the tuba's. , tuba tuba (t  `bə) [Lat.,=trumpet], valved brass wind musical instrument of wide conical bore. and the tenor trombone, the accolade is great, but it's still all about the music. ``I just want to spread the joy -- it's about sharing the music with the audience,'' he said. Hernacki's maturity is what Valencia's award-winning jazz band director, Robert Babko, noticed at first sight. The seasoned music teacher remembers that the first time he met Hernacki, the eighth-grader stood out of the crowd in his professional suit and tie. Before the freckled freck·le n. A small brownish spot on the skin, often turning darker or increasing in number upon exposure to the sun. tr. & intr.v. youngster even played for Babko, he'd built a reputation. ``He was auditioning for the district honor band,'' Babko said. ``I didn't audition the horns that year, but as soon as he was finished the other band directors asked who was going to get him. ``Before I ever heard him play, I was aware of his ability.'' Babko is not the least bit surprised that Hernacki was chosen for the Grammy band. ``I have never asked him to do something musically which he couldn't do,'' Babko said. Hernacki's humility is something Babko really admires. The youngster already has been playing professionally in his spare time, touring with the Monterey Jazz All-Star band last summer as well as visiting Italy and Croatia. Yet Hernacki never misses band practice and continues playing in Valencia's jazz band and orchestra. ``I don't have enough superlative words to say about him,'' Babko said. Babko tells his students frequently that it takes three things to be a successful musician -- dedication, opportunity and natural talent. Hernacki's got it all, he says. His stand-out talent propelled Hernacki to the top of the pool of 600 contestants who submitted video auditions to the Grammy Foundation. ``This is quite an elite group of young ladies and men,'' said David Sears David Sears refers to two different people
Side One The Kats February. The high school-age students will get little time to rest as they rehearse with nationally recognized jazz band directors and perform at various Grammy-related activities, including the official Grammy after-party. The program also features a college day where the country's top music schools come to scout the cream of the crop -- many to offer scholarships to the talented teens. Topping off the week's activities will be the chance for the young performers to cut a record at the world-famous Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI, located in Hollywood, California. Its headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine. recording studio, where legends like Elvis Presley and Nat King Cole a legendary king of Britain, who is said to have reigned in the third century. See also: King have recorded various albums. ``It is extremely huge for these kids to get into this program because there are no other programs like it in the country,'' Sears said. Stan Hernacki is proud of his son, who followed in the family's footsteps. Dad is a freelance trumpet player who plays in the Canyon Brass Quintet A brass quintet is a five-piece musical ensemble composed of brass instruments. The most common instrumentation is two trumpets or cornets, one French horn, one trombone, and one tuba or bass trombone. , and Mom Lisa plays the oboe oboe (ō`bō, ō`boi) [Ital., from Fr. hautbois] or hautboy (ō`boi, hō`–), woodwind instrument of conical bore, its mouthpiece having a double reed. and English horn English horn, musical instrument, the alto of the oboe family, pitched a fifth lower than the oboe and treated as a transposing instrument. It has a pear-shaped bell, giving it a soft, melancholy tone. . ``It just feels great,'' Stan Hernacki said. Stan Hernacki doesn't mind that his son's musical ability has already surpassed what his mom and dad's were when they were in high school. ``All these doors have opened for him, and this will really help with college.'' David Hernacki thanks his parents for all their help -- up to three private tutors can get pretty expensive. ``They have always supported me in whatever I have wanted to do, whether it was baseball, football -- they even took me to chess championships when that was my thing,'' Hernacki said. Despite trying a couple of different pastimes and hobbies in his short lifetime, Hernacki knows exactly where his future lies. ``I want to be a professional musician, maybe land a teaching gig and play jazz clubs,'' Hernacki said. connie.llanos(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5254 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Valencia High trombone player Chris Hernacki has been picked to participate in the Grammy Jazz Ensemble program. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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