Band in the Media
A more recent article from The Daily Review...
By Eric Kurhi, STAFF WRITER
HAYWARD - Kevin Cato didn't exactly have a five-year plan when he was passed the baton at Mt. Eden High School, taking over as the director of the school's band program.
When he arrived, there wasn't much in the way of equipment and morale was low.
"The first year, the students played at a middle-school level; they couldn't play half their notes and didn't know the right fingering for their instruments," Cato said. "I knew that there was a lot of work ahead of us. "... I had to come in and build the program from scratch."
Mt. Eden has long had a renowned choir program, but other accolades are few and far between. It's not a school known for its academics nor its sports teams.
But Cato could see potential in his students and sensed a desire he wanted to fuel.
He invested heavily in the program. He bought instruments — a personal investment of about $25,000 — and began an intensive course of study to turn around the program.
"We're not in a very affluent neighborhood, and we make do with what we have," he said. "But it was never the kids holding themselves back. They wanted something and were willing to work hard for it. They were eager. Change was going to happen."
Half a decade later, his kids are preparing for a performance at New York City's Carnegie Hall in April — the latest in a string of road trips that has turned the band into a powerhouse.
"You would never know they're fifth in the nation until hearing them play and seeing them all tuxed up," Cato said. "If you saw them in the general student body, you would just never know."
In particular, the wind ensemble has been the troupe to beat. It scored first place at competitions last year in Hawaii and Del Mar and second-place finishes the past two years at the Anaheim Heritage Festival. Its fifth-place national ranking comes from a trip to the Festival of Gold at Boston Symphony Hall in 2007.
And Cato said his students had to turn down a trip that would have been more icing on an already sweet cake.
"We were invited to play at the Olympics in Beijing last summer," he said. "We really wanted to but just couldn't afford it."
He has also seen his students realize individual success.
Juniors Wayne Jopanda and Javier Cense, and sophomore Azeem Ward, all earned the honor of performing with the National Honor Band and Orchestra of America in Indianapolis this year.
"That's huge," Cato said. "That's something that I always wanted to do when I was in school but never had the chance."
That honor band selects 100 students from around the nation based on a video audition.
Jopanda, who played with the national band last year as well, said Cato has been an inspiration from the start.
"I had been taking private lessons in fourth grade, playing this little guitar," he said.
"It was a Fisher-Price guitar," interjected Cato, laughing.
"And my previous instructor had told me my hands were too small to play larger instruments," Jopanda said. "I went to Mr. Cato, the music instructor at my elementary school, and he told me that's nonsense, and switched me to this."
Jopanda grinned and gestured at his enormous string bass in the same manner a car aficionado would show off a vintage coupe. He has been playing since and is now ranked eighth in the nation among high school musicians.
Cato said that as big as those victories are, it's not the most important thing about the band program.
"I can attest that my program has saved kids, whether it's kept them from dropping out, or from not going to college, or being lost," Cato said. "It's taught them leadership skills, how to function in the community, how to be social."
Sophomore Roberto Figueroa, who plays the French horn and bass drum, said that like most of his fellow students, he is worried looming budget cuts could affect the program.
"There are so many kids in here that I don't know what they would do without band," Figueroa said. "It's a scary thing. I always go to band after school, just to chill for a little bit, and I don't know what I would do."
Cato said it's not just his Mt. Eden program that's vital. He said music education is something that needs to be fostered starting in elementary school, and that elementary and middle schools feed into the high school bands.
"It's like math, or reading, or any other academic subject," he said. "Can you imagine trying to start someone off learning math in high school? They need a background, they need the groundwork. They can't just jump in at this level — it's too late."
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Mt. Eden High bass player chosen for national honor
By Kristofer Noceda, STAFF WRITER Article Last Updated: 12/23/2007 02:38:34 AM PST HAYWARD — It's 2 a.m. and Rosa Jopanda can hear the sound of drumsticks tapping in her son's room. She walks to the room and tells him to stop practicing and to get some rest. Mad? Hardly. Jopanda is happy that her son, Wayne, has taken a liking to something she never had the opportunity to do. "Growing up, I always wanted to play a musical instrument, but I just couldn't afford it," she said. "So I made sure Wayne has the opportunity to do those things." |
Wayne, 15, plays multiple instruments, including guitar and drums. The sophomore at Mt. Eden High School is also regarded as one of the nation's top string-bass players.
Recently he was named to the National Honor Orchestra of America, where 100 students are selected for the ensemble from a video audition.
"I was screaming when I found out," Jopanda said. "I couldn't believe it."Jopanda will travel to Indianapolis in February to perform with the orchestra as part of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra subscription series.
"This means he's set and he can go anywhere if he decides to pursue music after high school," said Kevin Cato, band director for Mt. Eden High. "Many of the top-ranked conductors will be there just to see these students."
The honor is considered one of Jopanda's greatest accomplishments in a music career that began in second grade.
But if it wasn't for a performance playing a guitar in an elementary school talent show, Jopanda might never have met Cato, whom he considers a mentor and a second father.
Cato, who had been running a school band at the Hayward Project School (now Faith Ringgold), asked Jopanda to join the band.
"At first, I didn't really want to, but I gave it a try and ended up enjoying it," he said. "Music helps me express myself and is one of the reasons I come to school."
When Cato heard Jopanda was selected nationally, he cried with joy.
"I was just so proud of him because he was this shy little kid when I first met him," he said. "Now, Wayne is a very expressive and outgoing guy.
"It really validates the hard work, dedication and loyalty he's put in the program."
Cato said he also sees a little of himself in Jopanda.
"He reminds me a lot of how I am," he said. "He's very persistent and motivated to do as good as he can.
"He won't give up until he gets what he wants."
And if things go according to plan, Jopanda may end up filling Cato's shoes one day.
He plans to attend a four-year university after graduating from high school.
"Education comes first, but I'd like to keep music in my life," Jopanda said. "I'd like to have my own band one day. Or maybe even teach band — kind of like what Cato does. That would be awesome."
For more information on Mt. Eden High School's band, visit http://www.mehsband.com .
Kristofer Noceda can be reached at 510-293-2479 or knoceda@bayareanewsgroup.com .
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Daily Review ArticleMt. Eden band tunes up to play Festival of Gold»Students will compete in Boston for top ranking» By Kristofer Noceda, STAFF WRITER Article Last Updated: 03/26/2007 02:36:32 AM PDT |
HAYWARD - Students begin band class with a breathing exercise, and moments after the first round of hissy exhales a few stragglers arrive. No excuse will be good enough for their tardiness - not for Kevin Cato, anyway. The Mt. Eden High School band director demands perfection, especially at a time when his ensemble is set to take on the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Words mean nothing and action is everything," Cato tells his students. "Boston is tomorrow. Wake up. Are you ready?"
Cato then pumps his fists in the air, an action quickly met with the pounding of drums, whistling of flutes and the tinkling of chimes.
In a heartbeat, he has students focused.
Toes tap, cheeks swell and eyes focus on Cato's hands swaying to and fro.
All year, students have been preparing for the Festival of Gold at Boston Symphony Hall — perhaps the World Series or Super Bowl of high school band competitions.
The nationally ranked Mt. Eden band was invited to compete in the upcoming event after last school year's successful campaign.
In 2006, students won numerous awards that now crowd the band room walls like family portraits. The band also was featured in a recent Coca-Cola commercial.
The big event begins Friday and will bring the nation's top 20 high school bands together to compete.
"It's an honor to be able to not only see the Boston Symphony play, but actually play on the stage," said student Skky Foster, a bass player and band president. "It's not every day that we get to do something like this."
But things didn't always look so bright for the band. When Cato, who also teaches instrumental courses at King Middle School and Chabot College, took the band's reins in fall 2004, most students were unable to read music.
Now the band performs college-level material, and Cato is proud of the improvements he has seen.
It wasn't until he was able to take students to a competition in Hawaii last school year that things began to take off.
"Some of the students have never been out of Hayward, and the experience really changed their lives," Cato said.
Because of the band's diverse makeup of students who hail from a predominantly working-class community, Mt. Eden was looked at as an underdog heading into the Hawaii competition, students said.
"Unfortunately, Hayward students sometimes have that reputation as a 'throw-away' kid, and people easily give up on them," Cato said. "But you put an instrument in front of their mouth and they can communicate, compete with anyone. It's remarkable."
Cato says their goal was just to play respectably and have a good experience in Hawaii, but the band ended up sweeping the competition, which featured bands from more affluent schools with established music programs.
The Coke-commercial appearance was also icing on the cake.
"It just really pumped them up and showed that they can do this," Cato said.
Like almost every music program throughout the state, funding has been a hurdle for Mt. Eden students.
Aside from fundraisers to help pay for this trip's cost of about $40,000, Cato has invested some out-of-pocket money in equipment, accessories and other items students need in order to play.
"It's definitely taxing at times," he said. "But what am I going to do? I do what I can to help them."
And students have benefited.
"Being in the program has given me more self-esteem, and I've been able to concentrate on just being more creative," student Nick Cunha said.
Students won't have to worry about trying to top this year's experience. The band has been invited to perform in Beijing for the 2008 Winter Olympics.
Cato is proud of his students' accomplishments. He reminds them that their achievements in music are transferable to other aspects of their lives.
"I want them to understand that the hard work and dedication they put into music can go into so many other things," he said. "Students can use that drive to be productive citizens and leaders of the world."
Kristofer Noceda can be reached at (510) 293-2479 or knoceda@dailyreviewonline.com.
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Article From the Daily Review...
BAND DIRECTOR Kevin Cato leads musicians
from Mt. Eden High during a competition in Honolulu. (4/2006)
"Surprise victory for Mt. Eden musicians"
» High school band comes of age with strong performances at Hawaii event
By Katy Murthy
STAFF WRITER
HAYWARD --- It was the first major trip that the Mt. Eden High School band had taken in at least 10 years, so no on knew quite what to expect last week when the group boarded an airplane for Honolulu.
In fact, second-year music director Kevin Cato had put together a percussion ensemble only three weeks before the Hawaii Music Heritage Festival. The group met six times for about 10 minutes, he said, and some of its musicians had never played percussion.
"I knew they would do well, rating-wise, but I never expected them to win everything," Cato Said about the four ensembles that competed in Hawaii.
Cato and the 39 student-musicians returned to the mainland Tuesday after taking first place in the wind ensemble category --- and first place in the percussion ensemble.
The chamber ensemble netted the high score of the event. Cato said, and the combined scores of the Mt. Eden groups put the school in the top two of the competition, which about 30 schools from various states entered.
It has been a remarkable year for the music programs at Mt. Eden High. Some of the band members recently appeared in a Coca-Cola commercial that aired during the NCAA basketball Final Four after being spotted by advertising executives at the Oakland Tribune Holiday Parade.
As recently as two years ago, the band rarely competed, if at all, and enthusiasm was lacking, said Melanie Work, a senior and the president of the Band Council. When Cato became director in the fall of 2004. She said, the students were skeptical that things would be any different.
"He proved us wrong," Work said. "He really turned our music program around."
Work noted that the band has added new ensembles and has begun to team up with other performing arts programs, such as the dance team, which has made for more powerful performances and a tighter-knit "community of artists" at the high school.
Cato said he was proud to see musicians from the diverse, predominantly working-class School hold their own --- and even outshine --- those from more affluent schools with established music programs.
"Just to see them come in and play the music we did as well as we did, I think it shocked a lot of people," Cato said. "The whole trip was just surreal to me."
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Coca-Cola Commercial, 12/2005
 | Apologies! We no longer have access to the online version of the Coke commercial we were featured in... However, it is available on our Band end-of-year DVD from 2006. The commercial was taped in late December 2005, and was aired in April 2006. It has been shown on American Idol and local movie theaters. Watch out ;D ! |