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WHY TEACH MUSIC ?
 Music
is a science. It is exact, specific, and it demands
precise acoustics. A conductor's full score is a chart, a
graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume
changes, melody, and harmony all at once and with most exact
control of time.
Music is mathematical. It is rhythmically
based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must
be done instantaneously, not worked out on
paper.
Music is a foreign language. Most of the terms
are Italian, German, or French, and the notation is
certainly not English &endash; but a highly developed kind
of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The
Semantics of music is the most complete and universal
language.
Music is history. Music usually reflects the
environment and times of its creation, often even the
country and/or racial feeling.
Music is physical education. It requires
coordination of fingers, hands, arms, legs, lip, cheek and
facial muscles, in addition to extraordinary control of the
diaphragmatic, back, stomach and chest muscles, which
respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind
interprets.
Music is all of these things, but most of all,
music is art. It allows a human being to take all these
dry, technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use
them to create an emotional response. That is one thing
science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling, emotion, call
it what you will.
That is why we teach music! --
Author Unknown
 The
Marching Band
The purpose of the James Logan Band & Color Guard
is to instruct students in the fine art of music
performance, precision marching technique, musicality and
team work.
The Logan Band & Color Guard is a member of the
WBA (Western Band Association) and is comprised of some 290
students, approximately 230 musicians and 60 color guard.
The Band and Guard compete as a marching unit during the
fall season, entering several field show competitions
throughout California. The marching season culminates with
the WBA Championships, usually held in late November. The
James Logan High School Band & Color Guard have been the
Western Band Association upper division Sweepstakes
Champions seven times since 1997 and are the current (2005)
Class 4A/5A WBA Champions. (WBA
web site)
Recent Honors/Awards
- WBA Class 4A/5A Marching Band Champions, 2005
- Performed at the Edinburgh Scotland Easter Festival,
2005
- WBA Championships Class 4A/5A Marching Band
Champions, 2004
- Golden State Tournament of Bands 3A/4A Sweepstakes
Champions, 2003
- WBA Class 3A/4A Marching Band Champions, 2002, 2001,
2000, 1999, 1997.
- Performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade,
2003
- Performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,
1999
At the conclusion of marching season, the focus shifts to
the numerous smaller ensembles within our band & color
guard organization.
 The
Band Program
Under the leadership of Director of Bands, Ramiro
Barrera, the Logan instrumental music program has developed
into one of the largest and finest in the state. We have
eight primary instrumental music ensembles; Concert Band B,
Concert Band A, an award winning Symphonic Band, a world
class Wind Symphony, an award winning Percussion Ensemble
and four Jazz Bands. All of these ensembles perform concerts
and/or participate in various band and ensemble festivals
throughout the state.
The jazz bands perform locally at school and
community events and out of town festivals. Typically, they
participate at the Reno Jazz Festival in the
springtime.
The percussion ensemble travels and competes at local
and regional circuits including the Winter Guard
International (WGI) West Regional hosted by the James Logan
Band and Color Guard Boosters. (WGI
web site)
The performing bands participate in various concerts
and festivals including the Western Band Association (WBA)
National Concert Band Festival in Long Beach, California. In
March of 2005, the Logan Band traveled to Edinburgh,
Scotland, to participate in the Edinburgh Easter Festival
Parade. This trip also featured performances of the Concert
Bands, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony and Percussion
Ensemble.
On December 18th, 2003, the Wind Symphony performed
at the Midwest Clinic, an international band and orchestra
conference held in Chicago annually. The Logan Wind Symphony
is one of only five high school ensembles in the entire
country invited to play at the Midwest Clinic, and the first
one from California since 1956. Only the very best ensembles
throughout the United States are invited to this prestigious
event. This is indeed a high honor for the Wind Symphony and
the entire Logan music program. (Wind
Symphony Midwest Clinic Page)
Recent Honors/Awards
- Wind Symphony - NYC Carnegie Hall performance,
2006
- Wind Symphony - featured band, Western States
Collegiate Wind Band Festival, 2006
- All bands performed at the Edinburgh Easter Festival,
Scotland 2005
- Wind Symphony - Invitation to perform in Chicago at
the Midwest Clinic International Band & Orchestra
Conference, December 2003. (Midwest
Clinic web site | Wind
Symphony Midwest Clinic Page)
- Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band and Concert Band A -
Top Honors WBA Concert Band Festival March 2003.
(WBA
web site)
- Wind Symphony & Symphonic Band - Top Honors WBA
Concert Band Festival Fresno 2002.
- Wind Symphony - Top Honors Bands of America National
Concert Band Festival, Indiana 2001.
- Percussion Ensemble has consistently placed in the
top three at California competitions for the past 6
years.
- 2 of the 4 Jazz Bands performed at the Reno Jazz
Festival and were in the top 5 for their level. Also,
performed at the Santa Rosa Jazz Festival.
 The
Color Guard
Simply put, the Logan Color Guard program is the
dominating force in color guard competition in the United
States. Our Open Guard performers are the current
2006 California Color Guard Circuit (CCGC) Bronze
Medalists, and gold medalists in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Our World Guard performers are the current 2006
WGI World Champions (Winter Guard International) and
have been for an incredible nine years in a
row!
Open Guard and World Guard auditions are held during
the field show season and students are placed into one of
the two color guard units during November. Rehearsals begin
during the Thanksgiving holiday week and winter
vacations.
The Open Guard and World Guard travel and compete in
local, regional and national events including the Winter
Guard International (WGI) West Regional, hosted by the James
Logan Band and Color Guard Boosters.
In April 2006, the Logan World Guard attended the WGI
World Championships in Dayton, OH and successfully defended
their title of Scholastic World Champions! (WGI
web site)
Recent Honors/Awards
- Open Guard: 2006
California Color Guard Circuit (CCGC) Bronze Medalists
• 2005 CCGC Silver Medalists • CCGC Champions -
2002, 2003, 2004.
- World Guard: 2006 WGI World
Champions - also Champions 1998, 1999, 2000,
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005.
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 Ramiro
Barrera
James Logan High School Director of
Bands
Ramiro Barrera is a graduate of San Jose
State University where he received his BA in Music
and his Teaching Credential. Mr. Barrera currently
is celebrating his 29th year of teaching. This is
his 8th year as Director of Bands at James Logan
High School where he conducts the Wind Symphony.
Prior to Logan High School Mr. Barrera taught for
the San Jose Unified School District & the
Clovis Unified School District where his bands
gained national recognition as outstanding
Marching, Concert & Jazz
programs.
Throughout his teaching career he has had
much success with his Marching, Concert & Jazz
Programs. The James Logan Marching Band is a West
Coast. leader in the marching band activity. The
group has performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Parade, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade
& has won 7 Western Band Association Marching
Band Championships.
The Logan Wind Symphony has performed at the
prestigious Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic
held in Chicago December 2003 and at The Bands Of
America National Concert Band Festival April 2001
in Indianapolis. March 2005 the Concert Bands
traveled to Scotland to perform at the Edinburgh
Easter International Music Festival.
His professional affiliations include
California Band Directors Association, California
Music Educators Association, American String
Teachers Association, California Orchestra
Directors Association & The International
Association of Jazz Educators. Mr. Barrera is past
President of The Western Band
Association.
Mr. Barrera was recognized by School Band
and Orchestra Magazine in 2003, being chosen the
director from California as one of the "50
Directors Who Make a Difference" in the United
States. (Read
more about this high honor.)
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 Kenneth
Karlin
Associate Director
Ken Karlin holds a degree in music from Ball
State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he
studied saxophone with George Wolfe, jazz with
Larry McWilliams, and played under the baton of Dr.
Joe Scagnoli. He also attended the Indiana
University School of Music in 1985-86, studying
saxophone with Frank Bongiorno, jazz with David
Baker, and playing under the baton of Dr. Steven
Pratt. In the summer of 1986 he performed with Dave
Barduhn's Jazz Abroad Big Band during a European
tour.
Mr. Karlin has been associate director of
bands at James Logan High School since 1999. His
responsibilities include conducting the symphonic
band, jazz ensemble "A" as well as coordinating the
jazz program and marching band.
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 Anthony
Lanzino
Associate Director
Anthony Lanzino is a 1997 graduate of San
Jose State University School of Music and is
currently in his 5th year of teaching at James
Logan High School. His responsibilities include the
Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble "B" and the String
Orchestra.
Mr. Lanzino is also a freelance musician
playing the trombone and bass guitar. He performs
and records regularly throughout the San Francisco
Bay Area.
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Brian
Sears
Associate Director
Bio coming ...
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Patricia
Hurtado
Associate Director
Bio coming ...
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Mark
Metzger
Guard Director
Bio coming ...
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