PACIFIC CREST YOUTH ARTS ORGANIZATION

We began in 1993 with 33 students. Today Pacific Crest is one of North America’s most respected performing arts programs, and touches the lives of 5,000 students each year. At the heart of our program is our Drum and Bugle Corps, one of the nation’s foremost ensembles of its kind. For those unfamiliar with the activity, drum and bugle corps (often simply referred to as “drum corps”), are specialized marching bands. They operate as independent nonprofits (no school affiliation), and perform on-field competitions, parades, and other civic functions.

Pacific Crest is made up of 155 performers (selected by audition), and our summer season includes a two-month tour of 25 performances throughout the United States. Our program attracts students who want to perform at the highest levels of the marching arts. Pacific Crest has also appeared in cinema broadcasts, on television shows and commercials, and in world-class venues, including the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Rose Bowl, and Hollywood Bowl.

Pacific Crest’s highly skilled faculty, arrangers, and choreographers — many are credentialed music teachers or professional performers — share the desire to help talented and motivated students strive for personal excellence. They were once student performers themselves, and are now giving back to the community that gave so much to them.

Goals
1. Challenge committed young performers in a superior quality performance ensemble with similarly motivated peers.

2. Develop the technical and artistic performance skills of our students though a highly intricate blend of music and movement that’s performed for live audiences around the country.

3. Change students’ lives through a rigorous rehearsal schedule, mentoring, and a summer performance tour that builds character and develops maturity and leadership.