The Los Alamitos High School Marching Band, director Richie Sebastian Jazz Band 1, director John Rush and the Seal Beach Jazz Trio will perform from 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2, at the Seal Beach Pier.
The concert is part of Seal Beach’s 96th Founder’s Day Celebration.
Seal Beach was incorporated in 1915. In those days, the city had a Joy Zone that covered several blocks. The Joy Zone included a roller coaster named “The Derby” and the Jewel City Cafe.
The cafe dance floor was built with springs underneath so that dancers could sway.
Organizers of the Oct. 2 event hope to have a small celebration each October for the next four years until the city’s 100th anniversary in 2015.
Organizers are looking for volunteers to help plan the centennial, when the Joy Zone will return once again.
The concert is free. Bring your own chairs.
Wackerman to be honored
The event will also honor local instrumental music educator Chuck Wackerman, who for over five decades has enriched the lives of thousands of Seal Beach/Los Al students and music lovers. Wackerman is currently celebrating his 54th year of teaching instrumental music.
Wackerman received his bachelor’s degree in music and his master’s degree in music education from the University of Southern California. He taught elementary, junior high and high school band, orchestra and jazz bands in the Seal Beach and Los Alamitos school districts.
For nine years, Wackerman directed the jazz combos for the Orange County High School for the Arts.
At both the middle and high school levels he has developed award winning jazz ensembles.
This year our honoree was inducted into the California Jazz Alliance Hall of Fame and recognized by CSULB Jazz Orchestra for outstanding contributions to jazz education. He began with the Seal Beach Unified School District in 1956. When Seal Beach unified with Los Alamitos, more children had the opportunity to be under his tutelage.
Wackerman has served as an auditioner, band manager and a director for the California School Band Orchestra Association Junior High Jazz All Stars.
He received the Irene Schoepfle award for his contributions to music education in Orange County.
He also has been awarded the Jazz Educator of the Year from the Fullerton College Jazz Festival. Currently he is teaching jazz band at McAuliffe Middle School in Los Alamitos.
Wackerman’s jazz groups have participated in jazz festivals throughout California.
A musical family
Wackerman came from a musical family. He grew up in Alhambra where he found a small music store.
His mother was a pianist and his father was a jazz fan so he listened to a lot of jazz.
When he was 10 years old, Wackerman decided he wanted to play the trumpet. So he found a small music store where he bought a used trumpet for $20 and they gave him 10 free lessons.
Not surprisingly, his children continued the family tradition by also pursing careers in music.
For more information, visit www.sealbeachfoundersday.com; call the Seal Beach Community Services Department at (562) 431-2527, extension 1306, or e-mail Carla Watson at carlawatson@verizon.net.
