Get Involved

Not a student but still want to be involved?

Just because your school days are over doesn't mean the fun has to stop. There are plenty of ways you can be a part of the Performing Arts at Bakersfield College without having to pursue a degree!*

Take a Class!

We offer more than just the courses our students need in order to graduate and achieve their career goals. We also have plenty of 1-unit skills courses that are designed for those who have little to no previous experience. Here are some of the ways you can enrich your life in a Performing Arts class at BC:

• Move your body in fun, new ways with DANC B6JD - Jazz Dance
• Learn to play piano in MUSC B5A - Class Piano
• Develop your singing voice with MUSC B6A - Class Voice
• Pick up the guitar in MUSC B9A - Class Guitar

Kern Shakespeare Festival

The Bakersfield College Theatre Program produces the Kern Shakespeare Festival every October, usually comprised of two plays by William Shakespeare. The plays are performed in repertory, with many actors appearing in both plays. Recent productions include Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure, Hamlet, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. In Kern Shakespeare Festival productions, students are given the opportunity to work side-by-side with actors who have graduate-level training and local community actors with established resumes. Auditions typically take place in June. Be sure to follow the Kern Shakespeare Festival Facebook page and the Kern Shakespeare Festival Instagram page to stay up to date.

For more information on participating in the Kern Shakespeare Festival, please contact Brian Sivesind, Theatre Professor and Artistic Director of the Kern Shakespeare Festival, at brian.sivesind@bakersfieldcollege.edu or (661) 395-4644.

Music Ensembles

Our performing ensembles at BC have non-student community members participating every semester. In fact, the opportunity to perform with and learn from a wide variety of people is a crucial aspect of our students' education! These ensembles are open to community members of any age:

Singers

• MUSC B14A College Choir: Our largest choral ensemble is composed of students and community members of all skill levels.
• MUSC B41A Renegade Chorus: A choir for people from all backgrounds with tenor and bass ranges.
• MUSC B45A Bella Lux Treble Choir: Our newest choir, for singers with alto and soprano ranges.

For more information on joining one of our vocal ensembles as a community member, feel free to contact Dr. Jennifer Garrett, Director of Choral and Vocal Studies, at jennifer.garrett@bakersfieldcollege.edu or (661) 395-4547.

Singers

• MUSC B10A Concert Band: Open to all students, community members, and advanced high school musicians who play a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument.
• MUSC B12A Joint BC/CSUB Orchestra: An exciting collaboration between our department and the Music & Theatre department at CSUB, for anyone who plays a string instrument.
• MUSC B11 Jazz Combos: A new course that focuses on small group arrangements, improvisation, and original student compositions. Open to all instrumentalists.
• MUSC B13A Jazz Ensemble: One of the longest-running music ensembles in Bakersfield, with a concert repertoire spanning the history of big band jazz.
• MUSC B18A Drum Line: An entertainment-focused drum line open to any percussionists in the fall. Auditions for the competitive spring semester WGI line are open to students under 23 years old.
• MUSC B28 Drum & Bugle Corps: The premiere DCI corps in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Auditions are open to students ranging from high school through 21 years old.
• MUSC B40 Renegade Marching Band: Open to any band and guard members, the marching band performs at BC Football games and other events.
• MUSC B42 Renegade Pep Band: Open to any band members, the pep band provides entertainment at athletic and other events.

For more information on joining one of our instrumental ensembles as a community member, feel free to contact Kris Tiner, Performing Arts Department Chair and Director of Jazz Studies at kris.tiner@bakersfieldcollege.edu or (661) 395-4313.

*Please note that community members participating in Performing Arts ensembles or productions must enroll as a BC student and register for the appropriate course. Most Performing Arts ensemble or production courses are only 1 unit. Cost to register will be the current California Community Colleges tuition cost.