Conductor, Christine Tavares – Mocha

Bio: Valencia Vikings 2n'4 Vocal Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Christine Tavares-Mocha is from Valencia High School in Valencia, CA. Our mission is to Inspire, Uplift, and Cultivate Community. Downbeat Magazine Award Winner multiple years for High School Vocal Jazz and featured performer at The Monterey Jazz Festival, JEN (Jazz Education Network), Western ACDA and Hollywood Bowl, Valencia has traveled the world touring and sharing their music with others. This will be their first National ACDA Performance.

Ensemble Statement: Valencia Vikings 2n'4 Vocal Jazz Ensemble focuses on our mission statement: Inspire, Uplift, Cultivate Community. Our goal is to work together to help each of us and all of us succeed. We accentuate our strengths and support each other in strengthening and growing from our weaknesses. We recognize each day as a day to create and work together towards mutually beneficial goals. We focus ourselves on serving the audience and community. We do outreach to senior centers in town, specifically memory care units, during holidays, funerals, and city celebrations we donate our time to perform. No student has been turned away from our programs based on finances, and we pride ourselves in finding a way for our students to participate in our ensembles. Our shared philosophy is everyone can sing and has something to offer. We are vessels of communicating the song and telling the story. By telling the story of each song, our hope is to heal, inspire, uplift, call to action those in attendance listening, as well as our selves. A call to action is; awakening in ourselves and our listeners what we can do to make the world better, in our power, in our gifts, and through our service.