Garfield is famous for having outstanding music programs. From musical theater to choral to the nationally renowned jazz program, the school excels across the board. Musical legends such as Quincy Jones and Jimmy Hendrix have walked through the halls and their impact has inspired hundreds of students since. Given this impressive reputation it comes as no surprise that many of Garfield’s current seniors are planning to pursue careers in music after graduation.

Timothy Park, a member of  the Garfield Jazz Program and the Symphonic Band, is planning to attend Oberlin College in the fall for Jazz performance and composition. “I really want to be a professional musician, but most importantly, I want to be a community contributor,” Park said. “My takeaway from Garfield [is] the amount of legacy and history in this school and that I am contributing to it”.

Nyshae Griffin who plays Rusty in Garfield’s upcoming musical Footloose is planning to study vocal performance at Berkeley College of Music this coming fall. At Garfield, Griffin said that she has “learned to work with ensembles and that strengthened me as a vocalist because I’ve had to sing with a lot of different vocal parts and blend dynamics”. Griffin’s specialty is in performing and storytelling. “When you perform you really just put it out on the earth and you say this is what that song means or this is how it makes me feel,” Griffin said. 

Park and Griffin are two of many students who plan to study music after graduation. With Garfield’s reputation and the amount of talent within the school, the future is sure to be filled with many more big names rising from this community.