The typical fundraiser put on by many school clubs and organizations consists of restaurant nights at a variety of local and chain stores. Each year, however, the Westlake High School [WHS] Instrumental Music Program organizes an annual Food Truck Festival, bringing together community members from around the Conejo Valley to raise funds for the school year. This years’ event was held on Oct. 12 at the Conejo Creek North Park, with multiple WHS jazz groups performing, as well as Colina and Los Cerritos Middle Schools performances.
While this is the first of many Food Truck Festival performances for the middle school band members, this event also culminates the beginning of the end for the senior members in high school, as it is the first main band event of the year. William Robinson, senior at WHS, has been part of the music program for all four years of high school, but has been surrounded by music since before he can remember. As the Food Truck Festival also brought local middle school bands to perform as well, many seniors were able to reminisce on their growth since their time in middle school. “My favorite memory from the Food Truck Festival [was] playing with the Colina jazz band because one of their drummers couldn’t make it. It was nice to look back on a time which I lived through and gave me an insightful perspective as to how I’ve grown since middle school,” Robinson said.
The Food Truck Festival not only brings together the jazz bands that perform, but it also connects the entire music department, each group within the department dedicating time and effort into the event. From parents on the booster team setting up the event, to students practicing their music, to others working at the kids’ zone, everyone plays an important role to ensure that the festival runs smoothly. “Over the years, since my time at [WHS] began, I’ve only seen this volunteer community grow, with sign-ups for volunteer time slots filling up almost instantaneously. I find joy in the fact that this community wants to work,” Robinson said.
Brian Peter, the WHS Studio Jazz Band Director, not only teaches the students their music during instructional class time, but also worked during the event. Peter took care of performances from all different types of groups, as well as guiding questions from parents as they plan throughout the year. As the 15th year of the Food Truck Festival concluded, Peter hoped that students and families were able to see the relationships built within the instrumental music groups. “I think everybody knows their one little part [within the festival], but it’s not until you show up and you see all the parts together and you see the community really just enjoying it,” Peter said.
Along with the multitude of performances throughout the afternoon, the students within the music programs also organize activities for children to partake in. Ayushi Khattar, senior at WHS, has recently taken on the role of Orchestra Student Council [OSC] President, and has found this years’ event to be even more rewarding since taking on this role. “[Helping run the kids zone activities] has always been a favorite of mine because I’m surrounded by friends, the kids are very enthusiastic and I get to do the crafts or play the games myself when there’s downtime,” Khattar said.
As a way for the music department to raise money to fund various necessities throughout the year, the Food Truck Festival also allows students to meet new people, of all ages, and share their love for music, specifically jazz music. “Jazz is a language, and it requires the tools of introspection and honesty to communicate effectively and fluently,” Robinson said. “Music has been, is and always will be my life. The role of the artist is to take our senses and give them meaning and value.”