ABOUT | RHSA Vocal Music

Click here to view the RHSA Vocal Music Handbook.

ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

Renaissance High School for the Arts is located in the heart of the arts district in Downtown Long Beach, California. The Music Department offers performance courses in piano, guitar, jazz band, orchestra, steel drums, choir, and vocal jazz. Each course features opportunities for ensemble and solo performance. At the advanced level, music students are provided with opportunities for off-campus gigs. The vocal music department features five ensembles (more info here) and students from these ensembles have performed both locally and internationally:

St. Peter's Basilica - Vatican City, Italy
St. Dionysus Catholic Cathedral - Athens, Greece
Long Beach Symphony Toyota Youth Concert Series
Long Beach Airport
CCEJ Interfaith Intercultural Breakfast
"For the Child" Fundraiser Breakfast
Oceanside Jazz Festival, MiraCosta College

Students from the Renaissance Music Program gain life skills including leadership, teamwork, ensemble ethic, and responsibility. Our students have gone on to study at a variety of colleges and universities, including the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB, UCLA, Berklee School of Music, Musicians Institute: College of Contemporary Music, and more.

In front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy

After receiving a "Superior" rating at the SCVA Festival.

Oceanside Jazz Festival - out to dinner

EDUCATORS

Maria Dowell
DIRECTOR OF VOCAL MUSIC

Ms. Dowell began working at Renaissance in 2007 as a recreation leader for the WRAP program. She received her Bachelor of Music Degree as a double major in Choral-Vocal Education and Jazz Studies from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB in 2010. In 2011, while she pursued her teaching credential, she became a theatre/vocal coach and the Arts Coordinator at Renaissance. She received her Multiple and Single Subject Credentials in 2014 from CSULB and was then offered her current position as the Director of Choral Activities in 2015. She completed her Masters Degree in Choral Conducting in Spring 2020.

I consider Renaissance my home. The community here is so special and unlike any other high school I have experienced. Music is my absolute passion and I love being able to work with students with such energy, drive, talent, and who share that passion with me. I believe that music makes our world a better place, and my goal as a teacher is for my students to leave my classroom having grown not only as excellent musicians, but as unique, creative, risk-taking artists and as kind and contributing humans, too.

Ronin del Castillo
PIANO ACCOMPANIST & COLLABORATIVE ARTIST

Ronin del Castillo is an experienced collaborative pianist based in Long Beach, where he was born and raised. He received his Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance at California State University of Long Beach. Recently, he graduated with his Masters of Music in Keyboard Collaborative Arts at Chapman University. Ronin currently serves as the accompanist for San Dimas High School, Garden Grove High School, and Renaissance High School for the Arts. Outside of work, Ronin enjoys watching cat videos.