Donate
Please consider partnering with us to strengthen the musical life and cultural vibrancy at Santa Monica College. Your support helps the SMC Vocal Jazz Ensembles provide inclusive, high-level opportunities for a diverse group of musicians committed to excellence in contemporary vocal performance.
Through your generosity, our students gain access to meaningful, real-world musical opportunities, including professional performance experiences, studio recordings, and travel that broadens their artistic and cultural horizons.
Your support allows the Vocal Jazz Ensembles to:
- Expand and update our vocal jazz repertoire and arrangements.
- Acquire essential equipment and materials for rehearsals, performances, and recording projects.
- Commission and premiere new works by today's leading composers and arrangers.
- Collaborate with professional musicians and industry artists.
- Participate in festivals, conferences, and touring opportunities.
- Host master clinicians and guest artists on campus to mentor and inspire our students.
Please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any size. Every contribution makes a difference and helps us continue creating high-level artistic experiences while preparing students for success as expressive, versatile musicians.
For donations by check, please make your check payable to:
Santa Monica College Foundation
1900 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
On the memo line, please write: Vocal Jazz
Who We Are
Seaside Swing
Seaside Swing is Santa Monica College’s large vocal jazz ensemble, dedicated to exploring the rich tradition of jazz ensemble singing in a collaborative setting. Modeled after collegiate and professional vocal jazz ensembles, the group performs a diverse repertoire including swing, Latin jazz, contemporary vocal arrangements, and jazz-influenced popular music. The ensemble provides singers with a comprehensive experience in vocal jazz performance, emphasizing stylistic awareness, rhythmic integrity, blend, and ensemble musicianship. Seaside Swing plays a vital role in the program by fostering artistic growth while supporting the development of musicianship and preparing students for continued study and expanded performance experiences.
Golden Hour
Golden Hour is an auditioned small ensemble at Santa Monica College designed for advanced vocal jazz students. The group studies and performs challenging repertoire drawn from a range of jazz styles, including traditional standards and contemporary compositions. Instruction focuses on ensemble leadership, independent part-singing, stylistic interpretation, and improvisation. Golden Hour provides an intensive performance experience for students preparing for transfer to four-year music programs or pursuing professional-level vocal jazz work.
Marisa Bradfield
Marisa Bradfield is a Los Angeles–based educator, conductor, and performer currently serving on the music faculty at Santa Monica College, where she leads both Golden Hour, the advanced vocal jazz ensemble, and Seaside Swing, the program’s large vocal jazz ensemble. A native of Los Angeles, Marisa Bradfield is an active figure in the Southern California choral community, with over twenty years of experience. She has served for seventeen years as Choral Music Director and Performing Arts Chair at Providence High School in Burbank and maintains a position on the voice faculty at Pierce College. Throughout her career, Marisa Bradfield has held several notable artistic leadership roles, including Artistic Director of the Los Angeles All-Diocese Queen of Angels Honor Choir, the Los Angeles Music and Arts School, the Hope Institute of Music, Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), and the San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus.
As a jazz vocalist, Marisa Bradfield has studied with renowned artists and educators including Katie Thiroux, Sara Gazarek, Pat Bass, Christine Helferich Guter, and Sheila Jordan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from California State University, Northridge, where she studied with Paul Smith, and pursued studies at Mount San Antonio College with Bruce Rogers. Marisa Bradfield earned a Master of Arts in Music Education and a California Teaching Credential from the University of Southern California and is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) student in Choral Music at USC. As part of her doctoral work, she serves as Associate Conductor of the USC Thornton School of Music Concert Choir in her role as a graduate teaching assistant.
Sang Hee Cho
Sang Hee Cho, a pianist from Seoul, has shared her artistry with audiences in Los
Angeles and New York. She holds a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from New York
University and Bachelor's degrees in Piano Performance from Sangmyung University in
Seoul.
Known for her versatility and musical sensitivity, Sang Hee is a sought-after collaborative pianist, bringing a distinctive and expressive instrumental and vocal repertoire from classical compositions to modern popular music and musical theatre. Now based in Los Angeles, she serves as a vocal coach/staff accompanist at Santa Monica College, a staff accompanist at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, a collaborative pianist at Vocal Affinity, and a musical director at Notre Dame Academy in West Los Angeles.
How We Grow Together
Our vocal jazz program is built on the belief that every student, regardless of prior experience, possesses a unique musical voice. We provide a supportive, student-centered environment that meets singers at their current skill level.
Our curriculum blends active classroom learning with interactive workshops, guest speakers, and regular performances to nurture the whole musician. From beginners with no prior jazz knowledge to advanced vocalists, our focus is on fostering a connected, collaborative community, cultivating continuous personal and artistic growth, and deepening each student’s lifelong appreciation for the art form.
