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.