Junior Dylan Rodriguez and the rest of the McCallum guitarists take a tour of the buildings and grounds at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. The students were introduced to the campus that they would spend 12 hours at the following day for the Vanguard University Guitar Festival. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Junior Brynach Hogan prepares to launch the volleyball over the net in a friendly game of newcomb on the beach. After their tour of Vanguard, the students spent the rest of Friday afternoon on and around the beach. Even though the water and weather outside was supposedly too cold and windy for swimming, that didn’t stop many students from making a splash before having fun shopping in California. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Senior and first chair in chamber guitar, Malcolm Jackson, practices his pieces in the waiting room before rehearsal Saturday morning. The guitar festival started at 10 a.m. with full ensemble practice with upwards of a hundred students from schools throughout California alongside McCallum. The day ended over 12 hours later with a performance from every school, including a separate varsity and non-varsity performance from McCallum. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Senior Atticus Tait listens to Trio Camino, a classical guitar trio of David Grimes, Michael Nigro, and Gregory Newton, perform three pieces for all of the schools participating in the Vanguard University Guitar Festival. Michael Nigro (center), the assistant professor of music at the university, hosted and coordinated the entire festival and was excited to share his love for guitar with the students. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Junior Marianna Vanden Bout plays her solo, Prelude 4 by Heitor Villa Lobos, in a masterclass taught by Jeremy Mayne. Students from McCallum and other schools who were participating in the festival were invited to listen to her piece and to the instruction that followed. “I’ve never done [a masterclass] before and I wanted to improve my ability to play in front of other people and get feedback from an expert [about] my playing.” Vanden Bout said. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Junior Brynach Hogan plays his solo for the class during free time to prepare for his mock audition. As part of the festival, students were able to sign up to play in practice auditions to gain experience performing for judges and to build confidence for future competitions. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Junior Jeremy Mock listens intently to compliments and instruction from Jeremy Mayne after playing Prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite 1 for a room full of student guitarists. Masterclasses are helpful for performers by giving them feedback and shaking off nervousness, but are also beneficial to observers because it allows them to reflect and take notes on what is said. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Sophomore Abby Green shows off her ears while waiting in line for rides at Disneyland. On Sunday, the final full day in California, students were given the choice to either go to the main Disneyland park or to California Adventure Park and enjoy food, music, and fun. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.

Sophomore Charlotte Steinhauer gets called onstage to star in a western-themed melodrama version of Cinderella. Steinhauer was asked to act and dance in front of the crowd while members of the McCallum guitar ensemble cheered loudly and videotaped the performance. Photo by Aaron Baldauf.

Even in the airport on the way back to Austin, sophomore Austin Rummel takes out his guitar to practice. The California guitar trip was a success, with students having the opportunity to not only have fun touring the city and learning about Vanguard University, but to participate in guitar lessons, classes, and workshops. Photo by Kristen Tibbetts.