Joseph Ordaz has come a long way since his days as an 8-year-old
boy painfully plunking out scales on the ivory keys in Faith
Peterman’s music room on Carmel Street in Gilroy. This coming
Sunday, the 1984 Gilroy High School graduate will be the conductor
in charge of a world premiere when the Mission College Symphony
performs a new concertino by composer Matt Doran.
Joseph Ordaz has come a long way since his days as an 8-year-old boy painfully plunking out scales on the ivory keys in Faith Peterman’s music room on Carmel Street in Gilroy. This coming Sunday, the 1984 Gilroy High School graduate will be the conductor in charge of a world premiere when the Mission College Symphony performs a new concertino by composer Matt Doran.
“Our Symphony is still pretty new. We’re still building and growing,” Ordaz said. “It is unusually diverse in that it includes a combination of community members, students, music teachers and professional musicians.”
The concert will also include works by von Weber and Haydn, featuring the stirring Symphony No. 103: “Drumroll”.
A former instructor at Gavilan College in piano and music appreciation, Ordaz has been bringing out the talent of students for twelve years at Mission College in Santa Clara. He serves as chair of the music department and is a featured piano soloist with the symphony.
When asked who his most encouraging musical influence was, Ordaz immediately named Faith Peterman, who has been a music teacher in Gilroy for 47 years. She also has a credit on his Web site.
“There was a time when Joseph wanted to quit,” Peterman said. “I encouraged him not to, and ultimately he just fell in love with music. About the time he was a freshman or sophomore (in high school), you could see it was a driving force in his life.”
“Every musician has times where they question, ‘Is music the right thing for me?'” Ordaz said. “I went through that a couple of times, where I came to a certain crossroads.”
“He just kept right on going,” Peterman said, remembering her pupil with a smile of satisfaction. “He had the courage to stand on his own two feet and follow his dream.”
Ordaz went on to get his bachelor’s in music at San Jose State University and his master’s in music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has made a life for himself in music for 25 years – not an easy feat for anyone in the field these days.
When Ordaz comes across a student who is struggling, he shares his personal experiences.
“I tell them how to prepare step by step for each new level, how to get ready for a recital or an audition,” he said. “It helps if they know how to look for a good choice of music and what those in charge of the audition are going to be looking for. I can use my experience to be really encouraging and let the student know what to expect.”
On ratemyprofessors.com, a Web site which features over 1 million reviews of professors written by students, Ordaz consistently gets the highest quality rating.
“He keeps class interesting and fun,” one student remarked on the site. “He has a strong passion for music and I think that’s why he teaches the subject oh-so-well.”
Although busy performing throughout the Bay Area, Ordaz continues to pass along the passion for music locally by remaining plugged into the Gilroy music scene. He serves as judge at Gilroy’s annual Marian Filice Music Competition, which encourages students to strive for musical excellence and to create an opportunity for them to share their talents with the community.
He has arranged for a piece to be performed in Sunday’s concert with a part in it specifically composed for virtuoso Gilroy trombone player Russ Sanchez, whose talent he greatly admires.
“We’ve worked a lot together locally in the last 15 years or so,” Ordaz said. “It’s great to get to work with such an experienced musician doing stuff I love to do.”
“Music is a combination of art and science,” Peterman described. “But there’s an enchantment that sometimes happens – you just thrum with the magic of music from head to toe. It’s as if you’re not of this world anymore.
“If you have this even just once in your life, all the practice is worth it, all the effort is paid up,” she continued. “Joseph has that glow – you can see it in his face and feel it in his playing.”
Mission College Symphony Concert
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Mission College, 3000 Mission College Blvd., Main Building, Santa Clara
Details: www.missioncollegesymphony.org
How much: $10 general admission, $5 students and seniors
