Cover Story - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

James Durbin Rocks Santa Cruz and Beyond

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:02:50 +0000

In mid-June, Santa Cruz-born musician, James Durbin, kicked off his “All Over the Place” summer tour. The tour takes place throughout Santa Cruz County, with shows in Santa Clara and Sacramento counties, as well. The title also sums up the 36-year-old musician’s life so far–as a singer and guitarist who has played in numerous bands–spanning multiple genres–and toured in many countries Durbin first garnered national attention in 2011 when he finished in fourth place on American Idol, performing classic rock staples from the likes of Queen and The Beatles. However, his love for onstage performance began years earlier, when he got involved with youth theater programs in Santa Cruz. During high school, Durbin joined the community theater groups Kids on Broadway and All About Theater. He also played in the White Album Ensemble, where he met his mentor and lifelong friend, Dale Ockerman. His American Idol success allowed Durbin to make a career out of his musical talents. “I didn’t know how to take the next step as a singer,” he said. He recalled that he hadn’t written much music yet, but sang a lot of covers, making American Idol an appealing next step. Right after American Idol, he formed the James Durbin Band with several other local musicians. In 2017, Durbin joined the heavy metal band Quiet Riot as their new lead singer. With Quiet Riot, he re-recorded their album Road Rage (2017) and made the album Hollywood Cowboys (2019). Durbin said that performing with them was fun at first, and cited playing for an audience of 30,000 at the music festival Heavy Montreal in Quebec as one of his favorite performances with the group. However, after a while, Durbin didn’t feel content with touring with Quiet Riot, recalling, “I realized you don’t have to do something you’re unhappy with.” “I took a chance on myself,” Durbin said. He decided to fly solo, signing a record deal and beginning a residency show at the Hard Rock Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Durbin now plays in six different bands. Several of them are accompanying him on his summer tour–the classic rock cover band The Lost Boys, Songs with Friends/The Coastal Highwaymen, yacht-rock group Mustache Harbor, and his 80s tribute band Tainted Love. His other bands are a country group called Jim Willy and Metal Mouse. He’s also helping his wife, Heidi, record an album. During the summer of 2024, Durbin joined forces with Dale Ockerman from the White Album Ensemble and the local musician Julian Colbeck to work with the legendary producer and musician Alan Parsons, who worked as a sound engineer on numerous iconic albums such as the Beatles’ Abbey Road and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Durbin had worked with both Parsons and Colbeck before, in 2008, on Parson’s educational video series “Art & Science of Sound Recording,” which Durbin described as a “master class that people could purchase and then see how Alan Parsons sets up a session.” He collaborated with them again in 2022 at Parson’s house, where they wrote and recorded an original song, “Give ‘Em My Love,” with Parson’s band. The track became a single on Parson’s 2022 album From The New World. The song was mastered by Colbeck’s son, who is a sound engineer at Abbey Road Studios. At 36, Durbin has already worn many different hats and found much success as a musician. Through it all, he still chooses to call Santa Cruz his home. This has been a recurring theme throughout his career, even providing the basis for his 2018 album Homeland, which he wrote when he left Santa Cruz for Nashville to work with Quiet Riot. The album also marked a departure from his usual style– “I’ve always been the rocker guy…and I challenged myself and made an Americana/country album,” Durbin said. He called the album a “stark contrast” from the 80s hair-metal music that he played with Quiet Riot. Durbin has fond memories of playing various shows around Santa Cruz county, including the Scotts Valley and Capitola Art and Wine Festivals and the Crow’s Nest Beach Party–where he performed last month. In 2016, the James Durbin Band played the 150th Anniversary Celebration of Santa Cruz near the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Durbin warmly recalled singing the chorus of his song “Santa Cruz” as fireworks lit up the night sky. Durbin has Tourette’s Syndrome but the condition in no way impedes his musical career. He said that the rush of joy and excitement he experiences while performing “overtakes whatever is going on with my nervous system,” and called playing music a “beautiful distraction.” Durbin and his daughter enjoy watching the performances of the contemporary musical artist Louis Capaldi, who also has Tourette’s. These days, Durbin lives in Watsonville with his wife and their three kids. He says he doesn’t find much trouble balancing his career and family life. “I basically work from home,” he said. He’s an active performer, but said for the most part, he returns home after every concert. “Even if we finish at midnight or 1 a.m., I do the two or three hour drive home because there’s no place I’d rather be than home.” Isabella Blevins

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Community College Can Be a Big-Brain Decision

growingupsc — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 05:24:50 +0000

A good friend of mine clapped me on the back, laughing, telling me there was no way I was going to Cabrillo, a community college. There were so many great universities out there that Icould go to! I was so smart, after all. A boy from one random Spanish class greeted me with a wide smile, gave me a handshake, telling me I was the smartest person he knew. He asked how come I wasn’t in Stanford already, being a professor or other, and then he was gone. My parents looked at me funny when I told them that I wasn’t really interested in any of the academics I was so good at, but would prefer something in the arts, drawing or writing, something creative and fun. Or that maybe I just wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to pursue. After some researching and consideration, Cabrillo it was. My dad told me that I should be excited when something fantastic happens, and to change out of my old, ripped shorts. I threw my hands up but complied, even though we were just having math class on Zoom that day. When the teachers came to my door with the medals and smiles on theirfaces, I was genuinely surprised. I’ve always been quite good at school, getting my straight A’s in every subject, every year, and taking all the hard classes. I still never expected to be valedictorian, always assuming there was someone in my grade doing better work than me. But that was how it went, and I could do nothing but be proud that I had accomplished such a feat. Such titles come with responsibilities, though, and the pressure of doing a speech at graduation was daunting. Thankfully, that went well and was actually quite fun. Then there was where to go to university. I had never put enough thought into what career I was hoping to pursue, or what university that might happen at. It always seemed so far away, and I had classes and good grades to achieve. Even when I started looking, there were so many options. How was I supposed to choose? They all seemed the same. It didn’t help that I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. Take STEM classes because I was good at them? Try to follow my heart with writing? Do somethingcompletely different, like coding? With these confusing ideas swimming in my head, making me dizzy, my dad came to the rescue by explaining that Cabrillo was a great option instead of a four-year university. It wasn’t like he was about to pay some big bucks for me to attend a high-end university without knowing what I was going there for. By going to Cabrillo, I would be able to simultaneously power through my general education and take a variety of classes to find out what direction I wanted to choose for my studies. It was also close by, letting me stay with my parents for a while longer and was much cheaper. I couldn’t help but light up when being presented such a promising offer, and accepted. Now, it seems like quite the easy way out for a good student to go to community college. But would I truly be losing anything? For a much lower price, I could enjoy a step up from the highschool experience without being thrown into the hustle and bustle of a large university. This also translated into classes; I was in class sizes very similar to high school, reaching 40 max, whichlet me get to know peers and teachers alike better. These colleges aren’t named “community” for anything; I was able to get to know so many people that turning a corner almost always landed me in front of a familiar face. I also wasn’t losing anything in respect to classes as I could fulfill my general education requirements, which I would have had to do anyway at a four-year, but now with the added above benefits. I ended up staying at Cabrillo for three years, and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. After taking a minimum of two years (less if one does dual-enrollment), a community college student can even transfer into one of those four-year universities, and has a higher chance of entry. I stayed an extra year at Cabrillo as it took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to pursue (English Major), but this did not affect me much due to the cost and that four-year universities don’t mind how long one takes, only the credits. I was even able to take a bunch more English classes than I would have otherwise, as well as other subjects like digital media, expanding my horizons before even going to university. I was able to learn a lot by going to community college, which prepped me for the experiences to come at university unlike any high school. I better understand the ways classes can be structured, the trials and tribulations of planning one’s schedule, and a variety of other micro and macro tips. Being an honors and IB student in high school, I was also able to pursue similar standards with the Honors Program at Cabrillo, which helped me step up my game and translated toward my university experience. With these under my belt, I was able to get two degrees (AAT in English and AA in Liberal Arts), be accepted into all the UCs I applied to, get almost guaranteed entry into UC Irvine with TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee), and go straight into their honors program with the Honors-to-Honors program.Cabrillo helped set me up for success in my future school endeavors regardless of my academic achievements during K-12. Choosing where to go for college after high school can seem to be a daunting task, and I won’t sit here and preach that it isn’t. But the choice should not feel like the world around you is pressuring you into a certain decision; know that for every person out there, there are a multitude of good options that can be considered and weighed based on financial, academic, and motivational capabilities. Sometimes the best choice is not the one that seems obvious, but the one that takes a bit of research and planning to make. In fact, my brother was salutatorian of his grade and made the same decision as myself, and I also ran into other valedictorians while at Cabrillo. I wish everyone luck that has yet to make this transition, and hope those who have already made it (recently or in the past) also learned a little something from a valedictorian turned community college attendee. By Logan Heine

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Festival Brings People Together for Fun and Worship

growingupsc — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 04:05:25 +0000

Simon Cassar was praying in the middle of the night four years ago when he had an inspiration.“What is true love?” he wondered. “Can we show that true love amongst ourselves? How do we show it?”The answer came as a joyful festival bringing together 16 churches in an Aptos park to spread love, culture, fun and caring. “The whole purpose is we see a world that’s kind of torn apart,” says Cassar, 66, a retired aviation engineer who has six kids. “We have different neighbors trying to destroy other people. We are just seeing a world that’s being torn apart because of Covid. Half the country is one way and half the other. “We thought, let’s bring these churches together and show what true love is.” His peers at Calvary Chapel in Aptos (the red building behind Aptos Barbeque) went for it in a big way. The small, 25-member church raised $30,000 to launch the celebration, which has grown by 75 percent year after year. The variety of churches even surprises Cassar. There is a cowboy church, biker churches, churches for people in recovery, suicide prevention churches, surfer churches, gospel churches. “We have all parts of the body of Christ,” says Cassar. “And we are going to bring them together and show the love of Christ and the creativity of Christ in a gentle and compassionate way.” The events include: Feed-Daddy in highchairs (Dads have to wear large bibs that say “I Love Mommy”), Stroller Slalom Race, Diaper Change Race, Diaper Toss and give away free baby clothes and toys for those who participate. Gunny Sack races (80 years & older) with prizes. A Mount Sinai climbing wall to touch the Ten Commandments. A Sling Fling to prepare us for the rapture. A mechanical bull – you just hang onto Jesus, so you do not fall. Bounce houses where kids can leap for joy. “Some of us won’t even step into a church,” says Simon. “How about stepping into a park and seeing all the different, unique churches? This isn’t about one person. It’s a multitude of individuals having the same calling called the Holy Spirit guiding us. It’s been on the hearts of many people for many years. God’s calling us to come together and celebrate the.body of Christ.”The bands performing include Kokua, Green Valley Worship, Rock by Faith Band, Crossroads Worship Team, Teen Challenge Choir, Unknown Survivors, Celebrate Recovery, Nazarene Spanish Worship, Boulder Creek Worship, Preparation Worship, Picking for Jesus and Dunamis Rhema. There will be two stages, one indoors and one outside. “I love secular music,” says Simon. “But if you notice, a lot is about broken hearts from someone you love. And there’s this beautiful music out there, like Taylor Swift’s latest. But it’s about looking for a soul mate. Here, we have a soul mate who will be with us for life.” Cassar says churches were torn apart by Covid and people not being able to attend in person. He hopes this kind of gathering will inspire a comeback. “What better way to serve the Lord than to serve ice cream?” he asks, noting that this gathering shares the spirit with neighbors unconditionally. “The first commandment is to love God with all our heart and soul and the second is to love your neighbor.” Join the free gathering July 20, 11am to 5pm at Aptos Village Park. By Brad Kava

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Joaquin Is a Warrior And So Are His Fans

growingupsc — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 19:02:38 +0000

Joaquin Aluffi was just shy of his fifth birthday when he had a major allergic reaction playing in the grass. His lungs shut down and his throat swelled and he was rushed to the emergency room. After doing tests and finding hugely high protein counts later at Stanford, doctors found he had Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, a terminal disease with a life expectancy of 16-24 years old. A happy, sports-minded, adventurous kid, Joaquin began to be robbed by the disease of his ability to walk and ride a bike. Over time for its victims, the disease strips their ability to smile or wave a hand. But it hasn’t robbed him of his spirit, said his mom, Sara, 44, who manages the Paradise Grill in Capitola and used to manage the Crow’s Nest. “He’s an optimistic, funny, 10-year-old now and he’s never lost his sense of humor,” she said. “He’s just a champ. He has to take a daily regimen of steroids and it changes your whole look. He doesn’t look like he does in the picture. It’s more tough for the parents than for him.” The community has been powerfully helpful, raising more than $250,000 for the family’s expenses, and enough so that she is helping other families buy ramps for wheelchairs in their homes and cars and other necessities. Their website is joaquinswarriors.com Sara and his father Chris are lifelong Santa Cruzans, as are their parents and grandparents, which has created a network of support for them that she’s so thankful for. “People are insanely generous in this community,” she said. “We’re trying to help with things for basic care as well as for a cure. It’s a labor of love to give back when our hands are tied. We are stuck in regards to our child, but we see what we can do for other children.” Joaquin, who is in a motorized wheelchair, plays at Leo’s Haven, the county’s first park for kids of all abilities. He plays in a baseball board game league with one of the kids and attends Westlake Elementary School. “He’s such a sports lover,” Sara said. “I wish he was a TV lover or a video game lover.” Despite his problems, Joaquin has something valuable to give to other kids, she said. “He has taught so many kids about appreciating the basic things they are given, like the ability to go to a bounce house or walk on the beach.” Please visit www.joaquinswarriors.com By Brad Kava

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Cabrillo Extension Youth Camps

growingupsc — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 17:55:33 +0000

Cabrillo Extension Youth Program Returns Popular Youth Summer Camps Will Open for Registration April 1st Resuming the Cabrillo Extension Summer Youth Program is another important part of the College’s commitment to help meet the community’s needs. This summer, Cabrillo Extension will again be offering its dynamic Summer Youth Camps program. They will continue with many successful virtual camps, and are working with instructors and local partner organizations to bring back the most popular camps for in-person on-campus learning. Current planning includes in-person camps including Cabrillo Athletics sports camps like basketball, baseball, soccer and volleyball. Kuumbwa Jazz, Seafloor Science ROV, and PlayWell TEKnologies’ LEGO Engineering are also being planned. In addition, there will be various new camps added to the lineup, including a much-requested Filmmaking camp for teens. Resuming the Cabrillo Extension Summer Youth Program is another important part of the College’s commitment to help meet the community’s needs. Over the past year, the College has been able to adapt, pivot, and respond to the pandemic on multiple fronts. Beginning with the original shelter in place order in March of 2020, Cabrillo responded within weeks by transitioning to virtual learning, and by fall of 2020, began offering safe instruction in a limited number of face-to-face courses. During the CZU Fire crisis, Cabrillo opened the campus to the Red Cross and fire evacuees. Most recently the College has collaborated with community partners to offer COVID-19 testing and, with the County Office of Education, organized vaccines for local educators, including Cabrillo’s faculty and staff. Cabrillo Extension staff is excited to add the Summer Youth Program to the resources that Cabrillo will make available to the community. As in past summers, camps will be hands-on, content rich, and will offer our community youth the chance to explore and grow. Summer camp operations will follow current public health guidelines and with American Camp Association (ACA) guidance. Community Education Coordinator Alicia Bierson says, “The ACA has been a lighthouse in an ocean of shifting national, state, and local public health guidelines. We rely on the ACA for best practices around safety and protocols for our camps. Now, more than ever, their guidance has allowed us to develop fun, engaging camps, while ensuring the health and safety of our campers.” Bierson says that their camp schedule will be regularly updated to reflect any changes in the public health guidelines that may allow them to offer more camps. She encouraged parents to keep an eye on the Extension website for updates, to review their health and safety protocols, and to get more information about the exciting summer camp options. Julia Clancy-Smith is eager to register her grandson this coming summer. “In 2019, our grandson, age 10, enrolled in a large number of the Cabrillo Extension camps. He played soccer and tried out for water polo for the first time. We let him choose whatever weekly activities he wanted. All of them were wonderful and engaging thanks to the marvelous staff and teachers. When in August came and it was time to return to the regular classroom, our grandson didn’t want camp to end! But he was very well prepared for fifth grade because of his Cabrillo experience.” Along with the planned in-person camps, Extension will also continue their successful virtual offerings for youth that were developed in 2019 and 2020. Expect to see camps in culinary, LEGO engineering, video game design, and much more brought straight to your home in summer 2021. “We’ve learned a lot since last summer,” says Bierson. “Virtual camps have safely connected kids to one another, and to the best possible instructors, without the constraints of a physical location. I’ve watched friendships form over the last year that would not have been possible without our virtual camps.” Talking about her experience in the virtual youth culinary classes Karolina, age 13, was enthusiastic. “The online classes have been different, but my instructors Melody and Stephany have made it really fun doing it through Zoom. I always look forward to seeing familiar faces and hope to keep taking these classes!” Registration for the Cabrillo Summer Youth Program virtual camps will open on April 1. Look for updated information about in-person camps on May 1st. For more information, and online registration, go to: cabrillo.edu/extension Read More Cover Stories

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Skate Star Marco Chavez

growingupsc — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 18:13:53 +0000

Some Words with Skate Star and GUISC Cover Shot Marco Chavez By Kevin Painchaud | PHOTOS BY KEVIN PAINCHAUD RETURN OF SKATEBOARDING | SKATE PARKS | SKATE SHOPS KP: Hey Marco, mind if I ask you some questions?MC: Sure, go aheadKP: What’s your name and age?MC: My name is Marco Chavez, I’m 16 years old and I go to Santa Cruz High.KP: When did you start skating?MC: I started skating when I was 9. I would skate at Scotts Valley Skate Park.KP: Are your parents supportive of you skating?MC: My parents are very supportive. Both my parents skate with me. My dad takes me skating every day after school and he keeps all my gear in top shape.KP: Why do you like skating so much?MC: Because it’s fun and I can do basically whatever I want. I can tweak an air how I please and there is an endless combination of lines you can create as well as it’s an art form and a way to express my selfKP: Do you ever compete?MC: Ya. I compete in a contest series called CASL and do pretty well. I won most of them except for one. I missed a couple of them because of school.KP: Who are you sponsored by?MC: I’m sponsored by Dogtown Skateboards, independent trucks, k9 wheels, Bills Wheels Skate Shop, Meekster Brau, Lakai shoes, Pardon Designs and of course my parentsKP: Think you’ll ever want to go pro?MC: I would like to, but my main goal is to go to college and get an education. I would like to be a mechanical engineer because I like to build and tinkerKP: What do you recommend to kids that are just getting started skating?MC: Just have fun. Don’t focus on trying to go pro or do big gnarly tricks. Start slow and make sure you’re always having fun.KP: Thanks so much Marco. Is there anything else that you want to add?MC: Skateboarding to me is another way to express my self, exercise and a sport. I push myself cause I want to do tricks a certain way and proper and also because my dad puts in so much work for me to keep me skating that I want to try and put as much effort as he puts in for me.

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