As they race around campus with their unique instruments in hand, the new Viking Ensemble is bringing a fresh sound to the music program at Diablo Valley College this semester.

Taught by Kaitlin Bove, music professor and the Director of Bands at DVC, the Viking Ensemble seeks to help students and the campus rebound from the pandemic by playing live concerts that bring people together.

“Right now is a great opportunity for us to value live music” at the school, Bove said. “Being in a community college, we need to have an ensemble that’s going out in the community.” 

The ensemble class aims to put on short concerts around DVC, primarily playing in live informal settings such as events or parties. The goal, said Bove, is to “create concerts that are unique.”

At the same time, Bove is encouraging the athletic and other academic programs around campus to make use of the new ensemble.

“If a program is having a party or event that needs live music, we’re going to show up and play,” she said. 

Since the pandemic, the music program has seen an upward trend in students enrolling and gained more full-time and part-time faculty along the way.

“We are constantly evaluating what’s happening now and asking what changes we can make to help fit the needs of the students,” Bove added. 

By putting a new focus on live concerts, she said, the Viking Ensemble can create new opportunities for students to get experience playing before an audience, furthering their performance skills.

“For our students, a lot of them may have to go out and create careers for themselves,” Bove said.

“This is the first step in figuring out how to do that.”