Music instructor sticks to the sheet

James Bergman continues to bring knowledge to the campus

KATERINA CHRYSSAFIS Reporter @katchryssafis

In the classroom, he teaches his students to properly appreciate music. Onstage, he manifests his own lifelong appreciation for music through the strokes of his bow against the strings of his bass.

As both a teacher and performer, music has always been a constant variable in the life of Pierce music appreciation Adjunct Music instructor James Bergman.

Bergman, who started at Pierce a little over two years ago, began his journey with music at the age of five and has played ever since.

Before the Thursday Concert series was put on hiatus due to funding, Bergman was responsible for orchestrating and finding participants.

Bergman inherited the role of coordinator for the various concerts at Pierce throughout the semester.

“I basically grew up with music. My mother was a piano teacher and a church organist,” Bergman said.

Outside of Pierce, Bergman plays the bass for various musical organizations, such as the Los Angeles Opera, the Santa Barbara Symphony, and the Riverside Philharmonic.

“I teach usually morning classes and I play gigs all the other times. Days, mornings, afternoons - you name it,” Bergman said. With such a busy schedule, Bergman is always on the go. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s sort of a lifestyle for musicians to do everything. The phone rings and you say yes. It’s just how it goes. But it’s great,” Bergman said.

“I get colleagues and professionals in Los Angeles to play at our concerts. The department doesn’t have a lot of money, so it’s really a labor of love,” Bergman said.

David Durrani, a music major at Pierce, has auditioned for Bergman several times and participates in many of the concerts held on campus.

“He’s a great guy. At first glance you would think he’s really serious, but he’s a very funny guy. He’s also an amazing musician,” said Durrani.

Durrani said he believes auditions can intimidate many students, but he still encourages them to participate.

“Although it can be scary at first, most of the professors I know are very understanding. Many of them have been through the audition process themselves,” Durrani said.

Pierce music major Jacob Billings has been involved in Bergman’s concert series and hopes to take one of his classes in the future.

“I really think he would be a great professor. Not only is he fun to be around, but he is also very

Food Review: Absolutely Phobulous

Local Vietnamese restaurant offers noodles for pennies on the dollar

BRITTANY

Absolutely Phobulous is a family-owned Vietnamese restaurant located in Tarzana, California. The restaurant is nestled between other businesses along Ventura Boulevard.

Known for the traditional Vietnamese soup, Pho, it is not difficult to notice the play on words in the restaurant’s name.

The inside of the restaurant gave an intimate feeling, as there were about 10 tables for customers to sit. The deep green colors of the walls were decorated with pictures of Vietnamese women in their traditional clothing.

Upon entrance, the greeting was warm and service was immediate.

The menu complimented the color for the restaurant with a green and red color scheme and listed a variety of options to choose from.

Whether someone has a vegetarian diet or they eat meat, the menu offered something for everybody.

Menu items included appetizers such as sesame chicken wings and chicken sticks. The assorted rolls offered on the menu were spring rolls, imperial egg rolls, and summer rolls.

Additionally, there were salad options like green papaya, Buddha’s chicken, and firecracker beef, along with rice dishes. House specials on the menu were chicken curry, Vietnamese crepe, and a baguette sandwich. Dry noodle dishes were listed on the menu, and different types of Pho such as beef, chicken, seafood, and vegetarian were available.

The best part about the menu was the prices. Everything on the menu was under $10. Plus, the portions were generous. The ability to dine in a restaurant and not have to worry about a budget can be a big relief to customers.

I ordered the Seafood Pho, sesame chicken wings, and a chai iced tea. I spent a little over $15 for a complete meal that left me full and I couldn’t finish my food.

The first thing I ordered was the chai iced tea. It was served in a tall glass and had an orange color to the drink since it was a mixture of milk with chai tea. It had a sweet taste that The appetizer, sesame chicken wings, gave a different taste and presentation as most customers would consider for classic chicken wings. The wings were garnished with sesame seeds and had a tangy taste. knowledgeable and professional,” Billings said.

The seafood Pho was a soup filled with crab, scallops, and shrimp. The vegetables in the soup gave it a delicious and distinct flavor. The soup was in a bowl big enough for two people to share.

Mai Kohout, owner of the restaurant, said her family owns three restaurants named Absolutely Phobulous in Tarzana, Encino and West Hollywood.

Kohout also said how Pho has gained popularity throughout years since the very first Vietnamese restaurant opened up in the Reseda area approximately 30 years ago. Now Pho is familiar to people in the area and it is healthy to eat.

The address of Absolutely Phobulous is 18612 Ventura Blvd, Tarzana, California and they are open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Billings described his concert experience and how Bergman supports students when they try to create their own voice.

“When I auditioned for the student concert around a year ago, I immediately asked for feedback on my song. He wouldn’t give me any right away though. He wanted me to perform my song the way I thought it should be,” said Billings

Adjunct music instructor James Domine has worked with Bergman for several years, and would highly recommend him as an instructor.

“He is very well-liked by the students. He is professional, knowledgeable, and efficient. Everything that he has ever done he’s done with authority and effectiveness,” Domine said.

Bergman shared his excitement over the creative arts and how his passion for music drives him to teach others.

“I wouldn’t teach music if I didn’t play. I think to teach any subject, you need to be really excited by it. I feel like I can walk into a classroom and talk about it with passion,” Bergman said.

The ASO clerk, Jonathan Vazquez, noted that the financial meetings are open to everyone, but no non-ASO members showed up.

“People assume that everything sent in will be approved,” Vazquez said.

McGee said he would like for people to show up at the meetings if they had any questions and that they have not made any decisions yet.

“We feel alone when no one comes and tell us why they need it [the money] or just spend enough time with their finance request,” McGee said.

“To solve this problem, we are going to talk about it in our next meeting,” McGee said.

The concerts have been going on for at least 35 years according to Bergman. Every semester he takes time out of his teaching to make sure they are planned before classes begin.

He gathers information about the musicians and finds time to discuss scheduling and preparation prior to their performances. He wants to ensure the best possible experience, not only for the musicians but also for the students.

Bergman said he disperses the money given to him evenly amongst the performers.

“I would have to write a proposal to the ASO for spring and fall semester. I created a whole packet, to really sell it. I had the musicians listed to play and the blurbs of what the students said about it,” Bergman said.

This semester, the plan to set up the concerts again has gotten off to a slower start than usual, and the process is unfamiliar to the new ASO members.

“I didn’t get any e-mail from ASO saying when I was supposed to give my request. But I sent in another packet anyway and I walked it in myself two weeks ago to the ASO office,” Bergman said.

Bergman expressed that the musicians he wants to call and schedule are busy. Setting up the stage with chairs, stands, cords and microphones also takes time.

“That is a lot of stuff and I can’t do it at the last second. Usually by now I would have done all that,” Bergman said.

After Bergman filled out the necessary paperwork, the Business Office told him that he had to complete more paperwork to get his request approved.

“Supposedly, the financial request has to go through the Academic Senate, the vice president, and the president and so on,” Bergman said.

The plans and preparations for the concerts take time. Bergman expressed his desire to see them succeed and go through whatever process is necessary in order to get the concerts up and going.

“I am so grateful that there is this. But it is getting a little more tricky. If someone can tell me what I should do and how I should do it, please do,” Bergman said.