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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2026

Contact:
Laura Mason
805-410-3497
laura@conejoschools.org

MEDIA ALERT: FOR COMMUNITY EDITORS AND CALENDAR LISTINGS

CONEJO SCHOOLS FOUNDATION’S ALL-DISTRICT MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR 42ND YEAR

Thousand Oaks, Calif. – The Conejo Schools Foundation’s All District Music Festival, a beloved community tradition, proudly returns to the Kavli Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center this spring.

Now in its 42nd year, the festival brings together more than 3,500 student musicians from across the Conejo Valley for ten nights of string, choir, and band performances where elementary, middle, and high school students take to the stage at one of the region’s premier performance venues.

The All District Music Festival offers students a rare opportunity to experience a truly world-class stage environment, taking them “behind the curtain” and onto a professional platform far beyond what many have previously experienced. For students accustomed to performing in multipurpose rooms, the festival offers a transformative opportunity to stand in the spotlight and showcase their talents on a grand scale.

Beyond performance, the festival plays a vital role in inspiring students to keep music central to their education. It encourages continued participation throughout their academic journeys while also fostering meaningful connections. Students are introduced to peers and instructors from their future middle and high schools, strengthening a sense of community and continuity across grade levels.

Produced by the Conejo Schools Foundation, the festival is truly a labor of love.

“Events like the All District Music Festival showcase the extraordinary talent, dedication, and collaboration happening across our schools,” said Lana Clark, Executive Director of the Conejo Schools Foundation. “It’s more than a performance—it’s a celebration of what students can achieve when they are supported, inspired, and given opportunities to grow through the arts. We are incredibly proud of the team that brings this event to life each year, creating a meaningful experience not only for our students, but for our entire community.”

The festival is made possible through the dedication of countless volunteers and the generous support of local sponsors who believe in and invest in Conejo Valley schools.

Tickets:

Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster at www.conejoschools.org or at the box office.

Dates and Performance Information:

Tuesday, April 14 – 7:00 pm

Strings- NPHS, Sequoia, Sycamore Canyon, Banyan, Cypress, EARThS, Walnut

Wednesday, April 15 – 7:00 pm

Strings- TOHS, Redwood, Glenwood, Madroña Academy, Wildwood

Thursday, April 16 – 7:00 pm

Strings-WHS, Colina, Los Cerritos, Conejo Academy, Lang Ranch, Westlake Hills

Tuesday, April 28 – 7:00 pm

Chorus- NPHS, Sequoia, Sycamore Canyon, Banyan, Cypress, EARThS, Maple, Walnut

Wednesday, April 29 – 7:00 pm

Chorus- WHS, Colina, Conejo Academy, MATES, Westlake Hills

Thursday, April 30 – 7:00 pm

Chorus- WHS, Los Cerritos, Ladera, Lang Ranch, Weathersfiled

Friday, May 1 – 7:00 pm

Chorus- TOHS, Redwood, Acacia, Aspen, Madroña Academy, WIldwood

Monday, May 18 – 7:00 pm

Band- NPHS, Sequoia, Sycamore Canyon, Banyan, Cypress, EARThS, Maple, MATES (beginning), Sycamore Canyon, Walnut

Tuesday, May 19 – 7:00 pm

Band- WHS, Colina, Los Cerritos, Conejo Academy, Lang Ranch, MATES (advanced), Westlake, Westlake Hills

Wednesday, May 20 – 7:00 pm

Band- TOHS, Acacia, Glenwood, Ladera, Madroña Academy, Weathersfield, Redwood Ensemble

MORE *** MORE *** MORE

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DETAILS FOR CALENDAR LISTINGS

ALL DISTRICT MUSIC FESTIVALS

WHAT: Conejo Schools Foundation presents a celebration of Conejo Valley Unified School District’s incredible youth music programs with ten nights of All-District Music Festivals in the Bank of America Performing Arts Center’s Kavli Theatre. Each night features strings, chorus, or band students from elementary, middle, and high schools performing together in concert to showcase the growth and achievements of our young musicians.

WHEN/WHERE:

7pm Tuesday, 4/14 – NPHS Strings Track

7pm Wednesday, 4/15 - TOHS Strings Track

7pm Thursday, 4/16 - WHS Strings Track

7pm Tuesday, 4/28 - NPHS Choral Track

7pm Wednesday, 4/29 - WHS Choral Track

7pm Thursday, 4/30 - WHS Choral Track

7pm Friday, 5/1- TOHS Choral Track

7pm Monday, 5/18 - NPHS Band Track

7pm Tuesday, 5/19 – WHS Band Track

7pm Wednesday, 5/20 – TOHS Band Track

TICKETS: Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster at www.conejoschools.org or at the box office.

Join us for Studio Channel Islands next Film in the Gallery!
Зеркало (Mirror) [1975, Soviet Union; dir. Andrei Tarkovsky]
From the mind of the visionary Tarkovsky, Mirror blends cinema with visual art and poetry.

Founded by high school students in 2020, Tomato Theatre Company is dedicated to providing affordable theatre education to youth in the Santa Barbara community. On Sunday, April 25th, the nonprofit will be holding a fundraiser at Trinity Episcopal Church (1500 State St.) to support their mission. The fundraiser is a free-admission event that will include performances from both the youth who participate in the program and the teens who run it. Attendees can also look forward to a silent auction, refreshments, games, and plenty of donation opportunities. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., with performances beginning at 5 p.m. All members of the community are invited and encouraged to attend, so come to support and join in the magic of theatre and community for all ages!

The Amanda Castro Band blends vintage jazz, swing, and timeless classics with style and sophistication. Amanda’s smooth vocals and the band’s polished musicianship evoke the glamour of classic jazz lounges while keeping the energy lively and fun. Their performances create the perfect atmosphere for a relaxed afternoon of great music.

Register Now
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) and UCSB Library invite you to join us for an exhilarating event celebrating knowledge, innovation, and the art of effective communication. Hear students from diverse disciplines condense their research, insights, and enthusiasm into a three-minute presentation that captivates, enlightens, and leaves a lasting impact.

Community members, students, faculty, and staff are not just spectators; they're essential participants in this event. Join us to cheer on the courageous contestants who have embraced the challenge to share their research stories with the world. Your support and engagement contribute to the vibrant atmosphere of the Slam and motivate these budding scholars to shine on stage.

As the finalists take the stage, they'll not only vie for the title of Slam Champion but also the chance to win cash prizes. A jury of esteemed community members will select the top three presentations.

Light refreshments will be served.

This event will be photographed or recorded.

Ladies and gentlemen, we invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair, as Ice in Paradise presents Be Our Guest On Ice! Jeanne and Jinelle Productions brings a reimagined spectacle inspired by the music of Beauty and the Beast to Ice in Paradise. One show only will be presented on Saturday, June 6, 2026 from 6:30-7:30pm. Tickets are available for Upstairs ($20) or On Ice ($30) Seating.

Register Now
Join us for the third event in UCSB Library’s new speaker series, AI in Action Conversations with UCSB Researchers. The event features short presentations by Simon Billinge (California NanoSystems Institute) and Nina Miolane (REAL AI for Science) on innovative applications of AI in their research, followed by a 30-minute moderated discussion on broader trends, challenges, and ethical considerations.

In his presentation titled “LLM Chatbots: Omniscient Super-Intelligence or Just BS?,” Billinge will discuss how AI powered virtual assistants have gone from being the butt of jokes due to their dysfunction, to engendering fear that they will achieve super-intelligence and take over and destroy the human race, in a remarkably short time. Billinge will also briefly describe some ways in which AI is being used in scientific research at the California NanoSystems Institute and in materials science in general.

In her presentation titled “AI-Powered Science and the Digital Twin Revolution,” Miolane will discuss how through REAL AI, she uses her model to develop brain digital twins to forecast brain health and personalize care, with a special focus on modeling changes in women’s brains across pregnancy, menopause, and aging.

This event may be photographed or recorded.

Advance registration is recommended as space is limited.

About the Speakers
Dr. Simon Billinge is Professor of Materials Science and Director of the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UC Santa Barbara. He has more than 25 years of experience developing and applying techniques to study local structure in materials using x-ray, neutron and electron diffraction including the development of novel data analysis methods including graph theoretic, artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches. Prior to joining UCSB in 2026, he was a faculty member at Michigan State University and Columbia University. He also held a joint position of Physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory between 2008 and 2022. Billinge has published more than 350 papers in scholarly journals. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the Neutron Scattering Society of America, a former Fulbright and Sloan fellow and has earned a number of awards including, in 2025, the Gregori Aminoff prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Innovation in Materials Characterization Award of the Materials Research Society.

Dr. Nina Miolane is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC Santa Barbara, where she co-directs REAL AI for Science and the AI Core of the Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative. She also leads the Geometric Intelligence Lab, where her team studies how brains and machines make sense of the world and make decisions.They use ideas from mathematics, neuroscience, and AI to understand patterns in neuronal activity across biological and artificial brains and build smarter, more efficient AI systems.

About AI in Action
AI in Action: Conversations with UCSB Researchers aims to foster an open, interdisciplinary community exploring how AI can deepen understanding, expand access to knowledge, and inspire new forms of scholarship. The speaker series showcases how UC Santa Barbara researchers are using innovative applications of AI, from accelerating materials science and environmental modeling to uncovering new insights in language, art, and history. Each session includes presentations by UCSB faculty and research teams on how AI tools and methods are shaping their work, followed by discussion on broader trends, challenges, and ethical considerations.

AI in Action is co-led by UCSB Library and the UCSB AI Community of Practice (CoP), AI for Research Special Interest Group, with support from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Office of Research, Office of Teaching and Learning, Marine Science Institute, and National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis.

Experience a unique opportunity to step into an authentic historic Mexican rancho where the history, myth, and romance of early California still linger. Your afternoon at the Rancho Camulos National Historic Landmark will feature a screening of the entertaining historical documentary Ghosts of California, Western music performances by the Placerita Canyon Singers and Kelly’s Lot, and an immersive museum Docent guided tour.
Ghosts of California, writer and director Katie Ryan’s newest documentary, relates the untold history of early California. Through powerful stories and expert voices, the film explores pivotal events as well as overlooked figures using original music and performances by contemporary Cowboy singers . After the concert and film , explore the Rancho Camulos Museum historic buildings and grounds on a Docent guided tour.

In this “speed-dating” style workshop, try out 4 printmaking methods: linocut, gel plate, etching, and monoprint. At the end of the session, participate in a print exchange with your classmates. All tools and materials provided.

Pricing: General $40 | Student/Educator $35
Ages: 13+

This Mother’s Day, May 10th, pet lovers and their four-legged family members are invited to celebrate the special bond between moms and their “furbabies” at this fun, family-friendly community event benefiting the Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation.

Join us in charming Old Town Orcutt at the Blast 825 Stockyard for a joyful afternoon filled with costumes, community, and compassion — all while helping raise critical funds for animals in need. Dress up with your dogs, cats, or other beloved companions and stroll through the historic district, visiting local merchants and collecting stamps on your event “paws-sport” passport. Completed pawssports will be entered into prize drawings featuring amazing donations from local businesses and sponsors.

Enjoy a lively costume contest with categories like Best Mom & Furbaby Duo, Funniest Costume, Most Creative, Best Rescue Story, and Crowd Favorite. Winners will be announced during the afternoon celebration, along with raffle drawings, sponsor recognition, and a special spotlight on adoptable shelter animals.

Event Schedule:
• 12:00–12:30 PM: Check-in & Costume Viewing at Blast 825 Stockyard
• 12:30–2:00 PM: Sidewalk Stroll of Old Town Orcutt
• 2:00–3:00 PM: Live Music, Awards, Vendors, Adoptions & Festivities at Blast 825 Stockyard

Proceeds support lifesaving programs including medical care, foster support, and adoption services for Santa Barbara County animals.

Registration is FREE! Sign up here: https://sbcanimalcare.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=2

Bring your family, invite your friends, and come celebrate the joy that animals bring to our lives — all while making a difference.

For more information about registration, sponsorship opportunities, or to support the event, please visit the Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation website. www.sbcanimalcare.org.