More than 25 community performances, a standing residency and a rehearsal schedule about to expand to five days a week. The TLC Jazz Band did not get here by accident, and its roster, ranging in age from 25 to 71, is proof of what TLC’s Creative Arts Program for adults with disabilities can build when talent, structure and discipline come together.
TLC’s Music Director Jorge Luis Uzcategui joined the program after a first visit to TLC’s Reseda campus that, in his words, left him “blown away” by what he saw. That visit is what eventually brought him on board to continue to build this incredible band into what it is today.
The Work Behind the Music
Behind every performance is a demanding and dedicated rehearsal schedule. Band members now practice three or four hours a day, up from just an hour and a half, time spent honing their own parts rather than splitting focus across a general elective. The jump raised real questions when it began: could students sustain that level of focus for so many hours? The band’s members have answered that question by thriving under this new schedule, showing up every day to hone their craft.
The Jazz Band helped spearhead TLC’s music program becoming its own fully independent program in 2026, and it has kept up the momentum since. The band performs biweekly at TLC’s Reseda campus and has delivered more than 25 community outreach performances, including regular concerts at senior living facilities where members are now considered resident performers. Recently, the band started rehearsing five days a week, a schedule shift designed to sharpen the group ahead of even more performances.
Jorge credits much of that growth to TLC’s flexibility. “The level of flexibility that we have here allows us to be so focused,” he said, “because students do not burn out. We are always figuring out ways for them to stay engaged.”
Why Performing Live Matters
The band used to perform twice a year. Now they take the stage every two weeks for a Cafe Concert, and that shift was intentional. “The moment you know you have to be in front of people and play what you are learning, it forces you to actually play it and practice it at a much deeper level,” Music Director Jorge Luis Uzcategui said of the change, a lesson from his years leading other ensembles that now shapes the TLC Jazz Band’s own rehearsal rhythm.
An Approach Built for Every Player
Behind that rehearsal schedule is an approach built around each individual player, adjusting rehearsal time and repertoire once a strength shows up rather than sticking to a fixed plan. That flexibility is part of what makes TLC’s creative arts program for adults with disabilities work: everyone playing to their own strengths, in service of the same performance.
Meet the TLC Jazz Band
- David Rusch, piano and composition: A pianist and composer originally from Pittsburgh, David has performed for more than 60 years and brings decades of stage experience to the group.
- Nick Pratt, flute: Nick’s musical skills go well beyond flute: he also plays piano, drums and harmonica.
- Matthew Wilson, drums: Matthew trained at the California School for the Blind under the late professor Wayne Siligo, carrying his legacy forward through his playing.
- Anthony González, vocals: A countertenor comfortable moving between classical and popular repertoire, Anthony adds a distinctive vocal color to the band’s sound.
- Circe Díaz Gamero, cello: A cellist from Venezuela, Circe has performed for heads of state, including the King and Queen of Spain, and has shared the stage with artists such as Andrea Bocelli and John Williams.
- Lauren Shafer, vocals and brass: An opera singer fluent in several brass instruments, Lauren is also a current member of the Grammy Award-winning ensembles Pacific Chorale and Tonality.
- Rafael Tapia, woodwinds: A woodwind doubler equally at home on saxophone, clarinet, oboe, English horn, flute and piccolo, Rafael brings versatility to every arrangement.
- John Della Franco, coach and bandleader: John has led and coached the Jazz Band since its inception, guiding its growth into what it is today.
TLC music instructors Christian Reichle and Marc Strommer also join the band on stage from time to time. Every member of the ensemble plays multiple instruments, a detail that captures just how versatile this group is.
What Is Next
The band is currently developing an original composition meant to showcase each player’s range as a multi-instrumentalist, along with the group’s vocalists, whose voices bring a modern edge to a classic jazz sound. Spanning cultures, religions, languages, abilities and generations, the TLC Jazz Band reflects the diversity of the community it comes from, all channeled through music.
The band’s mission goes beyond the music itself, something Music Director Jorge Luis Uzcategui often points to:
“I do believe that music is such a transformational tool, in every way, spiritually, emotionally and socially. Being able to learn to play music at a high level can transform anything about who you think you are as a person, and what you think you can contribute to the world.”
Come Hear Them Play
Want to hear the TLC Jazz Band for yourself? Join us for a Cafe Concert on the TLC courtyard or learn more about TLC’s Creative Arts Program for adults with disabilities to see how music, movement and art come together at TLC.
