SANTA BARBARA — As a child, Stephen Hughes took an Orff class at a local music school, where he fell in love with music. This inspired him to take piano lessons and later join the band and choir throughout his school years.
“In school or out, I’ve been involved in music ever since,” Hughes said.
Today, Hughes directs the Nick Rail Summer Band Camp, one of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation’s signature summer programs (SBEF). Over the years, he has watched students grow not only as musicians, but also as teammates, leaders, and friends.
“Not only do they learn a lot and keep their musicianship going into the summer, but students come back for years, wear their band camp shirts all throughout the school year, and talk about experiences from the camp with me in school,” Hughes shared.
