SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Over the last decade, Ben McClara has led a student rock orchestra in performing entire run-throughs of Beatles albums. While a pack of local pros has aided in the effort, McClara shines all the light on his students.

“The Beatles have been the perfect band for the last 10 years,” McClara said of his Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy projects, “but we’ve done all of it.”

He’s right: The students have done “Abbey Road,” “The White Album,” “Rubber Soul,” “Sgt. Pepper’s” and so on. But there’s one more: The Beatles Guitar Project will present “Early Beatles 1962-1965” on March 6 at the CLARA Auditorium in Sacramento.

And then comes Pink Floyd.

McClara has scored “The Wall” and “Dark Side of the Moon,” and the students have been rehearsing for a March 20 show that will benefit student scholarships and the students’ Guitar Project.

As always, the pros are thrilled to support the student players.

Learning and performing the great early rock ‘n’ roll by the Beatles has been a blessing, McClara said, but it’s also a huge emotional lift for the pros who provide musical support.

“They say the chance to play with these student musicians is one of a kind,” he said.

 

Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy students and instructor Ben McClara, right, were rehearsing for a “Guardians of the Galaxy” show in 2025 when ABC10’s Mark S. Allen stopped to visit. Photo courtesy of Sacramento Preparatory Music Academy

Before arranging the Pink Floyd shows, McClara made sure to get buy-in from the students’ parents. The 1982 film “The Wall” was rated R, and some of the songs’ topics and lyrics might require some explaining for kids.

But he found that the parents were all in, though McClara did need to modify some iffy lyrics for his adaptation. He will sing the Roger Waters parts, while other pros will voice the David Gilmour and Headmaster/Judge parts.

The students will handle keyboards and guitar solos, while pros will support them on keyboards and drums. And there will be strings, brass, woodwinds and six backup singers to fill out the production.

“The Wall” in its entirety will fill the first set. After an intermission comes “Dark Side of the Moon.” A surround-sound setup promises to enhance this student-forward presentation of two classics.

Original plans had various Floyd songs in the second set, but students nudged McClara to adapt the entire “Dark Side” album.

“The kids were really thrilled about that,” he said. “For a lot of kids, the Pink Floyd stuff is really easy for them.” Plus, it has room for more keyboard players.

 

The Beatles Guitar Project performs “‘Beatles 1’: 25th Anniversary Live in Concert” at the CLARA Auditorium in November 2025. Photo by Phil Kampel

“It’s really become its own live production,” McClara said. “Students are really speaking up and saying, ‘I’d like to do that part.’”

The Pink Floyd show is at 7 p.m. Friday, March 20 in the auditorium at the CLARA, 2240 N St. Tickets range from $20 to $50. Get tickets at sacprepmusic.com.