23-year old Kevin Redrico, a choral teacher and arranger who, for 2 years, helped chamber choir prep for their acapella showcases was found dead after a “courageous battle with depression that ended peacefully” on April 29, according to a Facebook post from his family.

A visitation, vigil, and funeral Mass were held for Redrico starting May 11, leading to Redrico’s Celebration of Life on May 13, his 24th birthday. Campolindo’s chamber choir joined Diablo Valley College’s chamber choir to perform “Let My Love Be Heard” by Jake Runestad during Redrico’s Celebration of Life. Senior Frenel Francisco also sang “She Was Mine” by AJ Rafael.

“It was a personal song that me and Kevin sang together, and that was the first time we kind fo met and bonded over,” Francisco said.

A brother and son, Redrico performed in musicals during high school. He attended DVC before transferring to San Jose State University [SJSU] for Music Education. According to Spartan Daily, the university’s newspaper, Redrico had a strong background in music and created SJSU’s Vocal Jazz Choir. He also formed acapella groups LVL5 and later SanFran6, which performed on The Singoff.

“Kevin was a really good person,” said Francisco, who added that Kevin’s work was internationally known. “He was really kind and very intent on expanding acapella, as it’s a small medium that’s intended on growing larger. He kind of just paved a way for students to expand and explore their limits and maybe even break them.”

Francisco said that Campolindo’s choral program didn’t know Redrico would be teaching them for the acapella showcases at first. “We usually have this other person come in. However, Mr. [Mark] Roberts wanted to switch up that position to give other people opporutnities, and Kevin was a student at San Jose State University. Mr. Roberts reached out to him and he accepted,” he said.

“I met him [Redrico] last year when he was brought in to arrange songs,” said senior Mia Lineweaver. “Kevin pretty much ran the show when the acapella showcase came around. He was probably one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He was always making jokes, he was really happy, and really passionate about his music and extremely talented too. He wrote some amazing songs, well arranged songs.”

“He just was a caring guy and he really wanted all of to us really respect and love each other and find solice through music. Kevin, he really cared for us he really cared for music as a whole. He wanted everybody to see what they could take from it,” said Francisco.

Redrico’s family announced via social media that “in Kevin’s honor” the Kevin Redrico Scholarship for Vocal Excellence will be created with Poison Apple Productions to award Apple students.