Bass, Jazz Ensembles
Indiana State University. Taught at Montclair State University, NJPAC Jazz for Teens, Long Island University. Lectures and concerts with Staten Island Chamber Music Players Jazz Quartet. Adjudicator at numerous high schools and universities across the United States and Europe; private teacher and ensemble coach. Recipient: National Endowment for the Arts Study Grant, Rufus Reid. Performances, notable festivals, and concerts: Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow; Monterey Jazz Festival, California; JVC Jazz Festival, New York; Carnegie Hall, Nee York; Wigan Jazz Festival, England; Estoril Jazz Festival, Portugal. SLC, 2017–
Undergraduate Courses 2023-2024
Music
Jazz Vocal Ensemble
Component
No longer do vocalists need to share valuable time with those wanting to focus primarily on instrumental jazz and vice versa. This ensemble will be dedicated to providing a performance-oriented environment for the aspiring jazz vocalist. We will mostly concentrate on picking material from the standard jazz repertoire. Vocalists will get an opportunity to work on arrangements, interpretation, delivery, phrasing, and intonation in a realistic situation with a live rhythm section and soloists. Vocalists will learn how to work with, give direction to, and get what they need from the rhythm section. The course will provide an environment for vocalists to learn to hear forms and changes and also to work on vocal improvisation, if they so choose. This will not only give students an opportunity to work on singing solo or lead vocals but also to work with other vocalists in singing backup or harmony vocals for and with each other. And it will serve as a great opportunity for instrumentalists to learn the true art of accompanying the jazz vocalist, which will prove to be a valuable experience in preparing for a career as a professional musician.