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Education: B.M.E. – West Virginia Wesleyan College, 1985
Playing Experience: WVWC Jazz Ensemble, Truth in Jazz, A Cut Above, Valleyaires chorus, New Tradition chorus, Northern Union chorus (director), various men’s quartets.
Career Highlights: Opened for Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie. Toured Soviet Union and Romania with College jazz band, played Black Sea Jazz Festival. Barbershop Harmony Society - District quartet champion, International quartet competitor, chorus director, coach, arranger, contest judge. Sang backup at the Hoosier Hayride Opry. Performed a Barbershop Ballet with American Ballet Theater. Sang the National Anthem at a Bears – Lions game.
In the midst of the economic struggles our region is facing, many are cancelling events like the Jazz Fest because of the costs involved. Below is a featured video about the Elkhart Jazz Festival by MSNBC which interviews musicians and listeners about the impact that the recession is having on events like this. Butch Miles states, “…Arts, entertainment–especially in music–that’s the first thing to go; & that’s the actual heart and soul of a community.”
Wow, what an amazing festival we had this year! Thank you so much for coming out and supporting us this past Saturday; we had two of our best perfomances during this year’s Elkhart Jazz Fest. Also, It was a real treat for us to be able to perform Sing, Sing, Sing with Butch Miles. We hope you really enjoyed our performances and will come out to see us at our next gig on July 25th for The Elkhart County 4-H Fair.
Above are just a few pictures I got from our evening performance on Saturday. Be sure to check out our Facebook Page for even more images from the event! Also, feel free to share any pictures you might have taken by providing a link in the comments below or posting them on our facebook page.
Education: BS: Music Education, Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, IL
Singing Experience:Truth in Jazz, Jazz Assemblage (Elkhart), IUSB Jazz Ensemble Vocalist, Numerous Jazz combo experiences including: Pat Heiden Jazz Quartet Trading Three’s Jazz Trio, Bobby Charles Quintet, Mystic Blues
Career Highlights:Most recent include: Elkhart Jazz Festival, my first one being in 2006, when I was privileged to share the stage with Bob Mellinger!, Soloist with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra in the summer of 2006! Played Aldonza/Dulcinea in “Man of LaMancha,” the inaugural performance for the South Bend Civic Theater, Jan. 2007
Why I Sing With TIJ: For the absolute thrill of it! There is nothing like standing in front of a big band singing the music you love. Jazz is the music of the soul. You can express, find, lose and abandon yourself completely in it!
The biggest jazz event in the area is going on in downtown Elkhart this weekend, and it all starts today! With the economy in it’s current state, some changes have been made to make this year’s event easier to attend, but it will still host some of the best live music you will ever experience. As one of the few local bands invited to perform at this prestigious event, The Elkhart Truth in Jazz (that’s us…) will be performing Saturday on the main stage at noon, and again at 6pm. Some come on out & get your fill of fantastic music & elephant ears!
Tonight, the Elkhart Municipal Band will performancing at McNaughton Park, located next to Elkhart General Hospital. We will be playing a few tunes during the middle of this concert, so bring a lawn chair & come out for a night of great music!
Hometown: Goshen. Lived in Paulding and Defiance, Ohio while teaching in Oakwood, Ohio
Education: BS in MusEd from Bluffton University and MS in MusEd from Ball State University
Playing Experience: Performed with university bands and orchestras. Drummer with seven piece band throughout college and a five piece group following college.Principal Tympanist with Lima (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra for two years.Percussion substitute with the Elkhart County Symphony.Past-President of Indiana Chapter of International Association of Jazz Educators. Taught band, jazz and vocal music for thirty six years. Have been judging high school jazz festivals and ISSMA jazz contests.
Career Highlights: Starting the Goshen High School Jazz Ensemble in 1968. Winning the Ball State Jazz Festival, Ft Wayne North Side, and Kokomo Jazz Festivals. At Ball State, Jon Faddis was guest soloist for the festival and when we went on stage as the evening’s Honor Band Jon Faddis was standing in my trumpet section! We were honored to feature him as a guest soloist. Goshen’s Jazz Ensemble was honored to perform as the only high school band whose members were all from one school at the Elkhart Jazz Festival not just once, but twice. Having many jazz guest soloists with my high school jazz band including Ed Shaunessy, Roger Pemberton, Dave Pavolka, Domenic Spera, Jon Faddis, Larry McWilliams and more.
Why I direct the Truth in Jazz: I thoroughly enjoy working with the Truth in Jazz, Jazz is a passion. It has been a pleasure to work with TiJ members and the people at the Truth: Dave Ogle, Melodie Halvorsen, Stan and Karen Lewallen.
We will be performing at 3:00PM on Saturday, June 13th at Island park in downtown Elkhart. Admission for our performance time is free, so come out and see us!
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