Alumnotes
Keyboardist Joe Boccia of Beverly, MA, continues to perform actively and has recorded an album of movie themes and standards.
Bassist Gene Perla of Easton, PA, is mixing the album Bill's Waltz featuring the late Elvin Jones and the NDR Big Band. His group the Fine Wine Trio toured Mexico in December in support of their album Mexico Express. Visit www.perla.org(Opens in a new window).
Gordon Nicholson, Ph.D., of Le Mont-P?lerin, Switzerland, presented his research on the creative experience of composing at the 10th European Conference on Creativity and Innovation. Nicholson has played piano with the Danish Radio Big Band and Canadian jazz artists Rob McConnell and Guido Basso.
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| Thom Rotella '72 |
1972
Guitarist Thom Rotella of Los Angeles, CA, released the jazz CD Out of the Blues with the Thom Rotella 4-tet on his label Four-Bar Music. Rotella has performed and recorded with many top artists and written music for numerous TV shows. Visit www.thomrotella.com(Opens in a new window).
Marc Silver of Fort Wayne, IN, has been appointed as the co-op advertising and media manager for Sweetwater Sound. Previously Silver worked as a performer and teacher and penned the book Contemporary Guitar Improvisation.
1973
Keyboardist John Novello of North Hollywood, CA, has released the four-song EP B3 Soul that has received more than 300,000 MP3 plays since its online release. Visit www.myspace.com/novellob3soul(Opens in a new window).
1974
Composer Stuart Balcomb of Venice, CA, wrote music for the Peter Sterios's yoga DVD Gravity & Grace. Among the numerous films he has scored is The Ore, a film by Balcomb's son Sam that aired on Sci Fi, the United Kingdom's science fiction channel. Balcomb also publishes TheScreamOnline.com(Opens in a new window), an online arts magazine.
1975
William Pfluger, of Vineyard Haven, MA, had his classical guitar composition "Horseman's Pastorale" included in a compilation book entitled Guitar Intro 3, The Repertoire Book published by Chanterelle Publishing.
Jim Katzin of Litchfield, CT, plays locally as a bassist and works days as a computer programmer. Prior to 1982, he performed as a violinist with top artists in the New York jazz scene.
Andy Weis of Monterey, CA, performed as the drummer with the 16-piece Monterey All-Stars group that presented the finale for the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival in September 2007.
1976
Pianist Michael Pellera released the CD Playin' Piano, featuring 14 songs composed by Jeffrey Meyer '74.
Jazz and flamenco guitarist Eddie Reyes of Los Angeles, CA, released a CD titled Guitaristry and received a positive review in JazzTimes magazine.
Composer Frank Warren of West Roxbury, MA, attended the premiere of his solo marimba work Meditation performed by marimba player Fumito Nunoya in October.
1977
Guitarist Gerry Beaudoin of Waltham, MA, played with Jay Geils (formerly of the famed Jay Geils Band) for a live DVD recording that honors Geils for his contributions to American music.
Bill Bishop of Southbridge, MA, became the principal of Southbridge High School. Previously Bishop served for 26 years as Southbridge's music coordinator and took school bands on concert tours throughout America and Europe.
Keyboardist Gary Brunotte of Durham, NC, has released his fourth jazz CD, Manic Moments. Among the artists featured on the disc are saxophonists Gregg Gelb '78 and Glenn Ingram '74 and the Durham Children's Choir. Visit www.garybrunotte.com(Opens in a new window).
1978
Jack Evans of Katonah, NY, received a 2007 ASCAP Plus Award for his work as songwriter and lyricist for the band Reverend Zen and three song nominations in the 2007 Los Angeles Music Awards' Best Song category. To date, Evans has netted 29 songwriting awards.
1979
Drummer N. Glenn Davis of Twinsburg, OH, released his debut CD, A Different View, with his quartet. Davis teaches music in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and performs regularly in the Cleveland area. Visit www.glenndavismusic.com(Opens in a new window).
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| Ed Friedland '79 |
Bassist Ed Friedland of Austin, TX, has released the instructional DVD Jazz Upright Bass published by Hal Leonard. Friedland also published the Hal Leonard Electric Bass Method and other instruction books covering various bass styles. Visit www.edfriedland.com(Opens in a new window).
For 25 years, guitarist Tim Sublette of Smithville, MO, has operated Smithville Music providing instrumental instruction and selling and repairing instruments. Sublette and his business were recently profiled in several area newspapers.
Saxophonist Scott Robinson of Teaneck, NJ, received the Player of the Year award in the Instruments Rare in Jazz category from the Jazz Journalists Association for his work on contrabass and C-melody saxophones and other unusual reed instruments.
1982
Kathleen Downey of Petersham, MA, is a music therapist at a state-run facility in Central Massachusetts. She has developed innovative programming for patients suffering with Alzheimer's disease and other conditions.
Bob Ross of New York City is working as an audio engineer and musician, and is a road-cycling enthusiast.
1983
A track from the album The Chill Factor by saxophonist Jenny Hill of Brooklyn, NY, was featured on the CD in the September 2007 issue of Jazziz magazine. Her band, which includes Todd Isler '90 (drums) and Curtis Fowlkes (trombone), will play a CD release concert at the Blue Note on January 28. Visit www.jennyhilljazz.com(Opens in a new window).
1984
Composer Don Breithaupt of Bolton, Ontario, and Anthony Vanderburgh, his partner at DNA Music Productions, were honored at the SOCAN Awards in Toronto for their music for the hit animated series 6teen. Visit www.monkeyhouse.com(Opens in a new window).
Composer Joel Goodman of Calabasas, CA, wrote the score to the independent film Canvas that made its theatrical debut in October. Goodman has scored 80 documentaries, and his music has been featured on many television networks. Visit www.joelgoodman.com(Opens in a new window).
Guitarist Peter Huttlinger of Nashville, TN, played on Dancing with the Stars and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in November 2007 backing LeAnn Rimes, and he played a solo set at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall on January 12. He also issued the CD First Light: A Peter Huttlinger Christmas.
Gernot Reetz of Berlin, Germany, produced The Latin Horns Club CD that blends Colombian, Mexican, Cuban and Venezuelan traditional music with jazz and classical influences. He also works as a pianist and recording engineer for the B?sendorfer piano company. Visit: www.one-world-music.com(Opens in a new window).
1985
Stephanie and Arthur Boles of Hamden, CT, and the Tapestry Worship Jazz Ensemble, which they direct, released their first CD, Interwoven, in September 2007. The group blends Latin-jazz, gospel, and contemporary Christian music. Visit www.tapestryjazz.com(Opens in a new window).
Lionel Jones of Fayetteville, GA, released the CD Papa Jones, which was nominated in the category of Best Instrumental Gospel CD of the Year at the 2008 Stellar Awards. Jones also performed at the Gospel SuperFest in Atlanta and at Bobby Jones Music Camp in Hollywood, FL. Visit www.lioneljones.com(Opens in a new window).
Pianist Barry Rocklin of Revere, MA, is performing at Pers Resort in Norway during February and at Sopranos Piano Bar in Aruba in April.
1986
Chris Florio of Roslindale, MA, released a new CD of original music on Passion Records. The track "Caravaggio's Trip to Mardi Gras" features faculty member Peter Cokkinias playing nine clarinet parts. Visit www.passionrecords.com(Opens in a new window).
Guitarist and composer, David Joel (Miller) of Philadelphia, PA, released the recording The David Joel Quartet: Spiral Sky, featuring all original electric-jazz compositions. Visit www.davidjoel.net(Opens in a new window).
Kevin Kastning of Groton, MA, performs in a guitar duo with Hungarian guitarist Sándor Szabó on the CD Resonance. They play 12-string baritone guitars designed by Kastning and built by Santa Cruz Guitar Company. Visit www.kevinkastning.com(Opens in a new window).
Producer/songwriter Eve Nelson of Valley Village, CA, has been working with the ABC network writing songs for the new show Samantha Who? She has also sung many of the cues. Visit www.evenelson.com(Opens in a new window).
Film composer Gaute Storaas of Nesoddtangen, Norway, has been writing scores for full-length and short films in Norway.
1987
Chuck Butler of Philadelphia, PA, created the music for the PBS show Healthy Flavors, the score for the independent film Revelation, and music for several advertising campaigns. Visit www.monstertracks.com(Opens in a new window).
Keyboardist Paulo "Lulu" Camargo of S?o Paulo, Brazil, released the album Daqui pro futuro with the Brazilian pop-rock band Pato Fu. Visit www.patofu.com.br(Opens in a new window).
Guitarist Mordy Ferber of Englewood, NJ, filmed a DVD for Mel Bay Publications titled Make the Tune Your Best Friend. He also completed a recording of music for nylon-string guitar and string orchestra.
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| Kathie Touin '87 |
Pianist Kathie Touin of London, England, released Soliloquy Deluxe, a CD of classical and original piano works. The disc is a follow-up to her Butterfly Bones album. Visit www.kathietouin.com(Opens in a new window).
1988
Saxophonist Ole Mathisen of New York City released the album Chinese Horoscope, which features a 12-part suite based on the animal characters of the Chinese Zodiac. Visit www.myspace.com/olemathisen(Opens in a new window).
1989
Trevor Watkiss of London, England, is a freelance pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher. His music has been used in movies, TV, radio, and theater, and his work has taken him to many locations throughout the world.
Elise MacDonald of Wilton, NH, is the director of music at High Mowing School in Wilton, NH, a private high school with 120 students, half of whom are involved in music.
Drummer Avi Sills of Santa Monica, CA, and his group Naked Rhythm performed at functions such as Sting's birthday party and a fundraiser for Richard Branson's Moroccan children's fund. Visit www.nakedrhythm.com(Opens in a new window).
Drummer Chris Tibaldi of Lindenhurst, NY, is a drum instructor and session musician in the greater New York area. He has endorsed Sabian, Vic Firth, GMS Drum Company, and Evans products. Visit www.myspace.com/christibaldi(Opens in a new window).
1991
Bassist Aaron Bazzone of Highlands, CA, played on the trip-hop album, Enjae. The CD and its positive reviews can be found at cdbaby.com/enjae(Opens in a new window).
Stephen Buckman of Newton, MA, wrote music for the documentary film The Times Were Never So Bad: The Life of Andre Dubus and "Paragon's Theme" for a comic book website. Visit www.buckoproductions.com(Opens in a new window).
Drummer Michael Powers of Cambridge, MA, is playing and recording with the local groups Catalyst and Stardust and for various musical theater productions in Boston. Visit www.myspace.com/ funkysingingdrummer(Opens in a new window).
Deirdre Schaneman of Colorado Springs, CO, is a resident artist at the Business of Art Center in Manitou Springs, CO, working as a glassblower and jewelry designer. Visit www.deirdreschaneman.blogspot.com(Opens in a new window).
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| Peter Nusbaum '92 (right) and mixing partner John Cook |
1992
Drummer Gary Benson of Cotati, CA, is completing a CD with his experimental band Earstu. He also teaches music and sells musical instruments for children on his website www.musicforkids.com(Opens in a new window).
Peter Nusbaum of Los Angeles, CA, won a 2007 Emmy Award in the Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series category for his work on Scrubs. Nusbaum has mixed for other popular TV shows, the movie Garden State, and more.
Guitarist Mark van Bork of Brewster, MA, plays with local acts, including the Grab Brothers Band, Buzzards Bayou Cajun & Zydeco Dance Band, the Somers-Frost Band, Carol Wyeth, and Lou Columbo.
1993
Engineer and bassist Sal Gnolfo of Montclair, NJ, plays with the bands Atomic Brother and Scratcher. He played bass and engineered for the Atomic Brother CD See Me Comin' and for the single "Push" by King Hell. Visit www.atomicbrother.com(Opens in a new window).
Composer and guitarist Kenny Frey of Richmond, VA, completed the music for the independent feature film, Time and Tide, his second collaboration with director and producer Michael Carvaines. Visit www.kennyfrey.com(Opens in a new window).
Philip Manos of Nashville, TN, arranged, orchestrated, and conducted three songs on Olivia Newton John's Christmas Wish CD. He also arranged the CD See My Face by Canadian singer/songwriter Mark Masri and music by Deanna Dellacioppa '96, Beau Black, and Diana Salvatore. Visit www.philsphilharmonic.com(Opens in a new window).
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| Adonis Rose '94 |
1994
Guitarist "Metal Mike" Chlasciak of North Arlington, NJ, is featured on Angel Down by Sebastian Bach. Chlasciak also composed the theme for the show Talking Metal on the Fuse network.
Adonis Rose of Fort Worth, TX is drummer with the John Brown Quintet and appears on the group's CD Terms of Art, a tribute to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Visit www.jbjazz.com(Opens in a new window).
1995
Saxophonist Teodross Avery of Brooklyn, NY, is touring with singer Pat Monahan of Train.
Ronald Ng of Hong Kong founded Baron School of Music, the leading pop and classical music school in Hong Kong, and Baron Productions and Artist Management that provides talent for film scoring, jingles, record production, live events, and musician management.
Pianist/composer Silvia San Miguel, of Vitoria, Spain, released a solo piano CD titled Dime (Tell Me), featuring her original compositions. Her work Homage to Don Quixote and Miguel de Cervantes for soprano, tenor, baritone, and four cellos will be premiered at Boston's Jordan Hall on March 9.
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| Silvia San Miguel '95 |
Songs from the album The Very Thought of You by Orna Shifren of Calabasas, CA, were featured on United Airlines' in-flight entertainment during August and September.
David Weiser of Waltham, MA, is a senior sound-ware engineer for Kurzweil Music Systems. In addition to his work in research and development and marketing for Kurzweil, Weiser has programmed the piano sounds for Brian Wilson's SMiLE CD, and has done synth programming for keyboardists backing David Bowie and others.
Dave Wood of North Hollywood, CA, is the music director and lead guitarist for Hilary Duff's tours of the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and Australia for 2007 and 2008. He has also played with Taylor Hicks and on several movie trailers.
1996
Seven-string guitarist Julian Graciano of Buenos Aires, Argentina, recorded the CD Opening the Game with his avant-garde trio Tango en Tres. Visit www.tangostore.com(Opens in a new window).
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| David Weiser '95 (left) and Stevie Wonder |
Sound engineer Scott Green of Virginia Beach, VA, works as a live sound mixer at various concert venues in Virginia.
Erik Steigen of Sherman Oaks, CA, is the director at Provident Financial Management in Santa Monica, CA, overseeing the Music Publishing & Royalties Department.
1997
Guitarist Vlad DeBriansky of Hollywood, CA, released his second album, Sun in Capricorn, in October 2007 on Orpheus Records. The disc features DeBriansky's acoustic guitar stylings. Visit www.vladosphere.com(Opens in a new window).
William Richter of Los Angeles, CA, together with fellow composer Daniel Lessner, penned the theme and television show music for the NBA Phoenix Suns' 2007-2008 season. Visit Richter's website at www.skandamusic.com(Opens in a new window).
John Schutza of Westminster, CA, teaches middle-school music for the cities of Westminster and Huntington Beach. He also established the nonprofit organization the Music Factor, which provides music education to students in need. Visit www.factorthemusic.com(Opens in a new window).
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| Julian Graciano '96 |
1998
Bassist Erik MacPherson of Milford, MA, has been touring nationally with the Dan Lawson band promoting its CD on Straw House Entertainment/Sony records. Visit www.scifibassman.com(Opens in a new window).
Vocalist/songwriter Wendy Roy of Boston, MA, wrote and performed the Boston anthem "You're in Boston," which was performed at Fenway Park during the historic September 1, 2007, Red Sox no-hitter. Visit iTunes or www.wendysings.com(Opens in a new window).
Guitarist Jeremy Zmuda of Brooklyn, NY, won first place in the 2007 John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the jazz category. His winning song "On Standby" appears on his jazz album End of an Era. Visit cdbaby. com/cd/jeremyzmuda(Opens in a new window).
1999
Pianist/composer Ken Berman of Berkeley, CA, joined the music faculty at the University of California, Berkeley. Berman also performs with Kai Eckhardt and Akira Tana. Visit www.kenbermanmusic.com(Opens in a new window).
Erick Coomes of Long Beach, CA, played bass and guitar on and cowrote the song "Ooh Ooh Baby" for the Blackout album by Britney Spears. He also played on two songs on Kanye West's CD The College Dropout.
Richard Furch of North Hollywood, CA, is recording Usher for VH1 and Ginuwine, Tyrese, and Tank (aka TGT). Visit www.emixing.com(Opens in a new window).
Jade Kao of Los Angeles, CA, works as a sound editor and designer doing music postproduction for film, TV, radio, and video games.
Josh Preston of Nashville, TN, released the CD Martin Moeh by the New Whole Usuals on his label Me and the Machine Records. Visit www.meandthemachine.com(Opens in a new window).
Saxophonist Luis Rosa of Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, earned his master's degree in May 2007 from New England Conservatory and is a faculty member at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. He has collaborated with resident artists Eddie Gomez and David Sanchez.
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| Rogiérs '99 |
Vocalist Rogiérs of Upper Marlboro, MD, has released a three-song EP titled Life & Music in advance of his forthcoming album. Visit www.fibbymusic.net(Opens in a new window).
Nick Roth (aka Dräcos) of Woodside, NY, released the CD Urban Audio Warfare with DJ Rexx Arkana and their group FGFC820. The CD spent weeks in German alternative radio's top-ten charts. The follow-up disc is titled Law & Ordinance.
Drummer Patrick Charles of Woodland Hills, CA, and the Patrick Charles Makandel Group recently played at the NAMM show and at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. They also backed soul hip-hop jazz artist Amber Ojeda at the Emergenza Music Festival. Charles's CD Cité Soleil is available at www.soleilrecords.com(Opens in a new window).
2001
Juri Panda Jones of Dedham, MA, wrote and performed music for the Ultimate Pandas DVD. Helping with the production were Jones's husband, Ryan Jones '05 (drums), Chris Takita '05 (guitar, engineering), and Kazuma Jinnouchi '02 (arranging, engineering).
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| Patrick Charles '00 |
Vocalist Chrissi Poland of Brooklyn, NY, is performing with singer Sam Moore (formerly of Sam and Dave) and with Moby on his children's album For the Kids, Volume III. Poland is also working on another forthcoming Moby album as well as her own CD. Visit www.myspace.com/chrissipoland(Opens in a new window).
Guitarist/composer Julio Santillán of Sunnyside, NY, won the Kunstgegen Foundation 2007 Music for Modern Dance Performance Competition with his piece El Tata-Ushuaia. Visit www.juliosantillan.com(Opens in a new window).
2002
Singer/songwriter Rachel McGoye of Los Angeles, CA, has released the CD Beautiful Disaster on the 10 Spot/Universal label. She will tour the East Coast in the spring. Visit www.rachelmcgoye.com(Opens in a new window).
2003
Guitarist Shane Gibson of Los Angeles, CA, joined and toured with the band Korn as well as with Jonathan Davis on an acoustic tour in 2007. He has also formed a band with drummer Thomas Land and bassist Kai Kurosawa. Visit www.myspace.com/shaneshred(Opens in a new window).
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| Rachel McGoye '02 |
2004
Giacomo Merega of New York City completed his graduate studies at New England Conservatory and produced his first album, The Light and Other Things. The disc features Dave Tronzo (guitar), Noah Kaplan (saxophone), and Merega (bass). Visit www.myspace.com/giacomomerega(Opens in a new window).
Composer Michael Teoli of Burbank, CA, scored the documentary film 41 that won an award at the Director's Chair Film Festival in Staten Island. He also scored a short film The Yesterday Pool, starring Mickey Rooney. Visit www.michaelteoli.com(Opens in a new window).
Francisco Javier Torres of Sevilla, Spain, teaches at the University of Seville and operates his own production company.
Cris van Beuren of Cuernavaca, Mexico, and his group Fuxé released the CD Reptil with the help of a Mexican government cultural grant. Van Beuren and trumpeter Gil Cervantes '04 opened a concert for the Dave Douglas Quintet in Guadalajara in October 2007.
2005
Pei Shan Kao of Jersey City, NJ, presented The Mystery of Which Mystery, a multimedia presentation featuring computers, electronics, and avant-garde jazz. He was assisted by Akihiro Nishiguchi '06, Kai Fan Cheng '07, Giacomo Merega '04, Yuki Kanesaka '04, Yasuhiko Fukuoka '05, and David Cheonh '05. Visit www.monkeytownhq.com(Opens in a new window).
Bassist Blake Marquez of Mentor, OH, performed throughout January at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the world's only seven-star hotel.
2006
On October 18, 2007, Joseph Chang (aka cellojoe) of Los Altos, CA, embarked on a 5,000-mile musical bike tour from North San Juan, California, to Chiapas, Mexico, with the band Shake Your Peace. The tour celebrates sustainable rock 'n' roll and features a pedal-powered PA system. Visit www.shakeyourpeace.com(Opens in a new window).
Celtic harpist Maeve Gilchrist of New York City took first place in a competition at the Lyon & Healy International Jazz & Pop Harpfest in Salt Lake City, UT. She will perform at festivals in Germany, Scotland, and the Netherlands during 2008.
Young Chan Jang of Seoul, South Korea, established the Seoul Music Institute, the first high school in Korea to specialize in commercial music education. Jang has also composed and arranged music for various artists and for films.
Guitarist Marcus Rezak of Highland Park, IL, and his band the Hue have released their debut CD Unscene. Rezak teaches privately and works as a studio guitarist and production assistant for top producers and songwriters.
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| Juan Galiardo '07 and Marcos Sainz '07 |
2007
Stephan Gehrig of Boca Raton, FL, played percussion for the Heineken Beats Tour of Florida, and is the music director of the School of Rock in South Florida in January. Visit www.stephangehrig.com(Opens in a new window).
Eli Harrison of Novato, CA, plays assorted percussion instruments with the Marin Symphony Chamber Chorus and Orchestra.
Matt Nolan and Andrew Beck were mentioned in the October issue of Mix magazine for their creative use of Nintendo Wii Remote to control real-time sound synthesis and video effects.
Keyboardists and composers Juan Galiardo and Marcos Sainz of Cadiz and Madrid, Spain, respectively, released the CD Satya Project. The music blends r&b, funk, and large-band jazz and features several Berklee alumni. Visit www.satyaproject.com(Opens in a new window).
Composer Ho Man Tin of Boston, MA, took top honors at the Music Teachers National Association Young Composers Competition. Berklee student Haydn Cole received an honorable mention. Both winners studied at Berklee with Assistant Professor Alla Cohen.