Western Michigan University - Kalamazoo

Choral opportunities at Western Michigan University are wide ranging, from the University Chorale and Collegiate Singers (conducted by Dr. James Bass), Women's Chorus (conducted by Dr. Dee Gauthier), Collegium Singers, and Grand Chorus (conducted by Dr. James Bass), to two vocal jazz ensembles: Gold Company (directed by Dr. Stephen Zegree) and GC II (directed by Michael Wheaton).

The Jazz Studies Program at WMU has gained international recognition for its innovative approach to jazz education.  The program offers students a variety of experiences in award-winning ensembles.  These include big band jazz (University Jazz Orchestra, directed by Dr. Scott Cowan; Jazz Lab Band led by Tom Knific) and vocal jazz (Gold Company and GC II), as well as the opportunity to participate in a variety of smaller instrumental and vocal combos.  WMU students have won more than 100 "DB" Student Music Awards from DownBeat magazine in the categories of Vocal Jazz Choir, Jazz Big Band, Vocal and Instrumental Soloists, Vocal and Instrumental Jazz Combos, Blues/Pop/Rock Soloist and Group, Jazz Studio Orchestra, Classical Chamber Group, Live and Studio Engineering, Jazz Arrangement, and Composition.  Recording studio opportunities are available through the Western Sound Studios, a multi-track state-of-the-art facility located on campus.

Steve Zegree
Director, Gold Company
Piano, Vocal Jazz, Jazz Theory, Arranging
School of Music
WMU Faculty Ensemble:  Western Jazz Quartet, pianist
e-Mail:  stephen.zegree@wmich.edu


Dr. Stephen Zegree is one of the most respected vocal jazz educators in the world.  As Bobby McFerrin Professor of Jazz in the School of Music at Western Michigan University, Dr. Zegree teaches classical and jazz piano and directs Gold Company, Western Michigan University's internationally regarded vocal jazz ensemble.  In addition, he performs as pianist in the Western Jazz Quartet, WMU's resident faculty jazz ensemble.

Dr. Zegree's choral arrangements are published by Hal Leonard Music Publications, Shawnee Press, and Warner Brothers Publications.  He is the author of "The Wow Factor - How to Create It, Inspire It, & Achieve It" (Hal Leonard), ''The Complete Guide To Teaching Vocal Jazz'', published by Heritage Music Press, and he co-produced jazz vocalist Mark Murphy's "Nat King Cole Songbook" which was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Dr. Zegree is in demand as a pianist, clinician, adjudicator and conductor around the world.  A renowned educator, his students are among today's leaders in jazz and pop performance, Broadway, recording studio production, writing, arranging, singing, and music education.


Ensemble:  Gold Company
The Gold Company vocal program is widely recognized as one of the most successful and prestigious collegiate vocal jazz programs in the world.  The ensembles perform a wide variety of repertoire which covers all styles in the contemporary vocal idiom.  Gold Company combines the fundamental musical elements from the traditional choral style with stylistic characteristics from the jazz vernacular with an emphasis on improvisation and swing.

To date the group has recorded and released four CDs.  Their latest, Absolute Integrity, features 15 new and fresh Gold Company charts (featuring performances by Gold Company and the Gold Company Sextet, plus the Gold Company Band and the GC Horns) including new arrangements and original compositions by Justin Avery and Matt Falker (Gold Company alums), plus Gene Puerling, Michele Weir, Gary Fry, Roger Treece, Nathan Lansing and Steve Zegree.

CDs:



Duane Shields Davis
Jazz Voice
e-Mail:  Duane.Davis@wmich.edu

Duane Davis, originally from Cleveland, recently retired as Director of Vocal Music at Grand Rapids Community College, after 39 years as a full-time teacher music educator.  He continues to serve as Chorus Master for Opera Grand Rapids, a position he has held since 1986.  Duane became the Instructor of Vocal Jazz at Western Michigan University in 2009.  He received his Bachelor's degree in music education from Knoxville College (TN) and a Masters in choral conducting from Kent State University (OH).
 
Davis is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Legacy Award presented by the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Maynard Klein Award for Choral Excellence presented by the American Choral Directors Association of Michigan.  His choral and vocal jazz ensembles have toured the U. S., Bahamas, Japan and Europe, and performed in New York’s Carnegie, Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls.

Davis previously served as director for Gold Company at Western Michigan University and as Dean of the Steve Zegree Vocal Jazz Camp at WMU.  In 2005 he was guest clinician in Riga, Latvia for the 5th International Rhythmic Music Festival performing with the Rigas Ritmi Choral.  He was a presenter at the 7th World Symposium on Choral Music (Kyoto, Japan), and the Tokyo Choral Directors Association.  Davis conducted the National Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall as part of the Carnegie Hall Master Works Series in 2006.

His choirs have toured Japan and Europe and performed at famed New York concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Town Hall.  His compositions and arrangements have been premiered by the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra and Gold Company at Western Michigan University.

Davis has earned numerous honors including a 2003 ARTS Award by the Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids, an Excellence in Education Award by Grand Rapids Community College, and a Maynard Klein Award for Choral Excellence by the American Choral Directors Association of Michigan.

Davis' career travels also includes serving as guest director for the DODDS Atlantic Choral Festival (London), and director of the Disney Grammy All-American College Singers at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center where his singers performed with and opened for Rosemary Clooney, Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, Eartha Kitt, Ramsey Lewis, Dianne Reeves, Diane Schuur, Dr. Billy Taylor, and Joe Williams.  Davis also conducted the opening ceremonies for the Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom.


Michael Wheaton
GC II Director
School of Music
e-Mail:  michael.wheaton@wmich.edu

Ensemble:  GC II

An SATB ensemble which specializes in vocal jazz. The varied repertoire includes every style from jazz standards to Broadway to the hits of today. Specialty acts and choreography are included. GC II participates in major vocal jazz productions on campus in conjunction with Gold Company.


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Grand Rapids Community College - Grand Rapids

Stephen Barton
Director of Choral Activities
e-Mail:  sbarton@grcc.edu
Ph:  (616) 234-2294







Ensemble:  Shades of Blue
Shades of Blue is recognized as one of the outstanding collegiate vocal jazz ensembles in the country.  The student group was established as a vocal jazz ensemble in 1981 by Duane Davis, who served as vocal jazz director from 1982-2009.  Many Shades alumni are active in music having made their mark in vocal performance, teaching, and various Broadway stage productions.

Shades of Blue has opened programs for John Houseman, Coretta Scott King, David Letterman, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Tony Bennett. The group annually participates in the Western Michigan University Gold Company Vocal Jazz Invitational and the Forest Hills Vocal Jazz Invitational. They have also performed/given workshops for the American Choral Directors Association - Michigan, and the Midwestern Music Conference at the University of Michigan, and Musicfest Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Shades has performed at the International Association of Jazz Educators convention in Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Washington, D.C. and San Antonio. The group received the highest honor at the Canadian National Finals of MusicFest Canada, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
 
Shades has been the guest artists at the Northshore Vocal Jazz Invitational in Cleveland. They have performed with Don Shelton (Hi Lo's/Singers Unlimited) Bob McGrath (Sesame Street), the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, as well as serving as clinic group for Phil Mattson and Bobby McFerrin. The group has appeared as guest artists at the Tiffin University Vocal Jazz and Show Festival, performed at the Collegiate Showcase in Chicago, Nashville and Orlando.  Shades has also appeared at the Tiffin University Vocal Jazz and Show Festival (Tiffin, OH), the Collegiate Showcase (in Chicago, Nashville, and Orlando), and the Northshore Vocal Jazz Invitational (Cleveland).


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Oakland University - Rochester

John-Paul White
Professor of Music, Voice, Vocal Pedagogy, Voice Program Coordinator
e-mail:  jpwhite@oakland.edu
ph: (248) 370-2040

Ensemble:  Oakland Jazz Singers
The Oakland Jazz Singers were formed in 2003 amidst a diversification plan for the music program while student participation evolved through academicaly chiefly from vocal jazz improv classes.  The group features 8-12 singers depending on their interest in audition and presents an inviting mix of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.  In performance they are accompanied by their own trio or quartet.  Students gain entry by audition only.  The ensemble's repertoire includes standards but a primary focus are the newest and most exciting contemporary vocal jazz arrangements of today.

The Oakland Jazz Singers performed at the 2007 Michigan Music Conference (Grand Rapids) as part of a major clinic Jordan conducted on vocal jazz.  Over the past few years performances have ranged from campus to community outreach special events.  The ensemble was also a feature performer in the OU Department of Music, Theatre and Dance Matilda Awards Ceremony.
 
The Oakland Jazz Singers released its first CD in the fall of 2008.


Henry Ford Community College - Dearborn
G. Kevin Dewey, vocal music instructor
Fine Arts and Fitness Division
Ph:  (313) 845-6470
e-Mail:  rgoward@hfcc.edu

Vocal Ensemble:  Blue Fusion, Midnight Blue

Blue Fusion, G. Kevin Dewey, HFCC Vocal Music Instructor
Blue Fusion performs a variety of classic and contemporary vocal jazz, featuring both "a cappella'' and accompanied selections.  Blue Fusion traveled to Chicago in 2003 with Studio 110 and joined the HFCC Big Band at the 2003 Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival.  The group consists of vocalists and instrumentalists.

Midnight Blue, G. Kevin Dewey, HFCC Vocal Music Instructor
Midnight Blue performs vocal jazz and joined with the HFCC Big Band in January 2005 to perform for the Presidential Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., and at the 2005 Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival.


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Hillsdale College - Hillsdale
Chris McCourry, director of jazz ensembles
Music Department - Fine Arts
Ph:  517-437-7341
e-Mail:  cmccourry@hillsdale.edu

Vocal Ensemble:  Vocal Jazz Quartet



Lansing Community College - Lansing
Humanities & Performing Arts Department
Bill Bastian, music director
Ph:  (517) 483-1018
e-Mail:  bastianw@lcc.edu












Ensemble:  LanSwingers
LanSwingers is a 7-12 mixed voice, elite vocal choir at Lansing Community College that specializes in vocal jazz.  Bill Bastian is in his 4th year directing the student ensemble.



Michigan Tech University - Houghton
Mike Irish, director of jazz studies
Department of Fine Arts
Ph:  (906) 487-2145
e-Mail:  mjirish@mtu.edu

Ensemble:  Momentum

Momentum is a dynamic blend of horns, vocal and rhythm section that regularly competes in jazz festivals and has an active performance schedule.



Northwestern Michigan College - Traverse City
Mike Hunter, director of jazz studies
Department of Humanities
Ph:  (800) 748-0566
Ph:  (231) 995-1135, 995-1325
e-Mail:  information@nmc.edu

Ensemble:  MNC Vocal Jazz Ensemble



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Detroit School of Performing Arts
Cheryl Valentine
19543 Whitcomb Ave
Detroit, MI 48235
Ph: (313) 342-5139
e-Mail:  zetamusic1@aol.com


Edward Duke Ellington Conservatory-Music & Arts
Deblon Jackson
209 West St 8030 E Outer Dr
Detroit, MI  48213
Ph: (313) 866-2860

Deblon Jackson teaches music and concepts in jazz through a program incorporating vocal and instrumental jazz.  She leads the student group Jazz Kids featuring spirited youngsters representing grades 5-8.  Jackson also handles composing and arranging duties.  Jazz Kids has performed around the Detroit area, including the Detroit International Jazz festival at Hart Plaza and various other community special events.  Aside from wearing a busy teacher's hat, Jackson is an accomplished flutist in her own right.

Ensemble:  Jazz Kids


Forest Hills Eastern High School
Emily Warren
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
e-Mail:  ewarren@fhps.us

Forest Hills Eastern is only in its 4th year and vocal director Emily Warren has spent the past two years developing a solid program.  Ongoing plans on the horizon include forming a separate vocal jazz ensemble.  Warren's main vocal ensemble performs two jazz pieces at crosstown Forest Hills Northern's Vocal Jazz Invitational with special guest educator Steve Zegree (Western Michigan University) in the fall.  This spring a much awaited visit from singer-educator Sunny Wilkinson (Michigan State University) aims to elevate vocal jazz pedagogy for all vocal students.


Forest Hills Northern High School
Craig York
3801 Leonard NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Ph: (616) 493-8600
e-Mail:  cyork@fhps.us
Craig York

Ensemble:  Northern Singers
The Northern Singers is an eighteen-voice rhythm and vocal jazz ensemble consisting of juniors and seniors.  This audition-only choir is one of four choirs at FHN, which includes over 140 singers in the music program.  Band members study vocal jazz performance, history, and style.  Solo performance and techniques in improvisation are given feature emphasis.  Students are encouraged to discover aesthetic content in music and to perform expressively.  Every May the Northern Singers earn an opportunity to record and produce a CD in a local recording studio.
 
The group maintains a busy performance schedule in the Grand Rapids area.  Besides school concerts the Northern Singers perform at banquets, parties, and numerous special events.  They have sung the National Anthem at home games for the Detroit Pistons, Grand Rapids Griffins, and West Michigan Whitecaps.  They also have been a guest ensemble at the Newaygo County Vocal Festival.

Group honors include being named "Outstanding Ensemble" seven times at the Gold Company Invitational Vocal Jazz Festival at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo.  Alumni of Northern Singers have advanced to music study (and performance) in prestigious jazz programs at Grand Rapids Community College, Western Michigan University, and Purdue University.

CD:   Northern Singers - GH2, Greatest Hits 1999-2004

Tracks:
1. I Saw Her Standing There - arr. Michelle Weir (UCLA faculty)
2. Corner Pocket - arr. Phil Mattson
3. Mozart Overture - arr. Craig York
4. Everybody's Boppin' - arr. Jon Ward
5. 29 Ways - arr. Tim Brent
6. Smack Dab In The Middle - arr. Tim Brent
7. I Can Live With That - arr. Go Fish
8. My Country Tis Of Thee - arr. Kirby Shaw
9. Spinnin' Wheel - arr. Tim Brent
10. My Funny Valentine - arr. Kirby Shaw
11. All Right OK You Win - arr. Steve Zegree
12. Joyful, Joyful from Soulful Messiah - arr. Roger Emerson
13. Ray's Rock House - arr. Steve Zegree

Tim Brent was a student teacher at Forest Hills Northern.  Craig York was a charter member of Gold Company at Western Michigan University, directed by Dr. Steve Zegree.



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Grosse Pointe North High School
Mandy Scott
Choir Director
Grosse Pointe, MI
Ph: (313) 432-3325
e-Mail:  Mandy.Scott@gpschools.org

Ensemble:   Grosse Pointe North Vocalese
Director Mandy Scott launched Grosse Pointe North Vocalese in 2004.  The group regularly meets each week for two hours in the evening.  This year 20 students from several classes comprise the ensemble and performances include several student special events during the academic season (Fall Concert, Holiday Concert, Spring Concert).  The ensemble also appears at the annual Gold Company Invitational Vocal Jazz Festival at Western Michigan University.  Scott awards one or two standout vocalists every Spring as award recipients earning scholarship entry into the highly regarded Steve Zegree Vocal Jazz Camp in June.



Mattawan High School
David Hook
56720 Murray St.
Mattawan, MI   49071
Ph:  (269) 327-7628
e-Mail:  hookdavid@sbcglobal.net

Ensemble:  none

Mattawan High School's music program features a Jazz Club active each October.  There are two vocal ensembles performing a total of 6-8 vocal jazz pieces.  One group is 24 voices - SATB.  The other is SSA/SSAA with 18 voices.  All are upper classmen.

Mattawan boasts approximately 20 soloists.  They do two concerts highlighting the same ensemble pieces, but each time feature different soloists gain the spotlight.  Mattawan High School also has a jazz trio that accompanies students, and an instumental combo that performs a couple of selections.  The music program usually plans clinics each year with two noted jazz educators - Dr. Steve Zegree (Western Michigan University) and Sunny Wilkinson (Michigan State University).  Each educator spends an entire day, with Wilkinson concentrating on soloists and Zegree reserving dedicated time with ensembles.


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South Lyon High School
Steven Lorenz
1000 N. Layfayette St .
South Lyon, MI  48178
Ph: (248) 573-8150
e-Mail:  lorenzs@slcs.us
 
Ensemble:  All That Jazz

All That Jazz is the extra-curricular vocal jazz ensemble at South Lyon HS.  It was created in the fall of 2004 and features a range of 10-15 singers with an instrumental combo.  Student members are enrolled in the curricular choral and/or band music programs.  All That Jazz performs regularly in the South Lyon area for community and school events, as well as SLHS Choir concerts.  In addition, the group has performed at the Ohio Jazz Summit (Tiffin University, Tiffin, OH), the Michigan State University Jazz Spectacular (E. Lansing), and the Butler University Vocal Jazz Fest (Indianapolis, IN).



Southwestern High School
Michele Cotton-Stanfield
6921 West Fort (between Waterman & Post, off the Livernois exit, I-75 south)
Detroit, MI   48209
Ph: (313) 849-4521
e-Mail:  mcottonstanfield@aol.com

Ensemble:  Southwestern Concert Choir, Women's Ensemble

Ms. Cotton-Stanfield is interested in having guest vocal jazz clinicians come and speak at the school, and demonstrate the vocal jazz styles to her classes and performing groups.



Three Rivers High School
Joel Moore
700 6th Avenue
Three Rivers, MI  49093
Ph: (269) 279-1120
e-Mail:  JoMoore@TRSchools.org



Ypsilanti High School
Beth Patterson
2095 Packard Rd
Ypsilanti, MI  48197
Ph: (734) 714-1038
e-Mail:  patterso@ypsd.org



West Bloomfield High School
Sheryl Hauk
4925 Orchard Lake Rd
West Bloomfield, MI  48323
Ph: (248) 865-6734
e-Mail:  hauk@westbloomfield.k12.mi.us

Vocal director Sheryl Hauk features a 16-member elite student ensemble (SATB) who sings show tunes and vocal jazz.  At present, she is fine-tuning development plans to incorporate improvisation into choir classes.


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The Wow Factor: How to Create It, Inspire It & Achieve It
A Comprehensive Guide for Performers
Series: Methodology Chorals
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Format: Softcover
Author: Steve Zegree
ISBN: 9781423468134
UPC: 884088309879
 270 pages

 Hal Leonard Corporation
 PO Box 13819
 Milwaukee, WI 53213
Website:  http://www.halleonard.com/
How to Order:  click here

Jazz Singing: Developing Artistry and Authenticity
by Diana Spradling
Published by Sound Music Publications
On the Web:  http://www.smpjazz.com/

Sound Music Publications
PO Box 1598
Edmonds, WA  98020-1598
orders@smpjazz.com







The Complete Guide to Teaching Vocal Jazz
by Dr. Stephen Zegree
Published by Heritage Music Press

Steve Zegree is director of Gold Company (the renowned vocal jazz ensemble at Western Michigan University) and is an internationally recognized authority on vocal jazz styles, repertoire and rehearsal techniques.  This book was written to help "classically trained" choral directors begin a vocal jazz group or improve an existing ensemble. 

Chapters include: "It's a Matter of Style," explaining the three general categories of vocal jazz, swing, Latin, and ballad; "Sound Reinforcement," which includes practical information on all the components of a sound system, including specific types of equipment and set-up; and "Choreography, Staging, and Programming" focusing on the great debate: shall we dance?