Chicago State University Community Jazz Band

Performer Details

Performer Bio Synopsis

The intergenerational Chicago State University Community Jazz Band, created and directed by Professor Roxanne Stevenson in 1992 was started as an answer to the need for music reading sessions for local musicians, students and teachers. The CSU Community Concert and Jazz Bands began with 5 musicians playing their primary instrument for one ensemble and their secondary instrument for the other. Together, the two ensembles have had over 400 participants and have performed hundreds of selections for CSU graduations, galas, basketball games, local clubs and churches. The CSU Community Jazz Band renders a soulful montage of music from the African American tradition while being true to the diverse styles of jazz created through access and cultural diversity. The band has performed many festivals and concerts including the Jazz Education Network, Midwest Clinic, Illinois Music Educator’s Conference and Trinity UCC’s Jazzapalooza.

Chicago State University Community Jazz Band

Conductor's Bio

Roxanne Stevenson is Professor of Music Education and Director of Bands at Chicago State University. She earned a B.S. degree in music education from Bethune-Cookman University and the M.S. degree in music education from The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. In addition to her duties as Director of Bands at Chicago State University, Professor Stevenson serves as woodwind instructor, supervises student teachers and field experience students, and has acted as Departmental Advisor. A saxophonist, she performed regularly with Singsation, a weekly gospel music show that is aired internationally and currently plays for the music ministry of Trinity United Church of Christ aired nightly. Among the many artists with whom she has performed are Bernie Mac, Vickie Winans, Jean Carnes, Cherelle, and the Chi-Lites. As a soloist, she has been featured with her group “Roxanne Stevenson RSVP” on WLS-abc 7 Chicago’s morning television show “Windy City Live”, Chicago's "Gospel on the Pier," WGN's "Gospel Heritage," Fox Television's Christmas Special "For Colored Girls WGN," and the Chicago Jazz Festival. She has also participated as saxophonist and/or arranger on compact discs released by five different artists/groups, including Stellar Award and Grammy Award nominated "Unplugged” by Ricky Dillard, on Crystal Rose Records. Ms. Stevenson, who is currently a panelist/reviewer for the Illinois Arts Council, has served as an adjudicator at numerous festivals and competitions such as the Chicago Public Schools Music Festival and the NAACP ACT-SO Awards Chicago Area/Far South Area Competitions. She has worked as a band/choral director and a classroom/music teacher in several public and private schools in both Indiana and Illinois, from elementary through high school, and has guest-directed many high-school and college bands. Professor Stevenson is a contributor to the textbooks Teaching Music Through Performance in Jazz Volume I and Volume II. Ms. Stevenson is a member of the Women Band Directors National Association, the Illinois Music Educators’ Association, Jazz Education Network, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Professor Stevenson received the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago’s Black Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music – Jazz and has been nominated for best jazz performance 2016. The Absolute Winds of Change, the First Annual Tribute to Chicago’s African-American Women in Jazz, recognized her as a saxophonist/educator. She was a quarter finalist for the 2014 Grammy Music Educator Award. Professor Stevenson is the mother of two girls, Morgan and Bailey.