Westlake High School Studio Jazz Ensemble I

Performer Details

Performer Bio Synopsis

Studio Jazz Ensemble I is an auditioned group that highly recommends private instruction for all members. The ensemble meets daily during 5th period, 11:12 am—12:08 pm. All jazz students are required to participate in one of the four concert ensembles, schedule permitting. Annually the jazz band performs five to seven different selections at the Fall Concert in October, the Winter Concert in December, and the Spring Concert in May. During festival season, February through April, the band changes out most charts for each festival, calendar permitting. Our goal each year is to sight-read through 75–125 additional selections. The students’ ability to successfully navigate a packed school schedule and achieve a high level?of performance is directly attributed to starting the jazz education process at the middle school level. Directors Mike Gangemi, David Blake, and Anne Fruehling consistently provide a wonderful musical education on a yearly basis. Having freshmen enter our program with up to three years of jazz education makes a huge difference. However, some students enter high school with no prior jazz experience, and for them we have our Concert Jazz III ensemble. This group is open to anyone interested in learning jazz. Several students on stage today started in our jazz III program and worked diligently to perform for you here today in Studio Jazz Ensemble I. Started by trombonist Julia Farfan, WHS ’14, the WHS Jazz program performs for the homeless?at the Los Angeles Mission on Skid Row in downtown L.A. Annually, they perform an hour set at the Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Easter servings. This is one of the students’ favorite, most inspirational and most humbling performances during the year. Performances of Note: Carnegie Hall – 2008 California Band Director's Association All-State Convention (CBDA/CASMEC) – 2010, 2017 The Midwest Clinic – 2012, 2017 Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) – 2014 Next Generation Monterey Jazz Festival (NGMJF) – 2014, 2015, 2016 Jazz Education Network National Convention (JEN) – 2015 California All State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) – 2011, 2017 Accolades: Downbeat Magazine “Student Music Award” Winner “Large Ensemble – Outstanding Performance” 2015, 2017 Guest Artists: Gordon Goodwin – Tenor Sax, piano Ron Stout – Trumpet Brian Scanlon – Tenor Sax Kevin Garren – Alto Sax Clay Jenkins – Trumpet Greg Bissonette – Drums Jim Walker – Flute Matt Harris – Piano James Rocillo – Trumpet Joe Gransden – Vocals, Trumpet Alan Ferber – Trombone John Daversa - Trumpet Wayne Bergeron – Trumpet Mike Kamuf – Trumpet Craig Skeffington – Trumpet Guest Clinicians: Gordon Goodwin - Composer / tenor / piano / Big Band Leader Matt Harris – Composer / piano / CSUN Matt Finders – CSUN / Tonight Show Band George Stone – Composer / trumpet / piano / Cuesta College Jeff Jarvis – Composer / trumpet / CSULB Jeff Tower – Hemet HS (ret.) / trombone Greg Bissonette – Drums Jim Mooy - Trumpet / SBCC Alan Ferber - Composer / trombone / Big Band Leader Gary Pratt - Bass / CSUN Jim Snidero - Saxophone Simon Rowe - San Francisco Conservatory / piano Ed Smith - Drums / Composer Alex Iles - Trombone Mike Fortunato - Trumpet Wayne Jones - Composer / piano Mitch Holder - Guitar Jazz Commissions: Los Galanas – Jeff Jarvis Hit the Ground Running – Gordon Goodwin Dos Mucho! – Matt Harris Stick & Stones – Matt Finders These Flutes Were Made for Walkin' (written for and featuring James Walker) – Gordon Goodwin Message From Westlake – Mike Kamuf Caribe – Arr. Matt Harris What is This Thing Called Love? – George Stone Jigsaw – Alan Ferber G Rated – Gordon Goodwin Sometime You Never Know... – Craig Skeffington EniGma – Mike Kamuf What? Nothing... – Tom Kubis Albums: Hit The Ground Running, 2008 Logistics, 2010 Necessary Tools, 2012 The Midwest Clinic LIVE, 2012 Studio: Unfiltered, 2014 Analogies, 2016 CASMEC LIVE, 2017

Westlake High School Studio Jazz Ensemble I

Conductor's Bio

Brian graduated from the University of Southern California in 2001 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education while studying percussion with Eric Forester, Dale Anderson and Ndugu Chancler. In January 2009, he earned a Master of Music in Conducting from the American Band College, at Southern Oregon University. In Summer 2016, he attend the Northwestern University Conducting Symposium, led by Dr. Mallory Thompson and H. Robert Reynolds. Brian has appeared in Westlake Malibu Lifestyle magazine, written for Bandworld magazine, and been published in The Instrumentalist three times, including a feature interview in March, 2013. He received the Conejo Valley Unified School District “Teacher of The Month” - May 2014. Brian also worked six seasons as a Toy Solider drummer in the Disneyland Christmas Fantasy Parade (1998-2002 & 2004), and was the Band Director at Valley View High School from 2002-2006. Brian is currently in his 11th year as the Department Chair of Performing Arts and Band Director of the 220-member program at Westlake High School. He is also a member of the WHS Leadership Team and School Site Council, seated positions since his second month teaching at Westlake. Brian is extremely proud to work alongside Orchestra Director, Liz Blake and Mike Gangemi, Associate Director - Westlake Instrumental Music was recently a Grammy in the Schools Semi-Finalist (2014). Brian, “BP” performed with the Blue Devils "A" Corps playing top bass in 1997 and snare in 1998, and snare in the USC Trojan Marching band 1994-1998. He has been on the Blue Devils "A" corps visual staff for 18 years, starting in 2000. He instructed the Blue Devils "B" Corps pit 1999-2001 and was the 2002 Blue Devil “B” visual caption head. With the Blue Devils “A” Corps he has earned multiple DCI “High Visual” titles, eight DCI World Championships, including three undefeated seasons, and the highest DCI score ever recorded, 99.65, in 2014. In 2015, Brian was the lead full time instructor for the 97 member 2015 Blue Devils “International Corps,” traveling Europe for five weeks, culminating with ten shows at the Basal Tattoo in Switzerland. His responsibilities included all music and visual performance areas except for the Guard. This included brass, percussion, pit, & marching. Under Brian’s leadership, Westlake ensembles have performed at Carnegie Hall ‘08, Walt Disney Hall ‘08, three times at the California All-State Music Education Conference ‘09/’11/’16, twice at The Midwest Clinic ‘12/’17, three times at The Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival ’14/’15/‘16, The Monterey Jazz festival ‘14, The Jazz Education Network Conference ‘15, and The Chicago Natural History Museum ‘12. Westlake commissions include composers Gordon Goodwin, George Stone, Tom Kubis, Matt Harris, Jeff Jarvis, Matt Finders, Mike Kamuf, Alan Ferber, Craig Skeffington, Wayne Jones, Scott Director, Patrick Burns, and Matt McBane. The WHS Studio Jazz Ensemble I has earned two Downbeat Magazine “Student Music Awards” for “Large Ensemble – Outstanding Performance” 2015 and 2017. Brian grades and assesses grades 3rd year Master degree candidate start up lessons, “boo boo” band, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd year Master degree projects for the American Band College. He has also served as a Master Teacher for four CSU Northridge student teachers. Brian has adjudicated field tournaments and concert festivals for the SCSBOA, winter drumline for SCPA, SJVCGPR, ADLA, & PPAACC, and visual for Kamehameha HS. Brian is also a regular attendee of JEN conferences & the Midwest Clinic. His professional affiliations include the SCSBOA, CBDA, JEN, NAfME and System Blue. Brian lives in Westlake Village, CA with his beautiful and loving wife, Danielle, and their two Italian Greyhounds and a cat.