Performer Details
Performer Bio Synopsis
Studio Jazz Ensemble I is an auditioned group that recommends private instruction for all members. The band meets daily during 4th period, 11:47 am 12:046 pm. All jazz students are required to participate in a concert ensemble, schedule permitting. Annually, the band performs five to seven charts 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 tunes for each festival, calendar permitting. Our goal annual goal is sight reading 75–100 additional selections.
Studio Jazz Ensemble I has recorded nine albums: Hit the Ground Running (2008), Logistics (2010), The Midwest Clinic “LIVE” (2012), Necessary Tool (2012), Studio: Unfiltered (2014), Studio: Analogies (2016), The Midwest Clinic “LIVE” (2017), True Confessions (2018), and Untitled (2022). The studio albums were recorded over two-day periods at Cuesta College and Citrus College, with composer and engineer, George Stone.
On February 19, 2011, the Studio Jazz Ensemble performed at the California All-State Music Education Conference. The performance featured a world premiere of Dos Mucho! by Matt Harris, with guest artists Ron Stout, trumpet, and Kevin Garren, alto.
On December 21, 2012, they performed at the Midwest Clinic with guest artists Clay Jenkins, trumpet (Eastman), Matt Harris, piano (CSUN), Jim Walker, flute (USC), & Gregg Bissonette, drums, featuring commissions by Mike Kamuf, Message From Westlake, Matt Harris, Lago de Oeste, Gordon Goodwin, These Flutes are Made for Walkin’.
On January 10th, 2015 they performed at the Jazz Education Network Conference in San Diego, with guest artists Gordon Goodwin, piano, Brian Scanlon, tenor, Alan Ferber, trombone, and Joe Gransden, trumpet and vocal, featuring commissions by Alan Ferber, Jigsaw, George Stone, What is this Thing Called Love? and Caribe arranged by Matt Harris.
On February 19, 2017 the Studio Jazz Ensemble performed at the California All-State Music Education Conference. The performance featured commissions G Rated by Gordon Goodwin, Sometimes You Never Know... by Craig Skeffington, EniGma, by Mike Kamuf, and What? …Nothing by Tom Kubis, with guest artists Wayne Bergeron, trumpet, Craig Skeffington, trumpet, and Mike Kamuf, trumpet.
On December 20, 2017, they performed at the Midwest Clinic with guest artists John Daversa, trumpet and EVI (University of Miami), Victor Goines, clarinet and tenor (Northwestern), featuring a commission by John Daversa, Barracuda Fantasy.
Studio Jazz Ensemble I has also performed at the 2014, 2015, & 2016 Next Generation Jazz festival, and the 2014 Monterey Jazz festival. SJE members Steven Robinson, Adam Zilberman, and Luciano Soriano were selected into the Next Generation Jazz Ensemble.
Downbeat Magazine “Student Music Award” Winner “Large Ensemble—Outstanding Performance” 2015, 2017.
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, Anne Fruehling, Allison Davis, David Blake, Mike Freed, and Matt Ray provide(d) a wonderful musical education annually. 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.
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 a year with Ndugu Chancler. In January 2009, he earned a Master of Music in Conducting from the American Band College, at Southern Oregon University. He also attended the Northwestern Conducting Symposium in 2016, with Dr. Mallory Thompson. 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.
Brian is in his second year as the Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator for Conejo Valley Unified and recently completed the 50-page five-year Strategic Arts Plan for the district, with consultant, Peggy Burt.
Brian completed 15 years as the Dept. Chair of Perf. Arts & Band Director of the 220-member program at Westlake High School encompassing 5 concert bands, 2 symphony orchestras, 3 jazz bands, jazz combos, marching band, winter guard, and winter drumline. He was also a 15-year member of the WHS Leadership Team. Brian received the CVUSD "Teacher of The Month" award, May 2014, and the Robert Greenwell Award for Field Adjudication from SCSBOA in 2022. He has also served as a Master Teacher for four CSUN student teachers. Westlake Instrumental Music was a Grammy in the Schools Semi-Finalist for 2014.
Under Brian’s leadership, Westlake ensembles have performed at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Hall, three times at CBDA/CASMEC state conventions, three times at The Midwest Clinic this December ‘22, The Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, The Monterey Jazz festival, The Jazz Education Network Conference, and The Chicago Natural History Museum. Westlake students and ensembles have earned numerous unanimous superior ratings at festival in addition to Student Music Awards from Downbeat magazine in performance and composition. The Studio Jazz Ensemble I has recorded seven records with recording engineer, George Stone.
Westlake commissions include composers Victor Goines, John Daversa, Gordon Goodwin, Tom Kubis, George Stone, Chris Bacon, Matt Harris, Jeff Jarvis, Craig Skeffington, Matt Finders, Mike Kamuf, Alan Ferber, Scott Director, Patrick Burns, and Matt McBane. Guest artists, conductors and clinicians include Dr. Frank Ticheli, Dr. Mallory Thompson, Johan De Meij, Blair Bollinger, Ron Stout, Sam Pilafian, Pat Sheridan, Bijon Watson, Gordon Goodwin, John Daversa, John Carnahan, Jim Walker, Gregg Bissonette, Clay Jenkins, Wayne Bergeron, Aarón Serfaty, James Rocillo, Chris Madsen, Matt Harris, Matt Finders, Jim Snidero, Alan Ferber, Joe Gransden, Brian Scanlon, Steve Owen, Brian Kilgore, Kevin Garren, and the Big Bad VooDoo Daddy.
Brian performed with the Blue Devils "A" Corps playing top bass in 1997 and snare in 1998, and the USC Trojan Marching band 1994-1998, snare. He was on the Blue Devils "A" corps visual staff 2000-2017, instructed the Blue Devils "B" Corps pit 1999-2001 and was the 2002 Blue Devil visual caption head. With the Blue Devils “A” Corps he earned multiple visual titles, nine DCI World Championships, including five undefeated seasons, and the highest DCI score ever recorded, 99.65, in 2014. In 2015, Brian was the single full-time brass, percussion, and marching instructor of the inaugural 97-member Blue Devils International Corps. The 2015 BDI summer tour lasted six weeks with performances in five countries culminating in a nine-day stent at the Basel Tattoo in Switzerland.
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 has been a full-time staff member with the American Band College “ABC” since 2018 and assess 3rd year Master degree candidate start up lessons, “boo-boo band,” and grades 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year Master degree projects. He has adjudicated field tournaments and concert festivals for the SCSBOA, winter drumline for SCPA, SJVCGPR, PPAACC, ADLA, and visual for Kamehameha HS. Brian is also a regular attendee of JEN, SCSBOA conferences, & The Midwest Clinic. His professional affiliations include the SCSBOA, CBDA, JEN, and NAfME.
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