UNC College of Performing and Visual ArtsOur deepest appreciation to our 2021-22 Premier Season

Sponsor

The College of Performing and Visual Arts at UNC gratefully acknowledges UCHealth as our premier season sponsor.

UCHealth’s sponsorship funding goes directly to support our students financially, which in turn helps them to become more successful in their pursuit of artistic distinction. In addition, it allows us to attract the very best arts students to our programs throughout the country, thus continuing our long tradition of excellence in the arts at the Universityof Northern Colorado.

The UNC School of Music is proud to present our 2021-2022 Concert Season. Remarkable things are happening in our school and we are glad you have chosen to spend some time with us. We are excited for you to hear our outstanding students, faculty, and guests throughout the year. The School of Music is committed to contributing to the cultural life of our community by educating passionate musicians, educators, and scholars, and producing alumni that leave our school as innovative leaders that are ready to contribute to their communities in important and meaningful ways. Our school attracts students to UNC and Greeley from across the world that are dedicated to the pursuit of artistic excellence and our faculty and students create work that is valued in the region, nation, and beyond.

We are thrilled to start this academic year in residence in our new performance hall in the Campus Commons at UNC. We are looking forward to sharing our new home and the incredible talent of our students with the entire Greeley community. We hope you will enjoy the performance you are attending and will continue to support the work of our amazing faculty, staff, and students. Thank you for being a part of our musical family.

Charles HansenInterim Director, School of MusicCollege of Performing and Visual Arts

WOMENIn Jazz Day

WOMEN

FeaturingGayelynn McKinney, drumsDawn Clement, pianoBriana Harris, saxophoneMarion Powers, voice,Katie Thiroux, bassDomi Edson, bass

8:30 AM Registration/Check-in

9:00 AM Clinic #1: Women in Music Business with Katie Thiroux (Performance Hall - PH)

10:00 AM Panel Discussion #1: Women in the Music Industry (PH)

11:00 AM Combo Coaching Session (PH & RH)

12:00 PM Lunch Break

1:30 PM Split Session: N Women and Non-Binary Jam Session (PH) N Men’s Roundtable with Dawn Clement: Hovw to Be an Ally (RH)

2:30 PM Clinic #2: Gayelynn McKinney (PH)

3:30 PM Panel Discussion #2: Women in Jazz Education (PH)

4:30 PM Dinner Break

7:30 PM Evening Concert featuring the 2021 UNC Women in Jazz Day Clinicians (PH)

Schedule

CliniciansGayelynn McKinneyGayelynn is one of America’s great drummers. She has performed at the 1996 Olympic Games and at The Kenne-dy Center. She has received a Grammy Nomination, a Kresge Arts Fellowship, a Motor City Music Award, and a Detroit Black Music Award. And there’s much more.

Gayelynn has performed on the CBS, CNN, PBS, and BET television networks. She has also been featured in magazines like Billboard and Elle.

Gayelynn has played for Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Martha Reeves, Freda Payne, Roy Ayers, Marcus Belgrave, Sonny Fortune, Stanley Turrentine, Barbara Morrison, and Benny Golson. And her band has opened for music legends like Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Nina Simone, and Nancy Wilson.

Whether she’s performing at a Jazz festival in Switzerland, playing at a local nightclub or recording in the studio, Gayelynn McKinney is a drummer extraordinaire.

Domi EdsonDomi Edson is an emerging force in jazz education, leadership, and performance. Domi has founded and organized Women in Jazz Days in both Washington and Colorado, and has served as a faculty mem-ber for the CCJA SheBop Young Women in Jazz Workshop. Originally from Seattle, WA and now residing in Colorado, Domi has performed at Dazzle, Nocturne, Seattle radio station KNKX, and at multiple Jazz Education Network conferences with Central Washington Universi-ty Jazz Band 1 and the 2020 Sisters in Jazz Combo. In 2021 she was awarded the David Baker scholarship for her talent, spirit, and com-mitment to the field of jazz studies.

Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Dawn Clement has established herself as one of the most sought-after musicians working today. With her joyful presence, consummate technique and distinctive sound, Clement has gained the attention and respect of musicians, critics, and fans through the US and abroad. “In all this world of jazz, there are very few individual voices, no matter what the instrument, but Dawn has come up with a voice that’s unique…” says legendary jazz trombonist Julian Priester.

With 6 CDs under her belt, not to mention appearing as side woman on Jane Ira Bloom’s “Wild Lines” and Emi Meyer’s “Monochrome”, Dawn has been hailed as the “Wonder Woman of Seattle” by Paul DeBarros (Seattle Times). Downbeat says, “The revelation is Dawn Clement’s piano, always ready with the lyricism or structure the moment needs.”

Dawn holds a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts in Music Composition from Vermont College of the Arts. In 2018, Dawn relocated from the Pacific Northwest to Denver, Colorado to take on the new role of Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of the Jazz and American Music Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Dawn maintains a rigorous teaching and performing schedule while balancing the ever-fluctuating dance of parenting, composing, and supporting her local art scene.

Dawn Clement

Los Angeles-based bassist and vocalist Katie Thiroux has clearly established herself as one of the most exciting and in demand musicians today. Thiroux’s unique gift of simultaneously balancing sultry vocals and virtuosic bass playing leaves audiences worldwide in awe. Her most recent album, “Off Beat,” was awarded a “Best Album Of 2018” by Downbeat Magazine as well as “Rising Star” 2018 & 2019. Thiroux is dedicated to jazz education and outreach for students and audiences conducting masterclasses, workshops and in July 2019 released an online course for the renowned website, Discover Double Bass and was asked to start a jazz camp in Maui, Jazz Maui Camp. In addition, Katie is the director of “Women in Jazz” for the Monterey Jazz Festival and is the #1 selling artist on Capri Records.

Katie Thiroux

Marion Powers is a six-time DownBeat Award-winning jazz vocalist whose dynamic improvisation skills, fresh and modern arranging style, and sensitive approach to songwriting keep her in high demand from coast to coast not only as a performer, but also as an educator. While heavily influenced by classic jazz singers like Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, and Sarah Vaughan, her experiences performing with or being mentored by Christian McBride, Dianne Reeves, Marshall Gilkes, Johnaye Kendrick, and Melissa Aldana have been some of the most instrumental to her artistic development.

Marion earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas (UNT) where she studied under renowned vocalists and educators, Rosana Eckert and Jennifer Barnes, and spent time as lead vocalist for the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band. In 2018, Marion was the selected vocalist for The Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy Big Band, where she was mentored by Christian McBride and Dianne Reeves; and, the following year, was selected as a member of the Jazz Education Network’s Sisters in Jazz Collegiate Quintet under the mentorship of educator and pianist, Ellen Rowe, and world renowned baritone sax player, Claire Daley. Among her DownBeat Awards are Outstanding Vocalist for her performance on the UNT Jazz Singers recording of “Groovin’ Hard,” and for her direction of UNT’s vocal jazz ensemble, Avenue C.

Marion Powers

Briana HarrisBriana Harris is a musician, artist manager, and entrepreneur with a focus on empowering creatives to do their best work. A saxophonist by trade, Bri believes in the power of artists to offer creative solutions for the world’s most challenging problems.

Briana is a performing member, manager, and co-owner of The Bur-roughs, a Colorado based original funk and soul band. Since 2014, she has performed with the band for over 200 dates, including sup-port slots for artists including the Steve Miller Band, The Motet, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. She appears as a performer and on the band’s recorded releases The Slip/Forever In Love (Color Red Mu-sic 2019), Got to Feel (2018), Step Into the Music (2018), You Are My Joy/1968 (2016), and Sweaty Greeley Soul (Bandwagon Records 2015).

Briana is a performing member, manager, and co-owner of The Burroughs, a Colorado based original funk and soul band. Since 2014, she has performed with the band for over 200 dates, including support slots for artists including the Steve Miller Band, The Motet, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. She appears as a performer and on the band’s recorded releases The Slip/Forever In Love (Color Red Music 2019), Got to Feel (2018), Step Into the Music (2018), You Are My Joy/1968 (2016), and Sweaty Greeley Soul (Bandwagon Records 2015).

Briana has performed with a variety of artists throughout Colorado and beyond, including the O’Jays, the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra, Frankie Avalon, the Colorado Jazz Orchestra, and Annie Booth. Her additional recording credits include Art Deco’s Free Range (2018), The Cairn Project (2015), Socrates Garcia’s Back Home (2016), David Caffey’s All In One (2018) and Enter Autumn (2015), and Johnny Burroughs Day One (2019). Bri is an arranger and composer specializing in horn arrangements and contemporary styles. Her writing credits include many horn arrangements with The Burroughs, original horn section writing for Clandestine Amigo, and original theme music co-composed with Johnny Burroughs for KUNC Radio’s Colorado Edition.

Briana’s newest venture is Harris Artist Management, a boutique management firm aimed at helping all types of creatives do their best work. In this business, Bri combines years of experience working in arts marketing and administration with the savvy and understanding of being a working artist herself. Her goal is to provide customized service for creative professionals that helps them grow sustainable careers. Harris Artist Management specializes in full service management, strategic planning, creative consulting, and project management.

Briana is an educator with experience teaching jazz improvisation and saxophone performance at Front Range Community College,

Upcoming Jazz Events

Jazz in the Garden TheatreWednesday, October 4, 2021 | 11:15 AMUNC Garden Theatre

UNC Jazz Lab Band 1Wednesday, October 20, 2021 | 7:30 PMCampus Commons Performance Hall

UNC Jazz Lab Bands 2 & 3Monday, November 1, 2021 | 7:30 PMCampus Commons Performance Hall

UNC Vocal Jazz EnsemblesTuesday, November 9, 2021 | 7:30 PMCampus Commons Performance Hall

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