Alumni News
We are proud of our former Western Michigan University students and Gold Company alumni, who are among today's leaders in jazz and pop performance, Broadway, recording studio production, touring, writing, arranging, singing and music education. Here are a few of the recent professional accomplishments and activities of some of our Gold Company and GC II alumni.
GCII Alum and "American Idol" finalist Matt Giraud was honored with a "Welcome Home" ceremony in Kalamazoo that included a performance by Gold Company for more than 4,500 people. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm declared May 7, 2009 "Matt Giraud Day". Matt is pictured below with members of Gold Company,Duane Davis (far left), Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell (in front of Davis) and Steve Zegree (far right).
Check out Gold Comapny alum Justin Avery playing piano on a recent broadcast of "Good Morning America" on ABC-TV.
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerindex?id=8610606
Gold Company alum Greg Jasperse has arranged for the television show "Glee". He has sung on recent movie soundtracks including "National Treasure 2", "Meet Dave", "Star Trek", "Land of the Lost", and "Couples Retreat". His arrangements and compositions are published by Oxford University Press, Hal Leonard, Shawnee Press, Carl Fischer, Mark Foster, and Augsberg-Fortress. (www.gregjasperse.com)
GC alum Mark Jackson has been named the director of "Shades of Blue", the vocal jazz ensemble at Grand Rapids Community College. Mark gave over 2,000 performances playing Tom Collins in "Rent" on Broadway and national tours. He is currently completing his master of music at Wetern Michigan University and sings in Gold Company.
Gold Company Alums Derek Fawcett and Dan Myers are members of Down The Line, a Chicago-based acoustic pop quartet that has performed with Peter Frampton, Ben Folds, Lifehouse, America, Pat Benatar, Colin Hay, Toad the Wet Sprocket and the Gin Blossoms on stages across the country. Upcoming dates include:
8/16: Abbey Pub (Chicago, IL) w/Colin Hay
8/28: Schubas (Chicago, IL)
9/7: Copper Country (Copper Mountain, CO) w/America
9/24: Genessee Theater (Waukegan, IL) w/America
www.facebook.com/downthelineband
Gold Company alum Xavier Davis (pianist) has recorded or performed with Betty Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Regina Carter, New York Voices, Joe Lovano, Sonny Fortune, Abbey Lincoln, John Faddis, Nicholas Payton, and Nat Adderley, among many others. He also is on the faculty at The Juilliard School in New Your City.
Gold Company alums Jennifer Shelton Barnes and Greg Jasperse sing in Los Angeles based vocal group Sixth Wave (www.6thwave.com). Jennifer and Greg can be heard on the soundtrack of the new "Star Trek" movie. Jennifer can also be heard on the soundtracks of "Seven Pounds", "Earth", "Ice Age 3" and "Tooth Fairy".
GC Alum Nayanna Holley has toured with pop stars Queen Latifah and Sheryl Crow. She appeared on the 2009 telecast of the Grammy Awards and currently is touring in France with the legendary Johnny Hallyday.
Mike Harvey has toured and performed with Seal, Rod Stewart and Beyonce, and performed on "Saturday Night Live". He has recorded with Luther Vandross and Steely Dan and for the past two years can be heard as solo vocalist on UPS commercials.
Gold Company alums Justin Avery (voice and keyboards), Joe Ayoub (bass), Brett Farkas (guitar) and Jevin Hunter (drums) formed the band Population Game, based in Los Angeles. They have also performed and toured with artists including Enrique Iglasias, The Emotions, Shielah E, Aly and AJ, and Solomon Burke.
www.myspace.com/populationgame
GC alum Bryan Chadima, based in Los Angeles, has been singing in a quartet with Dick Van Dyke, and recently released a children's CD, "Put On A Happy Face". (www.vantastix.com)
GC alum Keith Hall is Professor of Jazz Drum Set at Western Michigan University and for the past eight years has been touring the world with jazz singer Curtis Stigers, appearing on his last three albums. He hosts and sponsors the Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s658LO314_I) at WMU. (www.KeithHallMusic.com)
GC alum Johnaye Kendrick recently completed her master's degree at The Thelonious Monk Institute in New Orleans. She has recently performed with Ellis Marsalis and Nicholas Payton.
Gold Company alum, Producer Andre Mika with Chaka Kahn (with Gold Company alum Mike Harvey on background vocals) in rehearsal at the NHL Awards Ceremony in Las Vagas.
Gold Company alum, guitarist Jeremy Bieber reports:
I am excited to share with you my first music video performance!! Matt Goss, a British singer/songwriter formally for the 80's band Bros, just released his new single "Evil" and is beginning a residency at The Palms in Las Vegas. Although I am not playing the Vegas shows I'm sure we will be working together again in the future. The video is available for purchase through iTunes, but you can check it out here (just wait through the advertisement):
http://www.latimes.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=2a48d0d3-1598-4b70-acbc-9966c06781dc
Gold Company alum Aubrey Johnson recently performed at the Zeltsman Marimba Festival in Green Bay, WI in a concert of the music of Lyle Mays, with Mays on piano, Steve Rodby on bass and Dane Richeson on drums. She also tours and performs with the Guy Mendilow Band (www.guymendilow.com), having recently performed in Montreal.
After a national search, GC Alum Tim Brent was appointed Director of Vocal Jazz at the University of North Texas.
From WMU and Gold Company Alum Katie Campbell
With Sheryl Crow
At Common Grounds Fest in Lansing, MI
www.commongroundfest.com/Performers/#Crow
July 9 at 8pm
With Sheryl Crow
July 11 at 8pm in St. Louis, MO
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5546541
Sending my best to everyone and hope to see you!! With Love & Light... :)
K A T I E C A M P B E L L
Actress . Jazz Musician . Writer
Instructor at Musicians Institute
GC Alum Paul Loesel:
Currently playing keyboards in the Broadway production of WICKED (almost 6 years running and performing on the original soundtrack!) where I also teach the vocals to any new cast member coming into the show. That being my day job, I have time to spend on my own creative endeavors. I have songs on two albums by Broadway performers...Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley's OPPOSITE YOU, and Stephanie J. Block's THIS PLACE I KNOW. Upcoming recordings: Rebecca Luker. Along with my co-writer Scott Burkell, we made our Kennedy Center debut in February. It can be viewed in the archives at the Kennedy Center website. I've written two musicals with Scott. One, ELLA MINNOW PEA, was premiered at University of Michigan last fall, and the other, THE EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY will be presented in Houston this winter, then back to Off-Broadway in the fall of 2010. (ploesel@nyc.rr.com)
GC Alum Ellen Winters (Wingertzahn) was selected to perform as a vocalist at the 2009 Opening Ceremonies for the World's Largest Music Festival, Summerfest, on June 25th, 2009. Ellen was also selected among thousands of submissions to perform with her own band, The Ellen Winters Group, on July 3rd, 2009.
In the Fall of 2009, Ellen will take over direction of the Jazz/Pop Choir at Columbia College Chicago - where she has served as Adjunct Voice Faculty since 2007. Ellen takes the reins of the Jazz/Pop Choir from former director Mimi Rohlfing (also a GC Alum) who created the choir in 2005. (ellen@ellenwinters.com)
GC Alum Greg Vaden and his a cappella group elmoTHUMM would like to invite you to their very own vocal event known as AcappellaFest. Two events are being held this year: AcappellaFest Detroit is happening Sat., Oct. 17 and AcappellaFest Chicago is happening the following weekend Sat., Oct. 24. These are annual events and will feature The Bobs (Chicago) and Scott Leonard of Rockapella (Detroit). Other performs will include: elmoTHUMM, U of M Dicks and Janes, Chicago Voice Exchange, Blue Jupiter, Two Weeks Notice, 4 THE RECORD, Vocal Chaos, and more. All the details are at: www.AcappellaFest.com
GC Alumni Nate Adams, Matt Blevins and Tim Mellon are currently performing as part of an a cappella quartet on the Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Cruise Lines through November 19. The ship is based in Rome and sails the Mediterranean.
GC Alumni Denis Shebukhov (Bass), Hugh Little (Piano) and Matt Taylor (Voice) are currently performing jazz nightly on the Holland America cruise ship Zaandam, based in Seattle and touring Alaska and Canada, then Hawaii.
GC Alum Wendy (Ritter) Van Gent has been named director of the Eastern Michigan University vocal jazz ensemble.
GC Alum Jiana Hunter has been named director of the Oakland University Jazz Singers.
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