PRINCEVILLE — Berklee College of Music professors Jon Hazilla (percussion), Jeannie Gagné (voice), Danny Morris (bass) and Stan Strickland (voice) are hosting an afternoon of musical exploration through rhythm and singing. The “Body, Rhythm & Sound” workshop begins at 2
PRINCEVILLE — Berklee College of Music professors Jon Hazilla (percussion), Jeannie Gagné (voice), Danny Morris (bass) and Stan Strickland (voice) are hosting an afternoon of musical exploration through rhythm and singing.
The “Body, Rhythm & Sound” workshop begins at 2 p.m. today at the Church of the Pacific in Princeville. It is free and open to the public.
This quartet of talented musicians are the winners of the 2013 Berklee Steelgrass Residency, a collaboration made possible by the vision and generosity of Kaua‘i’s Lydgate family working with Berklee College and the Kaua‘i Concert Association.
The program supports the creative arts by bringing Berklee faculty to an inspiring environment in which to produce enduring works of the imagination, according to the Berklee website. Recipients receive shared room, travel, per diem and the exclusive use of the recording studio for two weeks on the Lydgate’s Steelgrass Farm property.
Hazilla has been a professor at Berklee College for 25 years and has performed and/or recorded with Jo Anne Brackeen, James Williams, John Hicks, Billy Taylor and Aaron Goldberg, to name just a few. He has produced seven CDs himself and recorded more than 40 more as a sideman.
His natural gift for teaching keeps him in high demand in and around Boston and worldwide, states his biography.
A professional vocalist for over 25 years, Gagné has performed for Philip Glass, Penn & Teller, the Barenaked Ladies, Cher and reggae artist Frankie Paul. She has recorded three solo albums featuring her original music, as well as published many chorale works, articles and songs. In 2012, she was co-awarded the Newbury Faculty Fellowship Grant.
“Gagné is perhaps best known for her powerful yet beautiful 4-1/2 octave voice,” her biography states. “She sings and teaches in many styles, from rock to pop to singer/songwriter to gospel to classical arias.”
Morris — also known as “Danny Mo” — has been a professor at Berklee since 1988 and has taught thousands of students the language of music and the art of ensemble performance, according to his biography. He has authored two online courses for berkleemusic.com, leads an active teaching schedule at Berklee campus and enjoys performing live and in the studio.
“It’s a process involving entertainment, vibes, grooves and aesthetic,” he stated in his biography. “I enjoy the art of creation through improvisation. The combination of bringing people together using sound, harmony and rhythm is the intrigue. I look forward to each and every opportunity to make music and share the art form of collective improvisation with fellow musicians.”
Strickland — a singer, saxophonist, flutist and actor — has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Scandinavia, the Caribbean, New Zealand and the former Soviet Union, according to his biography.
He has opened for jazz greats Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, as well as the Barenaked Ladies.
Strickland has a M.A. degree from Lesley College in Expressive Arts Therapy, where he is an adjunct professor. He also teaches at Berklee, Tufts University and Longy School of Music.
“The musical strengths of Jon, Jeannie, Stan and Danny lie in diverse genres of musical styles and song-writing, encompassing everything from rhythm and blues to jazz to folk,” according to the event flyer. “Their strong creative bond is formed through a desire to push past boundaries and a shared focus on healing, spirituality and the organic process.”
During today’s workshop, the Berklee group will explore these ideas through interactive, rhythm-based exercises and activities that incorporate sound and movement.
The workshop is open to all ages, levels and forms of experience. Bring your instrument and come play along.
In addition to the workshop, the Berklee group will perform at 3 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center in Puhi.
Tickets are $30 for adults, $10 for students. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.kauai-concert.org or call 245-7464.
Be sure to check out the Jan. 6 edition of Kaua‘i Times for additional coverage of Sunday’s performance at KCC.
