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[email protected] http:www.mee-j.com 7 May 2005
SAXOPOLY, TOO! PLAYS ITALIAN STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL MIRAFLORES ACADEMIE STUDENTS RETURN FOR THE 7th YEAR
On Saturday June 11 2005 10:45 am Saxopoly, too! one of the instrumental ensembles of Miraflores Music Academié returns to perform at San Rafael’s Italian Street Painting Festival. This select ongoing saxophone group under the direction of Marcia Migét has participated in this Festival for the last seven years and performs locally at other local venues.
Julie Levinson, a saxophonist for six years is junior at San Rafael High School, runs cross country and plays varsity basketball. Performing in both the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band she has been studying with la Maestra Migét for the last five years. “Music allows my brain to express emotions in a whole other language.”
Another San Rafael High School junior, Dorian Pandey also plays in the Wind Ensemble as well as lead Alto saxophone in their Jazz Band. Having studied piano since the age of five in eighth grade he began saxophone with Ms. Migét. Playing varsity soccer he says, “Music is my choice to communicate my emotions. It really gives me joy.”
Boston-native Andy Ross-Perry believes, “Music is the mortar that holds my temple together.” A member of the first graduating class of the Jewish Community High School of the Bay, this eighteen-year old senior has been studying saxophone for seven years. A national Scrabble champion this skill extends into his sightreading. Interested in all genre of music excepting bluegrass, Andy has already had his own rock band and sees no tattoos in his future. His salient comment is, “Two rights don’t make a wrong, but three rights do make a left.”
With the same discipline and passion it takes to be a four-time Junior State Wrestling Champion James Perdelwitz approaches music. A multi-instrumentalist, whose primary instrument as saxophone, he’s most recently received the Top Individual Scholarship Award at the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival. A participant in the CalPoly All State Honors Jazz Band and recipient of the Reno Jazz Fest’s Outstanding Musicianship Award he was inspired by his fifth grade teacher. This sixteen year old Marin School of the Arts sophomore wants to make a profession out of performing music, and his sample statement is, “I can put all my emotions into it, and I’m a really happy guy.”
Director of Saxopoly, too! Marcia Migét, is a ‘Maestra’ of many elements. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and educator, Marcia’s most recent performances include the 2005 International Association of Jazz Educators' with the African American Jazz Caucus Allstar Big Band (and was the 2004 Featured Artist performing with the Historically Black Colleges' University Allstar Band); the 2004 Monterey, Stern Grove and Fillmore Jazz Festivals as the only female saxophonist with Anthony Brown and the Asian American Orchestra; and with Wayne Wallace and Pete Escovedo at Vallejo’s Jazz Festival.
With skills that cross multiple genres this year she’s also recorded with Dr. Anthony Brown and the Asian American Orchestra on his latest Big Band Project, Gershwin; performed with the Northern California Lighthouse Singers 25th Anniversary conducted by Helen Stevens and Stephen Roberts; and her latest project-as-producer is Passing the Baton: the Miget-Redd Session Part 1 available on www.mee-j.com . Her performance pedigree includes multiple appearances with Carlos Santana, and such notables as Freddy Redd, Larry Ridley, Jimmy Cobb, Buddy Baker, Kenny Barron, Orestes Vilato, Frank Foster, Donald Byrd, Chick Corea, Tyrone Hill of Sun Ra’s Arkestra, Carl Perazzo, Dimitri Methany, Phish, John Santos, John Handy, Babatunde Lea, Abel Sanchez, Jorge Santana and the SF Kids, Jaimeo Brown and Dartanyan Brown to name a few. “For me there’s a realtime balance in the musical education of children and performing. My experiences indicate that music places one in ‘a state of discovery’ making the individual receptive to learning and retention”, says Migét.
Based in the Bay Area since 1988, Miraflores Academié has been, a preeminent private school that has been the foundation for some of Marin’s best musical talent, as current and graduated students, e.g. Jeff Derby, Jaimeo Brown, Alex Baky, J.J.Byars, Lou Wiskus, Robby Marshal, Isabella Quereshi, Zach Gunsell, Dan Birch, Bram Kincheloe, Elecia Strauss, Seth Paris, Kristina Hoffman, Andrew Capra and Salvador Santana, evidence. These graduates, and many more, have been selected for prestigious musical performance groups like the International Monterey High School All-star Jazz Band, California High School All-State Band, California High School All-State Concert Band, the San Francisco Jazz High School Allstars and attend a number of institutions such as Oberlin College, Sarah Lawrence, Berklee School of Music, the New School to Cal Arts, Manhattan School, NYU, USC and UCLA or performing professionally with such names as Bill Watrus, Mingus Big Band, and Greg Tardy. The array of award-winning students from Miraflores have performed in such events as the Duke Ellington Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, the International Association of Jazz Educators’ Convention, San Jose Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, and Reno Jazz Festival.
Visit www.mee-j.com to stream a unique musical experience where you can listen with your Heart.
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