EducArte

ABRACE weekly music lessons
2021-05-01 10:30 - 11:45, 2021-04-24 10:30 - 11:45, 2021-04-17 10:30 - 11:45, 2021-04-10 10:30 - 11:45, 2021-04-03 10:30 - 11:45, 2021-03-27 10:30 - 11:45, 2021-03-20 10:30 - 11:45, 2021-03-13 10:30 - 11:45 (America/New_York) and 2 more dates | Online
For ABRACE members only. To learn more about ABRACE, visit abracebrasil.org.

Virtual Series: Alison Crockett
2021-04-23 20:00 - 21:30 | Online
Join us for a conversation with vocalist Alison Crockett about her latest projects in American and Brazilian jazz.
On seminal recordings by King Britt, Blue Six, Us3, and a host of others, Alison Crockett’s voice has provided a velvety, sensual finishing touch for cutting edge beats. Her voice dripping soul with generous helpings of jazz, gospel and blues, she has taken the baton from divas of the present and past such as Rachelle Farrelle, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Donna Summer, Elis Regina, and Sarah Vaughn and forged a uniquely personal and singular musical vision. Alison’s latest project, released in November 2018, focuses on a new love: Brazilian music. After visiting the country she decided to mix her musical loves to create the project, “Obrigada.” Recorded in the city of São Paulo in the summer of 2017 with Brazilian jazz musicians Felipe Silviera, Thiago Alves, and Palinho Vicente, Alison has weaved a refreshing sound love of jazz, bossa nova, and soul that continues to highlight her fearlessness as a musical traveler boldly projecting her inimitable voice into the sonic future.
This conversation will be moderated by Pablo Regis.
Join us on Facebook Live or YouTube to tune in!
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/428617025046865/

Capoeira workshop at Arlington Montessori (private event)
2021-04-16 09:30 - 10:30 | Online

Canta Canta Minha Gente: Musicando Em Casa
2021-04-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
Ao centro Pablo de Oliveira com seu irmão e pai Floriano Regis desfilando no Festival of Masks em Los Angeles.
Music and dance workshop for Brazilian parents. Organization by ABRACE Brasil and the Brazilian Consulate of Chicago.
Mini-bio EducArte:
EducArte é uma organização sem fins lucrativos fundada por Pablo Regis de Oliveira e Kate Spanos em Maryland, EUA. A missão da organização é promover arte, cultura e educação. Criamos programas educacionais presenciais e virtuais para apresentar e apoiar artistas locais e internacionais, assim como estimular a criatividade e expressão artística do público em geral.
Kate Spanos é uma dançarina e pesquisadora de Washington, DC que trabalha com dança irlandesa e brasileira, principalmente danças populares nordestinas e danças de resistência.
Pablo Regis de Oliveira é um músico brasileiro, peruano e americano que cresceu no mundo da música brasileira em Los Angeles e Brasília. Ele toca cavaco e percussão. Também trabalha como produtor musical e artístico em Washington, DC e Maryland, desde 2005.
Descrição da Oficina:
Nesta oficina, compartilhamos estratégias para manter a identidade cultural e língua de herança por meio da música e dança. A oficina é voltada para famílias morando fora do Brasil. As estratégias incluem:

como tocar e escutar a música em família
construir instrumentos com materiais caseiros e fazer música usando esses instrumentos
estimular a família a dançar juntos em casa
desenvolver recursos que pais podem usar com seus filhos para manterem um forte e saudável senso de identidade brasileira e conexão com suas raízes

Clave - Orphan Roots of American Culture: A Workshop on African Rhythm in Modern Music with Jean-Francis Varre
2021-04-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
https://www.educarteinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Clave%20-%20Jean-Francis%20Varre.mp4
This interactive workshop is the first in a music and culture series tentatively titled “Black Atlantic.” The focus of the workshop is to shed light on the black African aesthetic of rhythmic structure commonly dubbed “syncopation” by Western musicologists but better explained by the Afro-Cuban concept of the “clave.” Participants will see how this African principle was incorporated into and influenced Western concepts of musical meter ranging from Brazil to the US, how it remains at the core of nearly all modern music, and how it can be applied in composition.
Jean-Francis Varre will lead combination of short verbal histories of various “claves” accompanied by live demonstrations of the musical styles on guitar and vocals and in dance. Participants will learn to clap and maintain a specific clave as the music performed over it is varied, by genre and era, in order to deepen the understanding of its application.
Register for the workshop

About Jean-Francis Varre
Jean-Francis is a singer multi-instrumentalist who holds BA in Sociology with a focus on postcolonial studies. Jean-Francis Varre was born to Senegalese and Cape Verdean immigrants in Washington, DC. He began singing at 13 years old, at first in English, and later in Spanish and the languages of his heritage: French, Wolof, and Portuguese. A self-taught singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Jean-Francis has performed musical genres including American soul & rock, Cuban salsa, and Senegalese mbalax in multiple local and international projects such as DC rock groups Lucy Brown and Sitali, Brazilian samba/axé celebrity Tonho Matéria, British soul icon Omar, Grammy-nominated hip hop fusion artist Christylez Bacon, and Grammy-nominated salsa/timba ensemble Gonzalo Grau y la Clave Secreta.
Jean-Francis currently leads the band Sahel which performs a fusion of his influences. In 2017 and 2018, Sahel shared bills with international artists such as Les Nubians, Habib Koite & Bamada, Bombino, and the Afro-Cuban All Stars. Sahel is presently in the process of recording its first original release.
Between 2016 and 2019, Jean-Francis travelled to Havana, Cuba and Bahia, Brazil to advance his diaspora studies and build a foundation for sustained documentary work and collaborative musical projects. In 2018, Jean-Francis won a DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Sister Cities grant for an artist exchange between Washington, DC and Dakar, Senegal entitled “Black Gold,” which included discussions, collaborations, and performances free to the public in both cities. The project took place in May and June 2019 and was also supported by the Smithsonian and Dance Place. At the 2020 DC Music Summit, Jean-Francis led an interactive workshop shedding light on the black African aesthetic of rhythmic structure entitled “Clave – The Orphan Roots of American Culture.” These projects comprise the first chapters of a long term educational bridge building endeavor tentatively titled “Black Atlantic,” which traces and recounts the movements of African peoples throughout the diaspora and their influence on modern world culture through the evolution of the music of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Irish dance workshop with Kate Spanos
2021-03-31 19:00 - 20:15 | Online
Join us for an interactive workshop in Irish dance with dancer and dance scholar Kate Spanos, PhD, in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Global Communities Living-Learning Program. Participants will learn about the history of Irish dance in Ireland and the United States, and how it contributes to the Irish diaspora community worldwide. Participants will also learn some basic Irish dance steps to celebrate March, the month of St. Patrick’s Day.
Register for free at go.umd.edu/gcidance

Workshop: Rhythmic Innovations in the Pagode Samba Movement of Rio de Janeiro with Philip Galinsky
2021-03-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
The original meaning of the word pagode in the samba scene of Rio de Janeiro is a communal gathering of musicians to play, sing, and dance this most typical of Brazilian genres. Percussionist-ethnomusicologist, Philip Galinsky, Ph.D. (founder and director of Samba New York!) is the first scholar to have published an in-depth study in academia in English on the so-called pagode samba movement. This spontaneous initiative spawned a resurgence of these gatherings in Rio and throughout Brazil, featuring a recovery of certain “roots” elements and several important innovations in the music in the 1970s and 1980s, leading to a renewed space in the media for the samba.
In this online workshop, based on his master’s research on the pagode in the 1990s and more than 25 years of experience teaching samba percussion, Dr. Galinsky will trace the early history of this movement. He will also highlight some of the new instruments created and introduced into the samba by members of Grupo Fundo de Quintal (The Backyard Group), the pioneering band of the movement and one of the most influential ensembles in the history of the genre.
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/771276363806309
Register for free

Virtual Series: Nic Gareiss, Becky Hill, and Kate Spanos
2021-03-19 20:00 - 21:30 | Online
Nic Gareiss (left) photo credit: Hilary Rees / Becky Hill (right) photo credit: Peggy Brisbane
Join us for an open conversation with percussive dancers Nic Gareiss, Becky Hill, and Kate Spanos about tradition, innovation, and musicality. They will discuss concepts such as “dancing the tune” (Gareiss), rhythmic translation, and the similarities and differences between various percussive dance forms.
Nic Gareiss is a dancer, musician, and dance researcher. One of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” Nic is swiftly becoming recognized as a leading figure in traditional dance. Informed by 25 years of ethnographic study and performance of many world dance practices, Gareiss’ work draws from many percussive dance traditions to weave together a technique facilitating his love of improvisation, traditional clog and step dance footwork vocabulary, and musical collaboration. He has performed in sixteen countries with many of the luminaries of traditional music and dance including Alasdair Fraser, Bruce Molsky, The Chieftains, Colin Dunne, Darol Anger, The Gloaming, Ira Bernstein, Liz Carroll, Phil Wiggins, and Sandy Silva. He has performed at London’s Barbican Centre, the Irish National Concert Hall, the Munich Philharmonic, and the Kennedy Center. In addition to his two solo shows The Art of Treepling and Solo Square Dance, Nic collaborates in duo projects with Allison de Groot, Caleb Teicher, Cleek Schrey, Maeve Gilchrist, Simon Chrisman, Ultan O’Brien, and as a member of the quartets DuoDuo and This is How we Fly. To learn more about Nic Gareiss, visit www.nicgareiss.com.
Becky Hill is a percussive dancer, square dance caller, choreographer, community organizer, and educator. She grew up in Michigan, spent extensive time in West Virginia and now resides in Brentwood, Maryland. Becky has worked with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, Good Foot Dance Company, and Rhythm in Shoes, and has studied with an array of percussive dance luminaries. As an avid organizer and teacher, Becky’s work is deeply rooted in the connections between music and community. She believes there is always more to learn and is dedicated to creating innovative choreography rooted in Appalachian music and dance. To learn more about Becky Hill, visit www.rebeccahill.org.
Kate Spanos is an Irish step dancer with experience in a variety of other percussive dance styles, as well as Brazilian dance and movement traditions. Her embodied research and teaching focuses on how dance creates joy and community, embodies resistance, promotes social change, and walks the line between tradition and innovation. She is particularly interested in the ways that dances archive memory and construct embodied knowledges for communities of people. To learn more about Kate Spanos, visit www.thekatespanos.com.
Join us on Facebook Live or YouTube to tune in!
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/435258710856577/

Workshop: Samba Grooves and Rhythmic Patterns with Richard Miller
2021-03-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Explore traditional samba grooves and its variations, including the grooves of João Bosco, Djavan, Martinho da vila, and many more. Bring your instruments! All are welcome.
Register for free
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/453378672377880
About Richard Miller:
Richard Miller, Ph.D., explores the richly expressive sounds of the nylon string guitar (both 7 string and 6 string) with a repertoire that includes Brazilian styles (choro, samba, bossa nova, forró, etc.), American jazz, Latin American styles (salsa, bolero, tangos, etc.), and Classical guitar. He is also active as an educator, composer, and writer/presenter for academic publications and conferences. He earned a Ph.D. in music theory from Catholic University of America in 2006 and he has taught theory and guitar at Georgetown University. He holds a Master of Music degree in guitar performance from Manhattan School of Music. Richard Miller was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to an American father and a Brazilian mother and moved frequently in Brazil, United States and Puerto Rico (see “Treble is my middle name” under musings). He has become well known in the Washington, DC area for his performances of both classical guitar music and popular Brazilian and Latin-American music and has traveled extensively for concerts and recitals in United States and Latin America. A review of a recital by Richard at the State Department affirmed “Throughout his recital, he not only displayed impeccable technique but communicated his love of this beautiful music.” A review in the Washington City Paper by Joel Siegal of the duo of Richard Miller with Patrick de Santos (voice) stated “Patrick and Richard strike a remarkable balance between disciplined technique and otional abandon.”

Virtual Series: Amy K Bormet
2021-03-05 20:00 - 21:30 | Online
Photo credit: Chris Ubit
Join us for a conversation with pianist, vocalist, and composer Amy K Bormet about her work and her upcoming Washington Women in Jazz Festival, which she created in 2011 and is organizing as a virtual festival this year.
This conversation will be moderated by Pablo Regis.
For more about Amy K Bormet, visit www.amykbormet.com.
Join us on Facebook Live or YouTube to tune in!
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/415891356315523/

Workshop: Deep Listening and Emotion in Sound with Brian Falkowski
2021-02-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Join us for a free workshop with DC-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Brian Falkowski. In this workshop, Brian will discuss and demonstrate the often overlooked art of how to critically listen to music and hear emotion in sound. This skill is applicable to all genres of music and ability levels, no experience necessary.
Register for free
About Brian Falkowski
Brian Falkowski performs with a wide variety of groups at many top venues throughout the DC metropolitan area. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Music where he studied saxophone, flute, and clarinet with Chris Vadala and Dale Underwood. Since then he has traveled the world playing all styles of music on cruise ships, and has won top prizes at the Takoma Park Jazz Festival, DC Blues Festival, Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, and Mu Phi Epsilon Soloist Competition, and recently was named winner of the 2020 Emergent Seed competition in the Instrumental Category. Equally at home in the studio as on stage, Brian’s playing can be heard on 33 albums by various artists, including his 2011 debut album Transitions, the Zeitgeist Media progressive music documentary Romantic Warriors, and Tosin Aribisala’s 2018 album Africa Rising, which received a Grammy nomination for “Best World Music Recording.” In addition to performing/recording and teaching privately, he currently leads his own group “Kaleidoscope,” which features his original compositions, dynamic improvisation, multi-textured electronic experimentation, and mixed-media visual art.

Virtual Series: Cissa Paz
2021-02-19 20:00 - 21:30 | Online
Join us for a conversation with Brazilian singer-songwriter Cissa Paz about her latest work and her upcoming album. Cissa has made a name for herself in Washington, DC as an eclectic performer influenced by the local jazz sounds and her Brazilian African-Indigenous background. Nominated for 3 Wammies, her debut album gained great organic momentum. Cissa’s captivating stage presence and soulful voice bring music that is upbeat and engaging. She is known and loved among the lovers and dancers of Brazilian music not only as a performer, but as an ambassador of her genre. Her upcoming album promises a combination of Afro-Brazilian base with funky and soulful influences. The album is a musical melting pot of fresh collaborations with highly acclaimed artists from her home country.
This conversation will be moderated by Pablo Regis.
For more about Cissa Paz, visit www.cissapaz.com.
Join us on Facebook Live or YouTube to tune in!
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/988122458383254/

Brazilian choro lecture/demonstration with Mike Marshall
2021-02-19 14:00 - 15:00 | Online
Join us for a lecture/demonstration on Brazilian choro music with master mandolinist Mike Marshall, in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Global Communities Living-Learning Program. Marshall will perform some tunes and talk about choro, Brazil’s first urban popular music and the precursor to samba.
Register for free at go.umd.edu/gcchoro

Workshop: Brazilian percussion with André Coelho
2021-02-13 15:00 - 16:30 | Zoom
Join us for a free workshop with Brazilian percussionist André Coelho from Rio de Janeiro. The workshop will cover some background on Brazilian rhythms and describe each of the main instruments used in batucada and rodas de samba: surdo, pandeiro, tamborim, cuíca, agogô, reco-reco, reqique de mão and repique de anel, tantam or rebolo, ganzá or chocalho, and others.
The workshop will take place on Zoom.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/431179028321450

Frevo: Brazilian Carnival Dance Workshop
2021-02-13 15:00 - 16:00 | Online
Ei, pessoal! Vem moçada! O Carnaval começa com…a virtual frevo workshop with Kate Spanos! ⛱️
Did you know that in Recife, in the Northeast of Brazil, they celebrate carnival with frevo rather than samba? This workshop will be an introduction to frevo’s basic passos, or steps, with a focus on high energy self-expression. All are welcome!
Register: https://www.joyofmotion.org/adult-dance-classes/workshops/

Virtual Series: Carnival dance party with JP Silva
2021-02-06 20:00 - 21:30 | Online
Virtual carnival is coming to you!
This year we may not be able to dance together, but we are bringing the party to you. Join us for this special virtual performance by JP Silva, coming to us directly from Rio de Janeiro. We will kick off the evening at 8PM with a short dance lesson, and then at 8:30PM JP will lead us in some classic sambas and carnival songs. We invite you to sing and dance along with us from your homes! Viva Brasil, viva Carnaval!
Born in Rio de Janeiro, JP Silva is a singer, composer, and instrumentalist who professionally entered the world of music through choro at the Escola Portátil de Música da Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). He has played with renowned musicians Diogo Nogeira, Elza Soares, Toninho Gerais, Barbeirinho, Marquinhos de Oswaldo Cruz, Délcio Carvalho, Maurício Carrilho, Elton Medeiros, Paulão 7 Cordas, Ademilde Fonseca, Velha Guarda Império Serrano, Velha Guarda Mangueira, Velha Guarda Portela, Mario Broder, Neguinho da Beija-Flor, B Negão, Wilson Moreira, Wilson das Neves, Dudu Nobre, Fernanda Abreu, Jorge Aragão, and Luiz Melodia. He has played at some at the biggest music houses in Brazil.
JP has played in Washington, DC various times, representing the genres of samba, choro, and MPB. He performed at Baltimore’s Creative Alliance’s Viva Brasil! carnival party in 2019 and 2020.
This virtual performance is presented in partnership between EducArte and Creative Alliance, to keep the carnival festivities going in 2021.
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1120616308367826/
Join us on Facebook Live or YouTube Live
Schedule:
8PM Dance lesson with Dee Hale
8:30PM Live music with JP Silva

African Rhythms in Brazilian Music, Part II - Workshop with Richard Miller, PhD
2020-12-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
Join us for the second workshop in the series African Rhythms in Brazilian Music, taught by Richard Miller, PhD. Watch the first workshop here.
About Richard Miller:
Richard Miller explores the richly expressive sounds of the nylon string guitar (both 7 string and 6 string) with a repertoire that includes Brazilian styles (choro, samba, bossa nova, forró, etc.), American jazz, Latin American styles (salsa, bolero, tangos, etc.), and Classical guitar. He is also active as an educator, composer, and writer/presenter for academic publications and conferences. He earned a Ph.D. in music theory from Catholic University of America in 2006 and he has taught theory and guitar at Georgetown University. He holds a Master of Music degree in guitar performance from Manhattan School of Music. Richard Miller was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to an American father and a Brazilian mother and moved frequently in Brazil, United States and Puerto Rico (see “Treble is my middle name” under musings). He has become well known in the Washington, DC area for his performances of both classical guitar music and popular Brazilian and Latin-American music and has traveled extensively for concerts and recitals in United States and Latin America. A review of a recital by Richard at the State Department affirmed “Throughout his recital, he not only displayed impeccable technique but communicated his love of this beautiful music.” A review in the Washington City Paper by Joel Siegal of the duo of Richard Miller with Patrick de Santos (voice) stated “Patrick and Richard strike a remarkable balance between disciplined technique and otional abandon.”

Workshop: Traditional Samba Percussion Instruments: The Batucada
2020-12-02 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Join us for a free workshop with Brazilian percussionist André Coelho from Rio de Janeiro. The workshop will cover some background on Brazilian rhythms and describe each of the main instruments used in batucada and rodas de samba: surdo, pandeiro, tamborim, cuíca, agogô, reco-reco, reqique de mão and repique de anel, tantam or rebolo, ganzá or chocalho, and others.
To register for the workshop, please contact us.
About André Coelho:
André Coelho is a pandeiro player and percussionist, born in Rio de Janeiro. He started with samba schools and blocos such as Carmelitas, Céu na Terra, Orquestra Voadora, Prata Preta, Tá Pirando Cacique de Ramos, and many others, playing marchinha, samba, pop, regional, and fanfarras. His passion for music also brought him to samba and choro rodas where he delved into studies of pandeiro, an instrument that dominates Brazilian rhythms. He founded Grupo Instrumental Carioca, a regional choro group that travels through instrumental Brazilian music. He was a member of groups such as Terreiro de Breque, Velhos Malandros, and Padra do Sal with singers Roberta Nistra and Beatriz Rabello, besides freelancing with various others. He has grown his knowledge of general percussion techniques and today, besides pandeiro, he also plays surdo, tantam, repique de anel, atabaque, repinique, caixa, tamborim, and other various instruments. He researches and studies diverse rhythms such as samba canção, samba de breque, partido alto, samba de roda, samba choro, sincopado, samba enredo, and its origins in African rhythms, such as maxixe, marchas, and batucadas; as well as northeastern Brazilian rhythms such as baião, coco, frevo, maracatu, ciranda, and bumba meu boi. He moved to the United States, where he now lives with his family. In his short time living in the DC region, he has played with various musicians, such as Gigi MacLaughlin, Rafael Pondé, Pablo Regis, Cissa Paz, Julie Mack, João Fênix, and JP Silva. He is passionate about Brazilian music and culture.

Capoeira workshop at Arlington Montessori (private event)
2020-11-23 09:30 - 10:00 | Online
Organized in partnership between EducArte, Fulbright in the Classroom, and Arlington Montessori.

Women in Brazilian Song: Kenia and Alison Crockett
2020-10-23 20:00 - 21:15 | Online
Join us for the second program in our virtual performance series that features women in Brazilian song! We invite Kenia and Alison Crockett for a conversation about their careers as vocalists, and some opportunities to see and hear their work. The conversation will be moderated by Pablo Regis.
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/761203344674086/
About the artists:
Kenia
Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, vocalist Kenia has become one of the foremost exponents of Brazilian song in the United States. From her debut on the great trumpet player Claudio Roditi’s, “Red on Red,” to her upcoming 2020 Mooka Records release, she has epitomized the breezy elegance, refinement and groove of the best of modern Brazilian music. In 2008, Kenia won the Brazilian Press Award for Best CD of the Year, and was nominated for a Grammy for her release, “Simply Kenia.” Along with eight critically acclaimed solo releases (and counting), Kenia has performed at national and international festivals from the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival to the Bonaire Heineken Jazz Festival in the ABC Islands.
Alison Crockett
On seminal recordings by King Britt, Blue Six, Us3, and a host of others, Alison Crockett’s voice has provided a velvety, sensual finishing touch for cutting edge beats. Her voice dripping soul with generous helpings of jazz, gospel and blues, she has taken the baton from divas of the present and past such as Rachelle Farrelle, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Donna Summer, Elis Regina, and Sarah Vaughn and forged a uniquely personal and singular musical vision. Alison’s latest project, released in November 2018, focuses on a new love: Brazilian music. After visiting the country she decided to mix her musical loves to create the project, “Obrigada.” Recorded in the city of São Paulo in the summer of 2017 with Brazilian jazz musicians Felipe Silviera, Thiago Alves, and Palinho Vicente, Alison has weaved a refreshing sound love of jazz, bossa nova, and soul that continues to highlight her fearlessness as a musical traveler boldly projecting her inimitable voice into the sonic future.

Artists of Prince George's County: Amy K Bormet and Ceylon Mitchell
2020-10-09 20:00 - 21:15 | Online
Join us for a conversation with Prince George’s County-based artists Amy K Bormet and Ceylon Mitchell about their work as musicians, educators, and arts administrators. They will talk about their community-focused work pre-pandemic, how they have been dealing with the pandemic, and what their plans are for moving forward after the pandemic. The discussion will be moderated by Pablo Regis.
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/797246737780959/
About the artists:
Amy K Bormet is a pianist, vocalist, composer, and educator, known for her fearless free-wheeling style and dedication to creating new music. To collaborate with and celebrate women musicians, she started the annual Washington Women in Jazz Festival in 2011, directing, financing, and performing in an annual festival and women-focused events throughout the year in the DC area. As an advocate for and stakeholder in DC’s unique jazz scene, she co-hosts a weekly radio show on WPFW 89.3FM, Jazz Stories WPFW, featuring interviews and music. She is a teaching artist, collaborating with the Kennedy Center’s new programming at the REACH to present and perform with her trio “the future of jazz is female” for middle school students.
Ceylon Mitchell II is a flutist, arts entrepreneur, educator, and arts advocate in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. His mission is keeping classical music alive, authentic, and accessible. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, he earned a Master of Music Education degree from Boston University and a Master of Music Performance degree from the University of Maryland, in addition to a Graduate Certificate in Multimedia Journalism. Ceylon is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) student under the tutelage of Dr. Sarah Frisof at the University of Maryland. Recent achievements include the Strathmore Artist in Residence Class of 2021, a 2018 Prince George’s County Forty UNDER 40 Award in Arts & Humanities, and a 2019 Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council Artist Fellowship Grant. As part of the grant, Ceylon presented a series of performances exploring Western-European classical flute music in the Latin American countries of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Brazil.
