Composer in Residence, Kim Archer
Kimberly K. Archer (b. 1973 in Mendota, IL) is currently serving as Professor of Composition at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois. She teaches composition, orchestration, analysis, counterpoint, and music theory.
A specialist in music for winds and percussion, Dr. Archer has been commissioned by organizations such as
- The “President’s Own” United States Marine Band
- The United States Air Force Band of Mid-America
- The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Illinois State University
- The International Women’s Brass Conference
Conductor in Residence, Carolyn Barber
Carolyn A. Barber is the Ron and Carol Cope Professor of Music and Director of Bands in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Glenn Korff School of Music.
As director of bands at UNL, her teaching assignment is now a hybrid of traditional academic classes and performance-based courses. This combination provides a rich atmosphere for the cross-pollination of ideas, techniques, and creative problem solving. Dr. Barber’s chief area of research is conducting practice and pedagogy, with emphasis on group dynamics (flocking and influence), and the development of ensembleship through improvisation, artistic thinking, and a broad, multidisciplinary array of rehearsal techniques. She has demonstrated and elaborated upon her work at masterclass/rehearsal clinics nationwide.
Guest Composer, Will Healy
Will Healy is a composer, pianist, and improviser whose work engages with many of the musical worlds in New York City, from classical concert halls to jazz clubs and hip-hop shows. A recipient of the 2023 Leonard Bernstein Prize from the ASCAP Foundation, he is passionate about both tradition and innovation. He has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and National Sawdust. His arranging credits include Kanye West, the New York Philharmonic, the Albany Symphony, and others.
Healy is the artistic director and founder of ShoutHouse, a collective of hip-hop, jazz, and classical musicians. Described by US poet-laureate Billy Collins as “sweetly and smartly off the rails”, ShoutHouse has premiered over 50 new works, and their debut full-length album, Cityscapes, came out on New Amsterdam Records, featuring “a lavishly orchestrated, absolutely unique blend of postrock, art-rock and indie classical.” (New York Music Daily).
Vocal Soloist, Hannah Zazzaro
Hannah Zazzaro an actor, singer and songwriter has always had her hands in multiple performance genres. She began classical voice training in middle school and went on to achieve a BFA in Musical Theater from the prestigious University of Cincinnati – College Conservatory of Music (CCM). She is currently working with pop/rock musicians in Florida and New York and is writing songs for an upcoming album. She has done regional theater and performed in many concerts and cabaret venues throughout New York City and is featured on albums such as “Cityscapes” by Shouthouse, a Juilliard-backed orchestral hip hop group, and “Abandoned Heart” by New York fixture Michael Mott. Hannah is from Clearwater, FL.
Emcee - Spiritchild
A freedom singer/artist from the South Bronx by way of Staten Island, spiritchild uses the arts to cultivate a cultural revolution throughout the world, from the United States to Europe, from Africa to South East Asia. This artist’s eclectic and experimental fusion of true school Hip Hop, Funk, Electronica and Jazz continues to break the boundaries of the music scene. As spiritchild channels the frequencies of J Dilla having tea with Sun Ra, painting the silhouettes of Nina Simone remixing El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz also known as Malcolm X, no one shares the time and the space without being moved in body, mind, heart and soul.
Staying in tune with and contributing to the pulse of young people’s musical and social heartbeat is at the core of this artist’s life work. spiritchild has extensive experience developing and leading workshops and programs on ‘critical rEvolutionary hip hop pedagogy’, songwriting and artist development.