As I near the end of my first year teaching at Grand Rapids Community College, there is much to celebrate – great music sung, concepts mastered, and friendships made. More and more I feel that I’ve been preparing for this job for many, many years and I’m so excited that it feels so natural. My students at GRCC have consistently “bought in” to what I’ve been offering them, and have grown so much as a group.
Last weekend I was able to bring Shades of Blue back to the Gold Company Invitational Vocal Jazz Festival for the first time in several years: they performed in the late-afternoon slot I remember hearing them in when I was a student at WMU, and, despite missing 3 of our 11 singers, they performed musically and with passion and commitment. As a bonus, we got to experience a 30-minute coaching session with the brilliant Darmon Meader of the New York Voices immediately after the performance. He elevated their musicianship and inspired them with his knowledge and insights.
Here are videos of their three performances on Saturday afternoon. Enjoy!