On this Thursday (10/29), our school will have a special guest for an afternoon assembly. Following opening performances by the high school's award-winning JazzChords (Lassman) and the middle school's JazzLab (Cannon), Denis DiBlasio will be performing along with his student led JazzLab from Rowan University. For those who don't know who he is, here's a brief biography about Denis.
After receiving his masters degree from the University of Miami, Denis DiBlasio joined the big band of legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, serving as Maynard's Musical Director for five years. During this time he honed his virtuosity on the baritone saxophone and flute as well as a prodigious scat-vocal technique, and developed formidable composing/arranging skills. His scores have been published by Kendor, William Allen, Kjos, Doug Beach and Hal Leonard, and his several books on jazz improvisation and scat-singing are available through Kendor, Houston and Jamey Aebersold Publications. He is currently Director of the Jazz Department and conducts the Jazz Lab Band at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ.
As a clinician for the Yamaha Musical Corporation, DiBlasio has taught and performed all over the United States; his "education as entertainment" style has also taken him to Canada, Mexico, Spain, France, Switzerland, Denmark and Japan. His unique combination of positive motivation and witty sense of humor ensures an atmosphere where "making music is fun" and students are encouraged by his fearless risk-taking attitude that communicates the message: "Mistakes are valid - if you learn something from the attempt." This approach keeps Denis extremely busy, in constant demand and often booked up to a year in advance.
The sheer joy of spontaneity, intensity, and depth of expression all come together in the jazz artistry of Denis Diblasio.
See you at the assembly.
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