Alum Notes: Spring/Summer 2024

Alum Notes: Spring/Summer 2024 The most recent news from your fellow alumni.

July 10, 2024

Emily McGuire B.F.A. '18 of Glendale, CA, found a new love for international dance, including belly dance, and has joined the Los Angeles Ballet Academy, teaching students of all ages.

Image by Chuck Espinoza

1957Rik Tinory of Cohasset, MA, is a the CEO of Rik Tinory Productions, with credits including Aerosmith and many more.

1970Archer A. Tony Jordan of Alexandria, VA, began managing the Bob Gibson Big Band, also known as the Thursday Night Sight Reading Band, after Bob Gibson stepped down in 2022.

1974Jack Jackson B.M. of Anchorage, AK, wrote Jazz Harmony Express, a comprehensive, 196-page, college-level training book published by JacksPress.com.

Jonathan David Seligman of Westminster, MD, released the album Consequential Terrain, which includes a collection of originals, Thelonious Monk tunes, and standards.

1975Mike Stern of New York City won first prize in the jazz category at the 28th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

1976Henry Daniel of Vancouver, Canada, is a cofounder of the SFU Black Caucus, an organization supporting and celebrating the Black community at Simon Fraser University and promoting fairness and inclusivity.

Jack DePietro of Red Hook, NY, released his memoir, Life Behind Bars, about how he became a jazz impresario, club owner, and drummer, and played with some of the legends of the jazz world.

J. Kimo Williams B.M. of Shepherdstown, WV, released the album His Magnus Opus: Red Summer 1919. This progressive-rock jazz opera album features Vinnie Colaiuta '75 and Mike Stern '75.

1980Valerie Stack Dodge B.F.A. of South Dennis, MA, performed in Joseph Vitale's new play, Sunset Park, at the Theater Project in New Jersey.

1981Craig Malcor of West Hills, CA, accomplished his dream of discovering the jazz he had always aspired to write and play, and released his debut album, Between Sounds.

Kenny Selcer B.M. of Carlisle, MA, released an eclectic mix of reggae, blues, and roots in his singer-songwriter album,Tears from Stone. It features Steve Gilligan '77 on bass.

1982Ethan M. Aneshansley B.M. of North Charleston, SC, has been a full-time educator as well as a GB cover band performer for the past 23 years.

Robert Ross B.M. of Tucson, AZ, shuttered the Auditory Perception Laboratory, a New York recording studio he founded 23 years ago, and relocated to Tucson to focus on playing bass.

Norman Skip Spratt of Berlin, NJ, has been an educator and freelance performer (saxophone and woodwinds) for over 30 years, collaborating with artists like Tony Bennett '74H, Natalie Cole '95H, and Johnny Mathis.

1983

Lance Bryan 83

Lance Bryant of Cedar Grove, NJ, formed the band Lance Bryant & Shout! in 2022. The LB Big Band is in its second year of residency at Clement's Place, a venue run by Rutgers University's Institute of Jazz Studies.

Paul Hoyle of Miami, FL, had his songs appear on The Horror of Dolores Roach (Amazon Prime Video), Gordita Chronicles (Max), and BARDO (Netflix).

1984Daniel Indart B.M. of Los Angeles is the founder and CEO of Indart Music and Latin Music Specialists. He licensed a new version of Rub n Blades' song Pedro Navaja for the film The Flash.

1985Mark Furst B.M. of Pawcatuck, CT, is a Trusted Partner Network-accredited site assessor, offering security audits and consultancy to the media and entertainment industry. TPN is owned by the Motion Picture Association.

Joe Mardin B.M. of New York City released an album of blues-influenced garage pop originals, Inside Outsider, in April. A month prior, he released the album's first video music on the birthday of his father, Arif Mardin '61, '85H.

Scott Sites B.F.A. of Palm Springs, CA, has been producing television comedies for almost 20 years. He is currently producing the award-winning show Abbott Elementary.

1986Charles Carlini B.M. of New York City organized two festivals in the city, the New York Jazz Piano Festival in January and the Guitar Masters Festival in April.

Beto Hale of Woodland Hills, CA, won first prize in the Latin category at the 28th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

John Mailloux B.M. of Westport, MA, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his recording studio, Bongo Beach Productions. Over his career, he has earned two Grammy nominations for engineering and production.

1987Christian DiGirolamo of Mattituck, NY, is the owner of Two for the Show Media and is the public relations specialist for Cindy Blackman Santana '80, J.R. Robinson '75, Sam Newsome B.M. '89, and others.

Riccardo Perotti of Weston, FL, released the song Legi n contra legi n in honor of those who have given their lives in the war in Ukraine.

Richard Perotti 87

Summer Gary Silverman B.M. of Fitzwilliam, NH, is a certified nurse practitioner at Trailside Health and plays horn and viola in the Keene Chamber Orchestra, Fitchburg State University's Concert Band, and more.

Jonathan Smith B.M. of New York City is wrapping up his second year touring as a music director and conductor for the musical Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.

1988Dawn Carroll of Medford, MA, created a 15-song soundtrack inspired by the story of Mary Cardwell Dawson, a Black cultural hero and founding director of the National Negro Opera Company.

Mike Dobkowski (a.k.a. Karttikeya) B.M. of Princeton, NJ, recorded, mixed, and coproduced the Cold Soil Drifters' album Shanks Pony.

1989Kiyo Takiyama of Tokyo, Japan, arranged and recorded instrumentals for a children's album that includes English and French adaptations of Japanese nursery rhymes.

1990Amy Engelhardt of Los Angeles premiered her album IMPACT at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. She wrote, produced, and performed the solo storytelling piece featuring her original music.

LINK:	https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/alum-notes-spring-summer-2024...
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