Santa Monica, Calif. (Top40 Charts/ Recording Academy) The GRAMMY Foundation (www.grammyintheschools.com) announced today that 30 talented high school students from across the United States have been selected for positions in the 2012 GRAMMY Camp - Jazz Session(formerly known as GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles). Their selection launches them into the spotlight surrounding the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards, and provides them with unparalleled opportunities to perform in front of some of music's biggest names. Since 1993, the GRAMMY Foundation has provided students with this extraordinary musical experience. The students, representing 29 cities and 14 states, will travel to Los Angeles for a weeklong musical adventure under the direction of Justin DiCioccio of the Manhattan School of Music, Dr. Ron McCurdy of the University of Southern California Thornton School of
Music and Dr. Leila Heil of the University of Colorado, Boulder. This year, two members will comprise the GRAMMY Camp Media Team, and they will document the GRAMMY Week experience for a range of the GRAMMY Foundation's websites and social media platforms. Many past members of theGRAMMY Camp - Jazz Sessionprogram go on to enjoy thriving performance careers, including singer/pianist
Peter Cincotti (2001), two-time GRAMMY-nominated jazz pianist Gerald Clayton (2002), saxophonist
Grace Kelly (2008), New York Philharmonic bassist
David Grossman (1995) and pianist
Aaron Parks (2000). Applications for the 2013 GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session are online at www.grammyintheschools.com and the deadline to apply is Oct. 22, 2012.
"GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session is one of our longest-running GRAMMY in the Schools® programs, and it gives young people real-world experiences in the music industry," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy®. "In this case, it brings together top high school vocalists and instrumentalists from across the country to create a jazz choir, combo and band for a once-in-a-lifetime GRAMMY Week opportunity where these young artists play with their peers as well as with GRAMMY-nominated and GRAMMY-winning artists. GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session truly embodies the GRAMMY Foundation's mission of fostering the next generation of music and its makers."
The selected students will perform at various GRAMMY Week events including — for the third year— an appearance at GRAMMY In The Schools® Live! — A Celebration Of
Music & Education, sponsored by theFord Motor Company Fund and the Starkey Hearing Foundation. This special evening, which is open to the public, will showcase the selectees, along with student alumni from GRAMMY Camp and GRAMMY Signature Schools, with special guest artists on Feb. 8, 2012, at USC. The group will offer another public performance at Spaghettini's Italian Grill & Lounge witha special guest artist on Feb. 9. GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session members will also will attend the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 12 as guests of The Recording Academy and will perform at the GRAMMY Celebration®after-party.
The young musicians will again record at the legendary Capitol Studios & Mastering in Hollywood, Calif., courtesy of the EMI
Music Group. GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles albums from 2007- 2011are available for purchase at online music outlets such asAmazon, iTunes, Napster, and Rhapsody.
The GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session selectees are eligible for more than $2 million in college scholarships made possible through the GRAMMY Foundation's college partners: Berklee College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and USC Thornton School of Music. In addition, each selectee's school will receive aprofessional cymbal courtesy of the Zildjian Company.
The 2012 GRAMMY Camp - Jazz Session membersare listed by each student's instrument, role, or voice:
Choir
Name City
State School Part
Laila Smith San Jose Calif. Marin School of the Arts Soprano
Ashley Levin
Augusta Ga. Davidson Fine Arts Soprano
Veronica O'Brien Greenwood Va. Albemarle High School Alto
Christina Takayama Woodside Calif. Menlo-Atherton High School Alto
Nathan Heldman Los Angeles Calif. Academy of
Music at Hamilton High School Tenor
Felix Ramsey, Jr. Milwaukee Wis. Milwaukee High School of the Arts Tenor
Myles Nuzzi Cumberland
Maine Greely High School Bass
Mark Mekailian Arcadia Calif. Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Bass
Combo
Kayvon
Gordon Detroit Mich. Renaissance High School Drums
Beka Gochiashvili New York N.Y. Juilliard Pre-College/home-schooled Piano
Daryl Johns Englewood N.J. Dwight-Englewood School Bass
Band
Sam Hart New City N.Y. Clarkstown High School South Alto Sax 1
Tom Kelley Canton Conn. Canton High School Alto Sax 2
Julian Lee Montclair N.J. Montclair High School Tenor Sax
Jyron
Walls Pearland
Texas High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Tenor Sax
David Leon Miami Fla. New World School of the Arts Bari Sax
Ryan DeWeese Yorba
Linda Calif. Esperanza High School Trumpet Lead
Tyler Tritt Philadelphia Pa. J.R. Masterman Home and School Trumpet Lead
Adam O'Farrill Brooklyn N.Y.
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School Trumpet Jazz
Max Boiko Sunrise Fla. Dillard High School Trumpet 4
Michael Wang Sacramento Calif. Rio Americano High School Trombone 1
Matt Bumgardner North Bend Wash. Mount Si High School Trombone 2
Coleman Hughes Montclair N.J. Newark Academy Trombone 3
Chris Palowitch Pleasanton Calif. Amador Valley High School Bass Trombone
Antonio Madruga Pembroke Pines Fla. New World School of the Arts Piano
Connor Schultze Foxborough Mass. Foxborough High School Bass
Lucas del Calvo
Marina del Rey Calif. Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences Guitar
Cameron Macintosh South
Orange N.J. Columbia High School Drums
Media Team
Kevin Burke Garden City N.Y. Garden
City High School Videographer
Julian Ring Piedmont Calif. Piedmont High School Writer
