Michele Weir, jazz musician, arranger and educator.

"We were in the audience for the second concert at Carnagie. You need to realize that your last ballad with Phil was magical. You have a great gift."
Dave Filsinger
Director, Air Academy High School

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Michele is one of the leading figures in vocal jazz education today. She has earned international recognition through a diverse set of talents as arranger, teacher, singer and pianist.

With dozens of published vocal arrangements to her credit (Hal Leonard, Shawnee Press, Alfred Publishing and others,) plus works for big band and orchestra, Michele is a prolific arranger. In 2004, she also launched her own online publishing company, "MichMusic." Professional ensembles performing her work include New York Voices, M-Pact, Beachfront Property, Chanticleer, Voice Trek, the Boston Pops, and the Buffalo, Cincinnati and Pacific Symphonies. Michele's music has been featured on the Shari Lewis TV show, Disney's "101 Dalmations" Sing-along CD, and the Holland America Cruise line.

A former member of the Grammy-nominated vocal group "The PM Singers," Michele frequently performs as featured guest vocalist at various jazz festivals. As a pianist, she has toured extensively with a variety of artists, including singer Bobby Vinton. In her role as Music Supervisor for the DreamWorks film, "Prince of Egypt," she journeyed through Europe and Asia overseeing music production for the film's foreign language dubs. Her solo CD with jazz guitarist Bruce Forman is titled, "The Sound of Music."

Currently serving on the faculty of UCLA, Michele has previously taught USC, CSU Long Beach, and the Phil Mattson School. Highly respected as a teacher and clinician, her work has taken her to more than 22 countries around the globe. Recent notable presentations include the World Choral Symposium, the IAJE Conference, and the ACDA National Conference.

Michele's educational book/CD sets, "Vocal Improvisation" and "Jazz Singer's Handbook"are available worldwide. Her new book/CD Set, "Jazz Piano Handbook"(Alfred Pubs.) was released in January, 2008.

Michele is a member of S.A.G., A.F.T.R.A., A.S.C.A.P. and N.A.R.A.S.

Michele Weir, jazz educator and animal lover

Michele grew up in Northern California. During her early teens she spent hours at the guitar or piano, playing and singing the songs of folk artists such as Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. As a 16-year-old high school graduate, Michele attended the nearby Foothill Community College and dabbled in a variety of classes on the search for a possible career choice. One of the classes she stumbled upon was called, "Jazz Improvisation" taught by S.F. Bay Area musician Teri Summa. Very quickly, Michele developed a passion for Jazz and found it to be an art that came naturally for her. Teri Summa soon invited her to be the pianist in the school jazz band, and shortly after that she was also featured as vocal soloist.

Another faculty member at Foothill College was soon to become an extremely influential mentor for Michele: Phil Mattson. When Michele first heard the vocal group "Foothill Fanfairs" under Phil's direction, she auditioned for the group, and began a musical path that would shape the entire direction of her career.

Around 1989, Phil instituted the Phil Mattson Vocal Jazz Workshops, and invited Michele along with several other students to serve as faculty. It was at this time Michele began teaching and also experimenting with vocal arranging. One of her very first arrangements, a jazz rendition of "Rock A Bye Baby" soon was integrated into the repetoire of the Minneapolis based vocal group, "The Plaster Sisters," whom Michele continues to write for to this day. (They are now a five-voice group called "Voice Trek.")

Subsequently, Michele moved to Washington State to finish her Bachelor of Education Degree at Central Washington University. With continued vocal group singing, solo singing, piano playing and arranging, Michele's skills developed under the tuteledge of John Moawad and Dave Barduhn. After graduation, Michele did her obligitory stint as a waitress in Seattle (everyone has to, don't they?), but very soon was called to go on the road with "The New Deal Rhythm Band" as pianist/background singer. This "show" band played a variety of styles; from Louis Prima to the Blues Brothers.

After about 10 months of touring with the New Deal Rhythm Band in the US and Canada, Phil Mattson invited Michele to be a founding faculty member for his new, "Phil Mattson School." Spokane, Washington was the site for this innovative school for vocal jazz 'musicians' where Michele was to teach a variety of courses. Phil soon initiated the performing group, "Phil Mattson and the p.m. singers" who all served as full or part time faculty for the school. Several years, many tours, a couple of albums, and two Grammy nominations later, the p.m. singers disbanded when Phil was forced to close his school for financial reasons.

After sticking around Spokane for another year teaching part-time at Spokane Falls Community College, Michele decided to finish her studies and search for the right place to work on her Master of Music degree. When the University of Southern California offered her a full-ride teaching assitantship, Michele moved to Southern California, and initiated the school's first ever vocal jazz program.

Michele currently resides in Los Angeles, and is an active teacher, arranger and singer. See short bio or individual categories for more recent events.