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"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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Download Michele's black and white
photo
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Michele's color
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Download Michele's 100-word bio,
Word
or pdf.
Download Michele's full bio,
Word
or pdf .
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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