Greetings, all!I've been fortunate to teach at a school that is the hometown of the fabulous NYC percussionist, Valerie Naranjo. She is a member of the Saturday Night Live Band, arranged the percussion score and played for The Lion King Broadway show, recorded numerous albums and film scores, toured with Philip Glass for more than a decade, won major awards on several continents, including breaking new ground for women gyil performers in Ghana, gigs more than anyone, and frankly, she's an incredible person. Since I've been here (a little over 2 years), Valerie has done residencies at the college and this year was another treat. Her husband, Barry joined us and not only only is he a phenomenal jazz/latin/salsa pianist, but a fine trombonist (his major in college at Manhattan), and great afro-cuban drummer!
Valerie helped kick off the fund raising project I've started for a new 5.0 octave concert marimba with a very successful women's drumming class, sponsored by Vic Firth, Zildjian, and the Alamosa Live Music Association (ALMA), as well as a concert sponsored by ALMA. I was fortunate to collaborate on the program by playing tar on a piece (the photo was taken at the rehearsal- I'm actually playing a Cooperman hadjira and she's playing my new M1), as well as a trio of traditional Ghanaian drumming/singing. She's incredibly inspiring and I am so grateful she's from Alamosa!!
And by the way, if you are reading this and want to contribute to the marimba fundraiser- please contact me!!!
J-
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