Students and faculty of VCU and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Durban, South Africa) perform together at VCU. Photo credit: Jean-Philippe Cyprès

Professor Emeritus, effective Fall 2022. Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2001-2022, with tenure. Recipient of the VCU School of the Arts' 2015 Faculty Award of Excellence for his teaching, research, and service. Director of Jazz Orchestra I, Instructor of Applied Jazz Trombone, Small Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Theory & Aural Skills, Jazz Pedagogy, Music Industry. Director, Greater Richmond High School Jazz Band. Duties included the first revision of the B.M. Jazz Studies curriculum in 25 years, plus increasing jazz program visibility. Fundraised $5.5 million in external gift pledges for the VCU Jazz Program, with hundreds of thousands of dollars already in hand.

Created a partnership and exchange between VCU Jazz and the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal that merited the 2013 VCU Community Engagement Award for Research.

Founder of the VCU Jazz Studies Student Grant program, encouraging original research or creative work by students under the close supervision of a faculty member.

Founder and initially Coordinator, VCU B.A. with a Music Business Emphasis.

Regularly contracting guest artist/clinicians to visit VCU. The 2011-12 year, for example, included guest violinists Mat Maneri and Zach Brock; clarinetist Lori Freedman; saxophonists Jeff Antoniuk, Steve Wilson, and Bob Mintzer; trumpeters Graham Breedlove and Taylor Barnett; guitarist Ayman Fanous; pianists Wade Beach and Patrice Rushen; bassists Tom Baldwin, Mat Wigton, Joshua Davis, and James Genus; drummers Emre Kartari, Fred Kennedy, John Riley, and Billy Kilson; drummer and composer John Hollenbeck; our artist in residence, trumpeter John D'earth—plus co-hosted vocalist Ayca Gunduz; vibraphonist Jon Metzger; pianist Xavier Davis; bassist Matthew Parrish; drummer Harry "Butch" Reed; ethnomusicologist Lara Pellegrinelli; the No BS! Brass; and presented guest-performing adjunct faculty and additional alumni—plus an off-campus session with the legendary composer/producer Quincy Jones. Coordinating coalitions of various VCU Departments—such as African American Studies, Multicultural Affairs, Libraries, English, Music, Communication Design, and the Activities Planning Board—towards co-funding and publicizing guest-artist visits.

Regularly engaging professionals to visit the Music Industry class and offer their first-hand expertise and advice, including attorneys, studio engineers and owners, freelance vocalists and instrumentalists, music critics, union representatives, music publishers, arts executives, venue owners and managers, accountants and tax representatives, and agents and artist-managers.

Founder, "Experiencing Music" appreciation class at VCU, resulting in well over 100 students per semester, adding their attendance to VCU concert and rehearsal audiences.

Executive Producer, VCU Virginia High School Jazz Piano Competition, High School Jazz Composition Competition, "Jazz Soufflé" Faculty Workshop Series, and Jazz Day.

Author of the VCU Jazz E-Newsletter to over 2000 high school directors, high school jazz students, VCU Jazz Students Fund donors, former VCU jazz students, residents, and local and international media.

García leads the VCU Jazz Orchestra I in concert. Photo credit: Jean-Philippe Cyprès

Prior to joining VCU, García was tenured as Associate Professor of Music at Northwestern University (1993-2001), where he served as Coordinator of the NU Combo Program, Director of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, a Guest Director of the Jazz Ensemble, and was the Coordinator of Jazz Studies for the National High School Music Institute. At NU he instructed Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Theory, The Business of Jazz, Jazz Perspectives, Concepts in Jazz Pedagogy, Seminar in Jazz Pedagogy, Teaching Jazz Improvisation; independent studies in Jazz Arranging, Composing for the Musical Theatre, Composition; Integrated Arts courses Art Process, Modes of Music; and he served as Guest-Lecturer of Instrumental Methods, Teaching Composition in the Schools, Performance Practice and Criticism, Jazz: Elements, Sounds, Gestures; Guest Director of Jazz Lab Band, Trombone Choir, and Millar Chapel Choir. He was an advisor to undergraduate and graduate students in jazz studies, music performance, writing for the musical theatre, and cross-campus double-degree programs.

Prior to joining Northwestern's faculty, García was tenured as Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University, (1987-1993), where his duties similar to the above also included instructing Jazz Arranging I & II and Music Industry.

PROF. GARCíA'S TOP TEN REASONS
FOR STUDENTS TO BE A PART OF VCU JAZZ:

VCU Jazz Trumpet Prof. Rex Richardson, Jazz Arranging Prof. Taylor Barnett, guest trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, and the VCU Jazz Orchestra I perform. Photo credit: Allen Jones

QUALITY OF FACULTY
Exceptional faculty faculty abound at the university, department and program levels. I am extremely proud to be associated in particular with my jazz colleagues (listed here near the time of my departure):

* Hector "Coco" Barez--Afro-Cuban Percussion
* Taylor Barnett--Jazz Arranging, Jazz History, Jazz Pedagogy, Trumpet
* Carlos Chafin--Affiliate Faculty (In Your Ear Studio)
* Michael Ess--Guitar, Small Jazz Ensemble
* Thomi "FAT Thomi" Hairston--History of Hip-Hop
* Wells Hanley--Piano, Jazz Masterclass
* J.C. Kuhl--Saxophone
* Emre Kartari--SJE
* Filipe Leitão--Composition and Sound Design for Cinema, Games, and Motion Media
* Tony Martucci--Drum Set, SJE
* Rex Richardson--Trumpet
* Marlysse Simmons--SJE
* Eric Wheeler--Jazz Double Bass and Electric Bass
* Toby Whitaker--Jazz Orchestra II, SJE, Jazz Improvisation

I taught Trombone, Jazz Orchestra I, Small Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Theory, Jazz Pedagogy, and Music Industry.

QUALITY OF MUSICIANSHIP

Guests René Marie (vocals) and Joe Kennedy, Jr. (violin) in concert with former VCU Jazz faculty Victor Dvoskin (bass), Howard Curtis (drums), and Skip Gailes (saxophone). Photo credit: Eric Norbom

Come hear the sound of our ensembles—jazz and non-jazz. In particular, enjoy the maturity of our various jazz ensembles or visit the challenging jazz classes and rehearsals. VCU jazz students are serious about their jazz education, and so are their faculty. Hear the VCU Jazz Program's latest CDs, "Leap of Faith" and "Front Burner," featuring the VCU Jazz Orchestra I, one of our Small Jazz Ensembles, and our Faculty Jazz Septet—plus performances with guest artist John Riley (drums) and the students and faculty of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Durban, South Africa). The last three CDs under my direction were recorded entirely live before an audience—and without a single remix, EQ adjustment, overdub, or intercut.

You can find a number of our performances online. Here's the VCU Jazz Orchestra I in a COVID-era multitracked video with guest guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.

Also, check out the 13-minute Nicholas Smith documentary on moments from the VCU Jazz Orchestra I directed by Antonio García, "Show the Love." Click on the image below.

QUALITY OF UNIVERSITY (data below accurate as of approximately 2020)
VCU, one of Virginia's largest universities, is an urban, state-aided institution ranking among the top 100 universities in the nation in sponsored research. It serves some 32,000 students (approximately 22,000 undergraduate) via some 1,700 full-time faculty. Located in the heart of Richmond's historic Fan District, the Monroe Park Campus provides a vibrant setting for the study of music; and there are extensive, nationally ranked health and science programs at the nearby MCV Campus. The most popular undergraduate majors are the arts, biology, criminal justice, English, forensic science, history, mass communications, nursing, and psychology

Its School of the Arts comprises 16 programs and departments, with 3,000 students in Richmond and nearly 200 more in Doha, Qatar. It is the No. 1 public university school of arts and design in the country with a music performance program, according to U.S. News & World Report. The VCU Music faculty numbers more than 20 full-time members, more than half of whom hold doctorates, plus more than 30 part-time instructors. Some 200 undergraduate students are enrolled as music majors; several hundred others take music courses each semester. The Jazz Studies Program is but one of the great strengths of the Department, as evidenced in part by the VCU student Trumpet Quartet and Trombone Quartet performances in the United Kingdom, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble's concert in Carnegie Hall, the Commonwealth Singers' tour to China, and the Jazz Orchestra I's performances at The Midwest Clinic and at the Virginia Music Educators Assocation Conference.

Ayman Fanous, William Parker, Tatsuya Nakatani perform an avant-garde concert at VCU. Photo credit: Antonio García

A JAZZ COMMUNITY
VCU's dedication to jazz began in the early 1960s, with student-led jazz festivals that brought such artists as Buddy DeFranco and Doc Severinsen to perform for and offer advice to area bands while VCU was still the Richmond Professional Institute (RPI). The VCU Jazz Studies Program, established in 1980, offers its students outstanding opportunities. The Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies degree annually affords some 30 students avenues for pursuing jazz and classical studies, including with more than a dozen jazz faculty covering all the traditional jazz instruments; and VCU's urban campus offers opportunities for students to play in area club settings. The program has received Down Beat "Outstanding Performance" awards in the big band, combo, soloist, and vocalist categories and has appeared at the Smithsonian Institution, the IAJE Conference, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and in 2007 became the first university jazz band from the Commonwealth of Virginia to perform at The Midwest Clinic (an international band and orchestra conference, then in its sixty-first year).

The Jazz Program and Department of Music have also benefited from the addition of acclaimed Digital Recording, Music Industry, and Entrepreneurship courses, as well as from the extremely active music and arts scene in Richmond, Virginia that surrounds VCU.

Prof. Neil Gonsalves (UKZN) and Antonio García (VCU), at UKZN's Centre for Jazz and Popular Music. Photo credit: Debbie Mari

Our jazz community includes Greater Richmond and its Richmond Jazz Society, an organization with over 400 members. And it included real estate investor and philanthropist W.E. Singleton, who committed $3 million to Virginia Commonwealth University, specifically to support the VCU Jazz Program. His gift-pledge at the time was the largest ever made in the United States to support university-level jazz education. In recognition of this gift, VCU's Performing Arts Center is formally named the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts; and the Music Center is named the James W. Black Music Center. This gift gives us flexibility to fund musical instrument repair and purchase, guest-artist visits, faculty and student ensemble recording, travel towards recruitment, and potential student scholarships.

Our community also includes numerous local venues at which students and faculty perform jazz. (See RICHMOND below.) The VCU Jazz E-Newsletter, which goes out to the local and national community, highlights not only the achievements of our current students, alumni, and faculty but also their recurring gigs so that the public will attend. VCU Jazz makes sure that the community knows where they can come out to support your music-making and your career!

Part of being in a community is a commitment to that community. See "Campus Diversity" below.

MENU OF PROGRAMS & GUESTS
With our Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies for undergraduates, plus the Greater Richmond High School Jazz Band (for visiting high school students), students learn not only from their instructors but also from each other. In addition, guest artist/clinicians abound. VCU students have benefited from visits by numerous guest artists and clinicians ranging from creativity clinician Stephen Nachmanovitch and historian Kurt Dietrich to legends such as Frank Foster, Benny Carter, Woody Shaw, Thad Jones, John Abercrombie, Barry Harris, Dave Holland, Louie Bellson, Max Roach, Billy Hart, and Gunther Schuller to such acclaimed artists as Wynton Marsalis, Tim Berne, Tony Malaby, Art Baron, Ray Anderson, Ed Neumeister, Scott Colley, William Parker, Johnny Vidacovich, Matt Wilson, and John Hollenbeck.

VCU Jazz Prof. Antonio García (third from right) and guest Al Hermann (fifth from right, with baseball cap) lead a trombone ensemble of students, faculty, high school students, and community members in tribute to J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding at VCU. Photo credit: Bob Ellithorpe

CAREER PLACEMENT
Former VCU students include Steve Wilson (sax, Chick Corea's Origin); James Genus (bass, Saturday Night Live Band; recordings with Dave Douglas, Michael Brecker, Mike Stern and John Abercrombie); Victor Goines (sax/clarinet, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra; director, Northwestern Jazz Studies); Alvester Garnett (drums, recordings with Regina Carter, Abbey Lincoln, Cyrus Chestnut, James Carter); Mark Shim (sax, Blue Note recording artist, member of Terence Blanchard sextet); Al Waters (sax, featured with Ray Charles); Alvin Walker (trombone, Count Basie Orchestra), Daniel Clarke (pianist, Mandy Moore, k.d. lang); and Emre Kartari (drums; formerly Jazz Department, Yasar University, Izmir, Turkey).

VCU alumnus Steve Wilson (sax) leads his Super Band of Patrice Rushen (piano), alumnus James Genus (bass), and Billy Kilson (drums) in a performance/workshop for VCU students. Photo credit: Antonio García

For example, the 53rd Annual Down Beat Critic's Poll recognized a number of VCU-related artists. Saxophone alumnus Steve Wilson merited #2 Rising Star/Soprano Sax and #8 Rising Star/Alto Sax and also placed in the category of Overall/Soprano Sax. Bass alumnus James Genus placed #2 in the category of Rising Star/Electric Bass. Alumnus Victor Goines placed in the Overall/Clarinet category. Grammy-winning composer/bandleader Maria Schneider (and VCU Music Industry guest lecturer) won in the categories of Jazz Album, Composer, and Arranger of the Year and also placed in the Jazz Artist and Big Band categories: her drummer is VCU alumnus Clarence Penn. Violinist Regina Carter, for whose combo our drum alumnus Alvester Garnett performs, placed first in the Jazz Violinist category. Former VCU student Nate Smith was saluted on drums via DB's recognition of The Dave Holland Quintet as Jazz Artist, Big Band, and Bassist of the Year. Also placing in the Artist of the Year category were Wynton Marsalis (allied with alumnus Victor Goines) and Dave Douglas (regularly collaborating with alumni James Genus on bass and Clarence Penn on drums). Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza, with whom Penn and Genus perform, again received the #1 slot in the Rising Star/Female Vocal category and placed in the Overall category.

This trend continues annually. Our faculty are committed to your best interests, and our alumni can provide you a network of contacts and advisors.

PARTICIPATE REGARDLESS OF MAJOR
At many institutions, non-Jazz majors have a considerably reduced opportunity to take jazz classes and ensembles. At VCU, if your audition is strong enough, you can be in the top jazz ensembles; and if your academic prerequisites are sufficient, you can usually get into a given jazz class.

The VCU Jazz Orchestra I performing for students visiting for VCU Jazz Day. Photo credit: Antonio García

CAMPUS DIVERSITY
VCU believes in the importance of a diverse student body. As of Fall 2020 the student population was 38 percent male, 62 percent female and 1 percent undocumented; 46 percent white, 17 percent African-American, 13 percent Asian, 9 percent Hispanic or Latino, and the remaining other or not reported. This environment not only provides for the understanding and acceptance of other cultural backgrounds, but is also a great atmosphere for learning jazz, which itself stems from diverse cultural and musical influences and continues to be influenced by the world's music

At VCU Jazz we appreciate and welcome you regardless of your immigration status, country of origin and/or citizenship, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender/sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or dis/ability. Jazz in particular is a language that has a history of expressing strife and hope, problems and solutions, failures and triumphs, often in the context of social justice for the disenfranchised and less-heard. It is a music that stems from extremely diverse cultures. Let us enrich ourselves by continuing that tradition.

A VCU student performs in a workshop for guest artist Zach Brock, himself a former student of García's. Photo credit: Antonio García

TUITION/FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Each year, the VCU Office of Financial Aid disburses financial aid to some 13,000 full-time undergraduates seeking assistance.

At many colleges, once you receive your scholarship as an entering freshman, that's pretty much the end of the funding you'll receive from your university. Contrast that with VCU—for a number of years each November VCU Jazz Studies has awarded supplemental scholarships from the concert stage, recently totaling some $20,000 annually. Not a single student had to apply for it, and it was funded entirely by donations from the community to the VCU Jazz Students Fund.

We also offer the VCU Jazz Studies Student Grant program, to which students can apply for financial support towards research and creative projects. How many other jazz programs offer independent grants to its undergraduate students? In addition to formal scholarships and grants, VCU Jazz Studies frequently refers paid gigs to its best students.

If you are serious about jazz study, apply to VCU and apply for every pertinent financial aid. You are likely to be pleasantly surprised by the results. Plus, with Richmond we provide the best potential scholarships ever: gigging in the city!

RICHMOND
I am fond of saying that Richmond has "more art per square inch than any town its size." It really is impressive. Take a look at the local music listings in our local daily or weekly papers in print or online: they're extensive (and not even comprehensive)! You'll find jazz, pop, rock, blues, metal, bluegrass, grunge, experimental, classical, country and more right here in Richmond—much of it close to VCU. Beyond that, there are museums, art galleries, theatres, ballet, historic districts, and more.

I also proudly state that while Richmond is not necessarily an ideal locale in which to make a lifelong career as a jazz musician, it is an ideal locale in which to be a jazz student. There are so many places that a young musician can take his or her creative music and find a venue in which to try it out on the public. The pay may not be great for a 50 year-old raising a family; but it is great for a college student (and probably beats delivering more pizzas).

The March 25, 2021 New York Amsterdam News article "Jazz in Surprising Places" noted: "The jazz scene is jumping in Richmond, Virginia.... There’s a vibrant jazz scene in Richmond. It's home to the Virginia Commonwealth University's jazz program, and jazz lovers can find live shows most nights of the week."

Former VCU Sax Prof. Al Regni, former VCU Jazz Sax Prof. Skip Gailes, guest Branford Marsalis, and fellow New Orleanian and VCU Jazz Director Antonio García relax after Branford's workshop at VCU.

Richmond includes a redeveloped riverfront and the largest convention center in the state. The city has been a center for Fortune 500 companies, high-tech manufacturing, biosciences, and pharmaceuticals; and its business advantages and quality of life have been recognized by such publications as Money, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Fortune, Forbes, CNN Money, and Inc. magazines.

Past spotlights on Richmond include Kiplinger's citing the city as the "26th smartest place to live" in the United States (criteria including education, transportation, cultural offerings, health care, economic diversity, crime rate, weather, cost of living). Inc. named Richmond as "One of the top 15 places to do business in America." Forbes again noted Richmond as "One of the Top 10 Business Cities." The National Policy Research Council's Gold Guide of America's Best Cities and States ranked Richmond as tenth in "Business Climate." CNN Money set Greater Richmond as one of "seven best summertime trips." Employment Review magazine selected Richmond as "One of the Top 20 Best Places to Live and Work" by Employment Review magazine. And when the Southeastern Institute of Research released its 2004 study of the reactions of 25- to 34-year-olds, it ranked Richmond as the third "coolest city" in America (after Washington, D.C. and New York and ahead of San Francisco).

Richmond has been called America's most historic city, its history largely defined by its location at the falls of the James River. It lies approximately two hours' drive east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, west of the Atlantic Ocean, and south of Washington D.C. It became a town in 1742 and the capital of the Commonwealth in 1780. Richmond's population is 191,300 (with a greater metropolitan population of some 935,000); and the city covers 63.5 square miles; its population is 56% African-American. Notably, the cost of living in Richmond is 40% below that of my former home in the Chicago area.

So come join VCU Jazz in Richmond, Virginia: experience all that we have to offer!

Rochmond saxophonist Plunky Branch (right) rehearses with the combined VCU/UKZN ensembles on student Victor Haskins' new arrangement of Branch's "Nia." Photo credit: Antonio García

Click here to visit a VCU Jazz Photo Album of older photos.

VCU JAZZ CALENDAR

For up-to-date information about VCU Jazz events, please visit the VCUarts Calendar or e-mail Prof. Taylor Barnett and ask to subscribe to the VCU Jazz E-Newsletter. It's free!)