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Antonio J. García is a Professor Emeritus and former Director of Jazz Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he directed the Jazz Orchestra I; instructed Applied Jazz Trombone, Small Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Pedagogy, Music Industry, and various jazz courses; founded a B.A. Music Business Emphasis (for which he initially served as Coordinator); and directed the Greater Richmond High School Jazz Band. An alumnus of the Eastman School of Music and of Loyola University of the South, he has received commissions for jazz, symphonic, chamber, film, and solo works—instrumental and vocal—including grants from Meet The Composer, The Commission Project, The Thelonious Monk Institute, and regional arts councils. His music has aired internationally and has been performed by such artists as Sheila Jordan, Arturo Sandoval, Jim Pugh, Denis DiBlasio, James Moody, and Nick Brignola. Composition/arrangement honors include IAJE (jazz band), ASCAP (orchestral), and Billboard Magazine (pop songwriting). His works have been published by Kjos Music, Hal Leonard, Kendor Music, Doug Beach Music, ejazzlines, Walrus, UNC Jazz Press, Three-Two Music Publications, Potenza Music, Cherry Classics, and his own garciamusic.com, with five recorded on CDs by Rob Parton’s JazzTech Big Band (Sea Breeze and ROPA JAZZ). His scores for independent films have screened across the U.S. and in Italy, Macedonia, Uganda, Australia, Colombia, India, Germany, Brazil, Hong Kong, Mexico, Israel, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom. His recent commission was performed at Carnegie Hall by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

A Conn Selmer trombone clinician, Mr. García serves as the jazz clinician for The Conn Selmer Institute and is jazz band director for Jazz at the Summit (Colorado). He has freelanced as trombonist, bass trombonist, or pianist with over 70 nationally renowned artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, Mel Tormé, Doc Severinsen, Louie Bellson, Dave Brubeck, and Phil Collins—and has performed at the Montreux, Nice, North Sea, Pori (Finland), New Orleans, and Chicago Jazz Festivals. He has produced recordings or broadcasts of such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Jim Pugh, Dave Taylor, Susannah McCorkle, Sir Roland Hanna, and the JazzTech Big Band and is the bass trombonist on Phil Collins’ CD “A Hot Night in Paris” (Atlantic), the DVD “Phil Collins: Finally...The First Farewell Tour” (Warner Music), and the re-release on vinyl of "A Hot Night in Paris" (Rhino and Atlantic). An avid scat-singer, he has performed vocally with jazz bands, jazz choirs, and computer-generated sounds. He is also a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS). A New Orleans native, he also performed there with such local artists as Pete Fountain, Ronnie Kole, Irma Thomas, and Al Hirt.

Most of all, Tony is dedicated to assisting musicians towards finding their joy. His 35-year full-time teaching career and countless residencies in schools have touched tens of thousands of students in Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia, The Middle East, and across the U.S. He served as Faculty Advisor to Down Beat Collegiate Award-winners in Original Composition, Extended Composition, Jazz Arranging, and Studio Recording; plus to an Outstanding Performance recipient, Blues/Pop/Rock Soloist. His collaborations highlighting jazz and social justice have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, providing education to students and financial support to African American, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and Veterans communities, children’s medical aid, and women in jazz. He serves as a Research Faculty Member at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His partnerships with South Africa focusing on racism and healing resulted in his performing at the Nelson Mandela National Memorial Service in D.C. in 2013. He also fundraised $5.5 million in external gift pledges for the VCU Jazz Program.

Mr. García is a Research Faculty member at The University of KwaZulu-Natal (Durban, South Africa) and Past Associate Jazz Editor of the International Trombone Association Journal. He has served as a Network Expert (for Improvisation Materials), a President’s Advisory Council member, and an Editorial Advisory Board member for the Jazz Education Network. His newest book, Jazz Improvisation: Practical Approaches to Grading (Meredith Music), explores avenues for creating structures that correspond to course objectives. His book Cutting the Changes: Jazz Improvisation via Key Centers (Kjos Music) offers musicians of all ages the opportunity to improvise over standard tunes using just their major scales. He is Co-Editor and Contributing Author of Teaching Jazz: A Course of Study (published by NAfME), authored a chapter within Rehearsing The Jazz Band and The Jazzer’s Cookbook (published by Meredith Music), and contributed to Peter Erskine and Dave Black’s The Musician's Lifeline (Alfred). Within the International Association for Jazz Education he served as Editor of the Jazz Education Journal, President of IAJE-IL, International Co-Chair for Curriculum and for Vocal/Instrumental Integration, and Chicago Host Coordinator for the 1997 Conference. He served on the Illinois Coalition for Music Education coordinating committee, worked with the Illinois and Chicago Public Schools to develop standards for multi-cultural music education, received a curricular grant from the Council for Basic Education, and is a member of the Louisiana Association for Jazz Education. He is the only individual to have directed the Illinois All-State Honors Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, and Jazz Choir—quite possibly the only person to have directed the three genres of honors jazz ensembles in any state throughout the U.S.—and is the recipient of the Illinois Music Educators Association’s 2001 Distinguished Service Award.

Regarding Jazz Improvisation: Practical Approaches to Grading, Darius Brubeck says, "How one grades turns out to be a contentious philosophical problem with a surprisingly wide spectrum of responses. García has produced a lucidly written, probing, analytical, and ultimately practical resource for professional jazz educators, replete with valuable ideas, advice, and copious references." Jamey Aebersold offers, "This book should be mandatory reading for all graduating music ed students." Janis Stockhouse states, "Groundbreaking. The comprehensive amount of material García has gathered from leaders in jazz education is impressive in itself. Plus, the veteran educator then presents his own synthesis of the material into a method of teaching and evaluating jazz improvisation that is fresh, practical, and inspiring!" And Dr. Ron McCurdy suggests, "This method will aid in the quality of teaching and learning of jazz improvisation worldwide."

About Cutting the Changes, saxophonist David Liebman states, “This book is perfect for the beginning to intermediate improviser who may be daunted by the multitude of chord changes found in most standard material. Here is a path through the technical chord-change jungle.” Says vocalist Sunny Wilkinson, “The concept is simple, the explanation detailed, the rewards immediate. It’s very singer-friendly.” Adds jazz-education legend Jamey Aebersold, “Tony’s wealth of jazz knowledge allows you to understand and apply his concepts without having to know a lot of theory and harmony. Cutting the Changes allows music educators to present jazz improvisation to many students who would normally be scared of trying.”

Of his jazz curricular work, Standard of Excellence states: “Antonio García has developed a series of Scope and Sequence of Instruction charts to provide a structure that will ensure academic integrity in jazz education.” Wynton Marsalis emphasizes: “Eight key categories meet the challenge of teaching what is historically an oral and aural tradition. All are important ingredients in the recipe.” The Chicago Tribune has highlighted García’s “splendid solos...virtuosity and musicianship...ingenious scoring...shrewd arrangements...exotic orchestral colors, witty riffs, and gloriously uninhibited splashes of dissonance...translucent textures and elegant voicing” and cited him as “a nationally noted jazz artist/educator...one of the most prominent young music educators in the country.” Down Beat has recognized his “knowing solo work on trombone” and “first-class writing of special interest.” The Jazz Report has written about the “talented trombonist,” and Cadence noted his “hauntingly lovely” composing as well as CD production “recommended without any qualifications whatsoever.” Phil Collins has said simply, “He can be in my band whenever he wants.” García is also the subject of an extensive interview within Bonanza: Insights and Wisdom from Professional Jazz Trombonists (Advance Music), profiled along with such artists as Bill Watrous, Mike Davis, Bill Reichenbach, Wayne Andre, John Fedchock, Conrad Herwig, Steve Turre, Jim Pugh, and Ed Neumeister.

Tony is the Secretary of the Board of The Midwest Clinic and a Past Advisory Board Member of the Brubeck Institute. The partnership he created between VCU Jazz and the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal merited the 2013 VCU Community Engagement Award for Research. He has served as adjudicator for the International Trombone Association’s Frank Rosolino, Carl Fontana, J.J. Johnson, and Rath Jazz Trombone Scholarship competitions and the Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble competition; has served as a National Endowment for the Arts Music application review panelist; and was asked to serve on Arts Midwest’s “Midwest Jazz Masters” panel and the Virginia Commission for the Arts “Artist Fellowship in Music Composition” panel. He was published within the inaugural two editions of Jazz Education in Research and Practice and has been repeatedly published in Down Beat; JAZZed; Jazz Improv; Music, Inc.; The International Musician; The Instrumentalist; and the journals of NAfME, IAJE, ITA, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Percussive Arts Society, Arts Midwest, Illinois Music Educators Association, and Illinois Association of School Boards. Previous to VCU, he served as Associate Professor and Coordinator of Combos at Northwestern University, where he taught jazz and integrated arts, was Jazz Coordinator for the National High School Music Institute, and for four years directed the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Formerly the first Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University, he was selected by students and faculty there as the recipient of a 1992 “Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching” award and nominated as its candidate for 1992 CASE “U.S. Professor of the Year” (one of 434 nationwide). He is recipient of the VCU School of the Arts' 2015 Faculty Award of Excellence for his teaching, research, and service, in 2021 was inducted into the Conn Selmer Institute Hall of Fame, and is a 2023 recipient of The Midwest Clinic's Medal of Honor. He currently resides in his native New Orleans. Visit his web site at <www.garciamusic.com>.


Read Tony's "Evolution of a Career."

 

HONORS

The Midwest Clinic (An International Band & Orchestra Conference)


International Trombone Association


Conn Selmer, Inc.


Brubeck Institute


Jazz Education Network


International Association for Jazz Education


National Endowment for the Arts


U.S. Council for Basic Education


U.S. Council for the Advancement and Support of Education


Partners in the Arts


Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts


The Commission Project


The Thelonious Monk Institute


Meet The Composer


The National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC)


National Association of Music Merchants/MENC: The National Association for Music Education/ National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences "National Coalition for Music Education"


Kappa Kappa Psi Music Fraternity

Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society


Who's Who Among Hispanic Americans


Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Fraternity


Down Beat


Billboard


American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers


JAMinc (Jazz and Acoustic Music)



Virginia Commission for the Arts


Arts Midwest


Virginia Music Educators Association


Illinois Music Educators Association


University of KwaZulu-Natal (Durban, South Africa)


Virginia Commonwealth University


Northwestern University


Northern Illinois University


Athens (GA) New Jazz Festival


Eastman School of Music


GRANTS & GIFTS

External

 

Internal

 

MEMBERSHIPS/SERVICE

The Midwest Clinic (An International Band & Orchestra Conference)

 

International Trombone Association

 

Brubeck Institute

 

Jazz Education Network

 

International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers

 

The Global Z Recording Project

International Association for Jazz Education

 

National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC)

 

National Association of Music Merchants/MENC: The National Association for Music Education/ National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences "National Coalition for Music Education"

 

American Federation of Musicians

 

Midwest Jazz Society/Arts Midwest

 

Louisiana Association for Jazz Education

Louisiana Music Educators Association

 

Virginia Music Educators Association

 

Illinois Music Educators Association

 

American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers

 

JAMinc (Jazz and Acoustic Music)

 

Richmond Symphony School of Music

 

Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

 

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

 

MusicAnswers.org

 

Richmond Jazz Society

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester

 

Loyola University of the South, College of Music

 

Primary Instructors

 

Through his work as a performer, composer, producer, educator, editor, author, and conference host, Antonio García has also had the opportunity to learn from thousands of other musicians and music industry representatives, many of whom he has arranged to speak to his students over the years. He is deeply grateful to all who have shared their knowledge with him, formally and informally, throughout his career. To read his Mentor Tributes to those most critically involved in his formative musical years, click here.

Read a "Q & A" with Antonio García about how his career path was at the same time unlikely yet pre-destined. His entry is the last among the several interviewees within "Careers in Music," a PDF download from The Midwest Clinic.


Antonio García 8.5" x5" ad
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