Cap Alumni Dan Hersog heads for New England Conservatory in Boston

Trumpeter, Daniel Hersog, graduated from Capilano University in 2007.  Since his time at Capilano, Daniel has had a busy career as a performer, composer and educator.  He has performed as a leader at the last three Vancouver International Jazz Festivals, formed a professional big band featuring many Capilano alumni and faculty, toured North America with various musical projects and worked as a music educator for the Burnaby School District.

We are pleased to share the news that Daniel has been accepted into the M.Mus. program in Jazz Composition at the pretigious New England Conservatory in Boston.  NEC is widely considered one of the foremost institutions for jazz studies in the world and placement in the graduate program is very competitive.  Says Daniel: “ Capilano prepared me for the versatility that is required of the modern day professional musician.  My teachers transformed my trumpet playing, mentored my writing and inspired to me to pursue further education.”  

Congratulations!

Cap Jazz Students win Fraser MacPherson Scholarships

More news in what has been an incredible string of successes for Cap Jazz students...

The Fraser MacPherson Scholarship winners have been announced and Cap students have won 5 of the 7 awards this year.  Competition for the scholarship is province-wide and students receive a cash award between $500 and $2000 dollars.  The winners can use the funds as they wish to further their musical education and careers. Congratulations to all the winners, but especially to our Cap Jazz students!

David Blake - guitar

Miles Wong - drums

Jonathan Tobin - piano

Matt Choboter - piano

Stephen Edwards - bass

Greg Drummond band wins FACTOR grant.

The Greg Drummond Band  has been extremely successful playing gigs all over BC, has recorded a great album "Walking Man", and has been featured on the CBC's "On the Coast".  They have just been awarded a $21000 grant from the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Record (FACTOR) to record their next album.

The band is powered largely by Cap Jazz students and graduates. Mike Meroniuk plays guitar and sings backing vocals for the band while Marshall Hunt holds down the bottom end on acoustic bass. Both are graduating from Jazz Studies program this semester. When the band needs a horn section for bigger gigs where do they turn?  To more Cap Jazz alumni of course! Quinn MacDonald (trumpet, BMus 2013) and Chris Barnes (saxes, BMus 2013) have also been playing with the band recently.  Alanna Pearce (BMus 2013), the band's drummer, is the rhythmic backbone of the band and writes horn arrangements.  Alanna is also completing the teacher training program at UBC.  She was very fortunate to be chosen to do her practicum with Brent Taylor at Point Grey Secondary, a school with an exceptionally fine music program. The coming year for her will combine gigs with Drummond and teacher-on-call work.   More news to come on our other music education grads and the great things they are doing....

It is really exiting to see our students and alumni getting out there creating a musical community and making an impact on the scene in many styles.  I couldn't be more proud.  Congratulations to everyone on the receipt of the FACTOR grant and for all your musical successes.  I'm sure the new recording will be fantastic.

The people in our Capilano Jazz Studies community are so active in doing great things that it is hard for me to keep up.  In writing the last two blog posts, I somehow forget to mention that student, Wylie Ferguson (graduating this year) and faculty member, Réjean Marois, both had their compositions selected for performance in the annual Sonic Boom Festival.  Vancouver Pro Musica's Sonic Boom has for many years been the premiere showcase for BC composers. Both Marois and Fergson composed works for the Erato Ensemble, which was the ensemble in residence for this year's festival. Congratulations to both of them!

More exciting news to come next week.....

More alumni success stories: Lyle Hopkins awarded Fellowship at U of Oregon

I'm pleased to report yet more good news about our wonderful alumni.  Bassist and composer,  Lyle Hopkins graduated with his B.Mus. from Cap U last year. Since then Lyle has been very active as a performer on the Vancouver scene leading his own trio and working with Brad Muirhead Quartet, Vancouver Improvisers Orchestra, Music and Movement Mondays, Pillow Talk Trio, and other groups around town.

Lyle has been accepted to the Master of Music in Jazz Studies program at the University of Oregon and has been awarded a Graduate Teaching Fellowship.  The Fellowship provides a full tuition waiver and teaching assistant work at the University for the duration of his studies.  The School of Music at the University of Oregon  in Eugene, Oregon, is widely regarded as one of the foremost music schools in the Western USA.  I know Lyle will have a great time studying and teaching and working with my old mentor, Steve Owen, in the Jazz Studies Department.

Alumni success story: Eric Wettstein

We are really proud of the great work our graduates do when they leave Cap U and head out into the wider world to make music.  Even before he graduated, composer/guitarist/singer, Eric Wettstein was busy outside school with his band Criminal Caterpillar.  Since he graduated in 2013, Eric has been working hard to create his own career as a musician and teacher.  He has just been awarded an Early Career Development Grant from the Canada Council.  This award provides substantial funding for Eric to pursue a mentorship opportunity with John Korsrud and the Hard Rubber Orchestra.  Eric will work with John and Hard Rubber to learn the ins and outs of non-profit societies, running a large ensemble, grant writing, and production and will also have the opportunity to study composition with John and write music for the band.  This is truly an amazing award for Eric and one that he has earned through hard work and dedication to his craft.  Congratulations!