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.