It has been said for years by the music alumni from the University of Southern Maine that the things that make their school special are great community, opportunities, and faculty mentors. On April 4, six alumni of the Dr. Alfred & D. Suzi Osher School of Music jazz program will return to Portland and Gorham from around the country for the Osher School of Music Jazz Alumni All-Stars Residency. For several days they will become the mentors, giving performances, master classes, and workshops for current music students. This includes two public events.
These Jazz Alumni All-Stars are Katie Oberholtzer ‘20, jazz voice; Bailey Giles ‘21, saxophone; Daniel Cole ‘01, guitar; Daniel Strange ‘07, piano; Duane Edwards ‘21, bass; and Phil McGowan ‘04, drums.
On Thursday, April 4 from 6 to 9:30 p.m., bring your instruments and join these All-Stars for a performance and jam session. The session will be located on the second floor of the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success on the Portland campus. For information about parking at USM, visit https://usm.maine.edu/parking-services.
Event information: https://usm.maine.edu/calendar-of-events/event/osher-school-of-music-alumni-all-stars-jam-session/
Then on Friday, April 5 at 8 p.m. the group will perform at One Longfellow Square. Visit https://onelongfellowsquare.com for tickets and information.
For more information, contact the Music Box Office at (207) 780-5555.
Alan Kaschub, director of the “We are eager to share this exciting group of alumni with the community. Each of them has a wonderful story to tell about how their education at USM impacted their career.”
Anyone who loves live music should take advantage of this opportunity to hear a group of fantastic musicians from all over the country making music together from their musical roots in Maine. As the School prepares to move to the new Crewe Center for the Arts on the Portland campus, the events around this residency will give its new neighbors a better understanding of the role the school plays in live music of the area now, and how that will be enhanced from their new home in Portland.
Pianist Daniel Strange from the Class of 2007 writes, "I am so excited to be returning home to the OSOM after 17 years away! I have enjoyed every moment of an exhilarating career in music that wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the outstanding mentorship and encouragement that I received daily as an OSOM student. I look forward to sharing many of my professional experiences and knowledge gained from those experiences with the current students in the hope that it may further inspire their passion to pursue the many avenues of entrepreneurship and joy that a career in music has to offer."
2001 grad, guitarist Dan Cole said, “I’m excited to come back to USM for this residency. Corthell Hall will always feel like a second home to me. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, I was at USM on a weekly, if not daily basis, and l learned most of my early lessons about music by attending USM recitals, masterclasses, and taking lessons with many of the outstanding teachers at USM.”
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, usm.music@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay). Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.