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Live Performing Arts Academy
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2025 Judges & Clinicians
Meryl Wamhoff
M. J. Wamhoff is the Director of Bands at Delta College and is in his 39 th year of teaching. Prior to his tenure at Delta College Mr. Wamhoff was the director of Bands, Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz at Santa Rosa Junior College, Director of Bands and Orchestra at Clovis West High School and Madera High School. Bands and Choirs under
his direction have performed at the Next Generation Jazz Festival, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Monterey Jazz Festival at Sea, CMEA State Convention (1993, 1999, 2001), CBDA State Conference (1999, 2001), CASMEC State Conference (2022), and the National Concert Band Festival in Chicago, Illinois and Indianapolis Indiana (1996, 1998). His honors include the Madera County Arts Council Education Award (1993), UMI-ASBDA State and Regional Distinguished Band Director Award (1997), National Band Association Citation of Excellence (1996, 1998, 2000), CBDA Distinguished Service Award (2002) and member of the National Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi. Mr. Wamhoff holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education (1984) and a Master of Arts degree in Music Performance with distinction (1997) from California State University, Fresno. He has studied conducting from Dr. Lawrence Sutherland (CSU, Fresno), Dr. Robert Halseth (CSU, Sacramento), Eugene Corporon (UNT), Frederick Fennell, Jack Stamp and Michael Haithcock (University of Michigan). Mr. Wamhoff has served on the boards of the California Band Directors Association as President, Past President, Convention Host, Exhibit Host, Bulletin Editor, and CMEA as Honor Band Host, CMEA Central Section as Second Vice President, FMCMEA as both Vice President and President. His professional associations include: California Band Directors Association (CBDA), California Music Educators Association (CMEA), and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), Mr. Wamhoff is active as a clinician for Concert, Jazz, and Marching Bands. He is also active as a guest conductor in the Symphonic and Jazz idioms. Mr. Wamhoff has served as conductor of the California All-State High School Concert Band, California All-State Junio High School Symphonic Band, Singapore Festival Winds, San Joaquin County High School Honor Band, CMEA Capitol Section High School Honor Band, CMEA Central Coast Section Honor Band and the County Honor Bands from: Sonoma, Stanislaus, Solano, Tulare-Kings, Fresno-Madera Tracy Honor Band, and the Bakersfield City Schools Honor Band. M.J Wamhoff is also a composer, is self-published, and has published works with GPG Publications.
his direction have performed at the Next Generation Jazz Festival, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Monterey Jazz Festival at Sea, CMEA State Convention (1993, 1999, 2001), CBDA State Conference (1999, 2001), CASMEC State Conference (2022), and the National Concert Band Festival in Chicago, Illinois and Indianapolis Indiana (1996, 1998). His honors include the Madera County Arts Council Education Award (1993), UMI-ASBDA State and Regional Distinguished Band Director Award (1997), National Band Association Citation of Excellence (1996, 1998, 2000), CBDA Distinguished Service Award (2002) and member of the National Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi. Mr. Wamhoff holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education (1984) and a Master of Arts degree in Music Performance with distinction (1997) from California State University, Fresno. He has studied conducting from Dr. Lawrence Sutherland (CSU, Fresno), Dr. Robert Halseth (CSU, Sacramento), Eugene Corporon (UNT), Frederick Fennell, Jack Stamp and Michael Haithcock (University of Michigan). Mr. Wamhoff has served on the boards of the California Band Directors Association as President, Past President, Convention Host, Exhibit Host, Bulletin Editor, and CMEA as Honor Band Host, CMEA Central Section as Second Vice President, FMCMEA as both Vice President and President. His professional associations include: California Band Directors Association (CBDA), California Music Educators Association (CMEA), and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), Mr. Wamhoff is active as a clinician for Concert, Jazz, and Marching Bands. He is also active as a guest conductor in the Symphonic and Jazz idioms. Mr. Wamhoff has served as conductor of the California All-State High School Concert Band, California All-State Junio High School Symphonic Band, Singapore Festival Winds, San Joaquin County High School Honor Band, CMEA Capitol Section High School Honor Band, CMEA Central Coast Section Honor Band and the County Honor Bands from: Sonoma, Stanislaus, Solano, Tulare-Kings, Fresno-Madera Tracy Honor Band, and the Bakersfield City Schools Honor Band. M.J Wamhoff is also a composer, is self-published, and has published works with GPG Publications.
Chris Miller
Christopher Miller, clinician, composer and songwriter, captivates audiences with his expressive Jazz vocals and arrangements. Miller is known for his soulful performances on B3 organ with blues-adjacent NorCal band Muddy Notes and each song tells a different short story, reminiscent of Randy Newman or Billy Joel. Miller's unique approach to songwriting and arranging sees him crafting tunes wherever inspiration strikes, whether walking his dogs, stuck in traffic, or standing in line at the post office, showcasing his dedication to finding musical magic in everyday moments.
Brad North
president of California Music Educators Association’s, Capitol Section, as well as serving on the board of the Northern California Band Association. Mr. North is the 2024 CMEA Aubrey Penman Award Winner, for continuing service to music education throughout California. Mr. North’s bands have performed throughout the United States and Canada, including performances at our Nation’s Capital, and performances for California’s Gubernatorial Inaugurations. Mr. North is currently a member of the California State University, Sacramento Music Ed. Department, coordinator of CMEA Capitol Section Aubrey Penmen Golden Empire Music Festivals and an active adjudicator for both CMEA and NCBA.
John Zimny
John Zimny, a native of Chicago, Illinois, began his professional music career as a trumpet player at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Following his enlistment he became the chief music arranger for the Academy Cadets serving in that capacity for 15 years. His interest in arranging and composing led him to write for marching bands, drum corps, jazz choirs, and jazz bands throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with degrees in Music Education and Psychology. He went on to teach music at Sacramento City College for several years and conducted classes in electronic composition, jazz improvisation, wind ensemble, jazz, and brass ensemble before joining the outstanding Folsom music department. During his 25-year tenure in Folsom, his bands were the recipients of many honors including numerous Downbeat awards for both his concert and jazz ensembles. In 2020 Mr. Zimny had the honor of conducting the California All-State Jazz Honor Band for Middle School. He is an adjudicator for CMEA, and NCBA, and has been a clinician and mentor for many years. Additionally, he has twice been nominated for a Grammy in Education. Mr. Zimny served as Staff and Program Coordinator, as well as music arranger for the Sacramento Freelancers. He was recently inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in New York for his contributions to the activity.
Steve Roach
Steve Roach has been the Director of Jazz Studies at California State University, Sacramento, since 2001. He has also served as Director of Jazz Studies at Baylor University and has held teaching positions at the University of Northern Colorado and Northern Illinois University. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in trumpet performance from Indiana University, a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance from Northern Illinois University, and a Doctor of Arts degree in trumpet and jazz pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado.
Professional appearances as an assisting artist include studio and live sessions with such jazz & pop musicians as Tito Puente, Dave Pietro, Brian Landrus, Louis Bellson, Billy Drummond, Alan Ferber, Conrad Herwig, Lou Rawls, Jon Tchicai, Ben Vereen, Melissa Manchester, Toni Tennille, Roberta Flack, Rosemary Clooney, Jeffrey Osbourne, Carl Fontana, Paquito D’Rivera, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, The Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, and others.
Steve also works as a clinician and adjudicator for jazz festivals and various workshops nationwide and has directed several California high school honor jazz ensembles. In addition to maintaining an active schedule as a freelance artist, he is also the author of a popular collegiate Jazz Appreciation course available through the Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
Professional appearances as an assisting artist include studio and live sessions with such jazz & pop musicians as Tito Puente, Dave Pietro, Brian Landrus, Louis Bellson, Billy Drummond, Alan Ferber, Conrad Herwig, Lou Rawls, Jon Tchicai, Ben Vereen, Melissa Manchester, Toni Tennille, Roberta Flack, Rosemary Clooney, Jeffrey Osbourne, Carl Fontana, Paquito D’Rivera, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, The Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, and others.
Steve also works as a clinician and adjudicator for jazz festivals and various workshops nationwide and has directed several California high school honor jazz ensembles. In addition to maintaining an active schedule as a freelance artist, he is also the author of a popular collegiate Jazz Appreciation course available through the Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
Bruce Rodgers
Bruce Rogers is Professor Emeritus at Mt. San Antonio College, where we taught for thirty years. Choirs under his direction have won top rankings in national and international competitions throughout the world, including performances in Concert Halls throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Wales, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria, China, Poland, South Africa, Slovenia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Mr. Rogers' choirs have had the honor of performing at eight California State Conventions, fifteen American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Regional and National Conventions as well as performing in New York City, Toronto and Long Beach at the 2001, 2003 & 2005 International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) National Conventions. In the year 2001, he became the first choral director in United States history to have two different choirs perform at both the IAJE National Convention and the ACDA National Convention, and he achieved this special honor once again in 2005. In 2017, he again had two different choirs perform at both the JEN National Conference in New Orleans and the ACDA National Convention in Minneapolis.
Under his direction, “Singcopation” has won the prestigious Downbeat Magazine award for being the number one college vocal jazz group in the country on fifteen occasions, also winning a special Downbeat Award in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 & 2013 for Outstanding Performance. “Singcopation” has performed at the 2002 ACDA Western Regional Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii in a special workshop presentation, gave special performances at B.B. King’s and the Baked Potato nightclubs in Hollywood, as well as Steamers Jazz Club in Fullerton and Campus Jax in Newport Beach, they were the headline performers for a concert engagement at Lincoln Center in New York City, with special guest artist Darmon Meader, and were the headline performers at the Canadian Rocky Mountain Music Festival in Banff. "Singcopation" won first place honors at the "Next Generation Jazz Competition" in Monterey, California, and then were invited to perform as guest artists at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival in 2010 & 2013. In the summer of 2010, "Singcopation" traveled to Australia to perform at the ANCA Choralfest Convention in Port Macquarie and in 2011 they competed at the International American Choral Competition in Reno, Nevada and took home a first place trophy in the vocal jazz category and the overall "Grand Prix Prize". They participated in an extremely successful concert tour to Guangzhou, China, where they competed at the 1st Xinghai International Choral Competition and won the prestigious Platinum Medal and their most recent international competition took place at the Grand Prix of Nations choral competition in Magdeburg, Germany, where they received a gold medal and a 2nd place finish against seventeen other groups. In the Fall of 2009, these talented singers combined with a professional orchestra from Los Angeles to perform “Star Wars In Concert” to sell-out audiences at the Honda Center and the Nokia Theater and in 2016, "Singcopation" had the honor of opening for the "Real Group" at the Apollo Theater in New York City.
For his many achievements, Mt. SAC presented Professor Rogers with its prestigious “Faculty Member of the Year” award and the “Burning Bright” award, the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) honored him in 2023 with their “Lifetime Achievement Award”, the Upland Community Foundation honored him as a recipient of their 2010 "Spotlight Award" for Outstanding Educator, in 2013 he was awarded the "CMEA Pearson-Silver Burdett Choral Educator Award" honoring excellence in choral education and performance, and in 2014 he received the California Music Educators Association’s “Outstanding Music Educator’s Award”.
Mr. Rogers has conducted the “Colorado All-State Vocal Jazz Choir”, the “MENC All-Northwest Vocal Jazz Choir”, the “Arizona All-State Vocal Jazz Choir”, the “Clark County Vocal Jazz Honor Choir” in Las Vegas, the “Missouri All-State Vocal Jazz Choir”, the “NorCal Vocal Jazz Honor Choir” and the "Iowa Vocal Jazz All-State Choir". In the Spring of 2009, Mr. Rogers was a guest clinician at the “University of North Texas Vocal Jazz Festival” along with recording artist Tierney Sutton. In the summer of 2014, 2016 & 2017, he was invited to serve as the American Judge on the jury panel for the “International Musical Eisteddfod Competition” in Wales. Mr. Rogers has presented lectures, adjudicated, or conducted All-State and Collegiate Honor Choirs in twenty-eight states, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Under his direction, “Singcopation” has won the prestigious Downbeat Magazine award for being the number one college vocal jazz group in the country on fifteen occasions, also winning a special Downbeat Award in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 & 2013 for Outstanding Performance. “Singcopation” has performed at the 2002 ACDA Western Regional Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii in a special workshop presentation, gave special performances at B.B. King’s and the Baked Potato nightclubs in Hollywood, as well as Steamers Jazz Club in Fullerton and Campus Jax in Newport Beach, they were the headline performers for a concert engagement at Lincoln Center in New York City, with special guest artist Darmon Meader, and were the headline performers at the Canadian Rocky Mountain Music Festival in Banff. "Singcopation" won first place honors at the "Next Generation Jazz Competition" in Monterey, California, and then were invited to perform as guest artists at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival in 2010 & 2013. In the summer of 2010, "Singcopation" traveled to Australia to perform at the ANCA Choralfest Convention in Port Macquarie and in 2011 they competed at the International American Choral Competition in Reno, Nevada and took home a first place trophy in the vocal jazz category and the overall "Grand Prix Prize". They participated in an extremely successful concert tour to Guangzhou, China, where they competed at the 1st Xinghai International Choral Competition and won the prestigious Platinum Medal and their most recent international competition took place at the Grand Prix of Nations choral competition in Magdeburg, Germany, where they received a gold medal and a 2nd place finish against seventeen other groups. In the Fall of 2009, these talented singers combined with a professional orchestra from Los Angeles to perform “Star Wars In Concert” to sell-out audiences at the Honda Center and the Nokia Theater and in 2016, "Singcopation" had the honor of opening for the "Real Group" at the Apollo Theater in New York City.
For his many achievements, Mt. SAC presented Professor Rogers with its prestigious “Faculty Member of the Year” award and the “Burning Bright” award, the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) honored him in 2023 with their “Lifetime Achievement Award”, the Upland Community Foundation honored him as a recipient of their 2010 "Spotlight Award" for Outstanding Educator, in 2013 he was awarded the "CMEA Pearson-Silver Burdett Choral Educator Award" honoring excellence in choral education and performance, and in 2014 he received the California Music Educators Association’s “Outstanding Music Educator’s Award”.
Mr. Rogers has conducted the “Colorado All-State Vocal Jazz Choir”, the “MENC All-Northwest Vocal Jazz Choir”, the “Arizona All-State Vocal Jazz Choir”, the “Clark County Vocal Jazz Honor Choir” in Las Vegas, the “Missouri All-State Vocal Jazz Choir”, the “NorCal Vocal Jazz Honor Choir” and the "Iowa Vocal Jazz All-State Choir". In the Spring of 2009, Mr. Rogers was a guest clinician at the “University of North Texas Vocal Jazz Festival” along with recording artist Tierney Sutton. In the summer of 2014, 2016 & 2017, he was invited to serve as the American Judge on the jury panel for the “International Musical Eisteddfod Competition” in Wales. Mr. Rogers has presented lectures, adjudicated, or conducted All-State and Collegiate Honor Choirs in twenty-eight states, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Glenn Shapley
Glenn Shapley is a drummer, composer, educator, and band leader whose charismatic and interactive playing style fuses modern drumming with traditional jazz techniques. Glenn holds an MBA from Western Governors University and a Bachelor in Music with an emphasis in Jazz Studies from the University of Nevada. Starting on drums at the age of 9, Glenn has been honing his craft on the drum set for almost 30 years. Glenn is currently the drummer for The Live Performing Arts Academy, The Glenn Shapley Jazz Band, and Muddy Notes. He grew up in Folsom, California, where he was a member of the Folsom High School Music Program and the drummer for the 2005 California All-State Jazz Band. On drum set, he has performed alongside jazz and percussion greats including Randy Weston, Peter Epstein, Nancy Zeltsman, David Flores, and many more. As an educator, he has been teaching private lessons for over 20 years and ran an award-winning percussion ensemble program for Wooster High School in Reno 2010-2014. Glenn writes original music for his band, The Glenn Shapley Jazz Band, and has written and arranged marching and ensemble percussion parts for high schools in Northern Nevada.
Brenden Lowe
Brenden Lowe started playing piano at the age of 4 with the help of his father, Malcolm Lowe, who was the former concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 36 years. Brenden studied classical music for 16 years and then caught the jazz itch. He went on to attend the New School University in New York, New York and received his four year jazz piano performance degree. He has studied with the likes of Eric Reed, Geri Allen, Junior Mance, Aaron Goldberg, and many others. He now runs an online jazz piano education website at Jazzpianoschool.com, that has taught thousands of students of all ages for the last 10 plus years. He is also the music director at The Table UMC off H street in Sacramento and directs and plays in multiple bands.
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