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FACULTY
Dana Landry
Director of Jazz Studies
Dana Landry has been recently appointed as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Colorado where he directs UNC Jazz Lab I and the Northern Colorado Voices, the top vocal jazz group at UNC.
Prior to joining UNC, Landry was Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. While at MTSU, he directed MTSU Jazz Ensemble I, the MTSU Singers, jazz combos, and taught improvisation, jazz pedagogy, jazz theory, jazz piano, and jazz history. He was the founding director of the Middle Tennessee Jazz Orchestra, a professional big band in residence at MTSU. Landry established the MTSU Jazz Artist Series and was instrumental in the formation of the Main Street Jazz Festival, one of the largest jazz festivals in the mid-south. In addition, he wrote the curriculum for a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies.
Landry, a pianist, has performed with jazz artists such as Milt Jackson, Bela Fleck, Bill Watrous, Billy Pierce, Lew Tabackin, Alan Dawson, Tony Reedus, Ricky Woodard, Jeff Coffin, David Liebman, Marvin Stamm, Slide Hampton, and others. He has made club and festival appearances in Europe, Australia, and throughout the U.S. While living in Tennessee, he served as the principal pianist with the Tennessee Philharmonic and performed several concerts each year with the Nashville Symphony and the Stones River Chamber Players.
He has recently completed his first CD as a leader, to be released next year, Featuring Gary Burton on vibraphone.
Landry has presented workshops and master classes at colleges and universities throughout the country and has adjudicated high school and college jazz ensembles at festivals in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee. He also serves on the faculty of the Yellowstone Jazz Camp, the Britt Jazz Workshop in Oregon and the Rocky Mountain Vocal Jazz Camp in Colorado.
Landry holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Northern Colorado and was the winner of a 1994 Down Beat Student Music Award as an outstanding soloist.
Jim White
Assistant Director of Jazz Studies
Jim White is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Colorado. He directs UNC's Lab II Big Band, supervises the jazz small group/combo program, teaches jazz history and applied drum set students. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas where he performed with the school's famed “One O'clock Lab Band” for three years. Jim is featured on the band's recordings, “LAB 90,” “LAB 91,” and “LAB 92.” After receiving his Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies, Jim was recruited by Maynard Ferguson for his “Big Bop Nouveau” band with which he toured Japan, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and the United States. He is featured on Maynard's 1992 live recording, “Footpath Cafe.”
In 1995, after a year in New York City performing with the show “The Big Apple Circus,” Jim moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he has remained active as a jazz performer and studio musician. White's versatility and unique sound have been featured on many jazz, pop, and country recordings, commercial jingles, television spots and sound library recordings. In addition to his studio work, he has performed in the Nashville area with many top jazz artists including Randy Brecker, Roseanna Vitro, Bob Sheppard, Kenny Werner, Joey Defrancesco, Tim Hagans, Benny Golson, Jim Mcneeley and Eric Alexander. From 1995-2002, he toured and recorded regularly with Grammy-award winning singer Crystal Gayle, including performances with many of America's most prominent symphony orchestras. In 1999, Jim was honored to perform with the North German Radio (N.D.R.) Big Band in Hamburg, Germany. While there, the band performed concerts of “Porgy and Bess” to celebrate George Gershwin's one-hundredth birthday.
As an educator, White has been affiliated with Middle Tennessee State University where he taught drum set while completing his Master of Arts degree in Jazz Studies/Composition. While at MTSU, he studied composition and arranging with Jamey Simmons. Jim has also performed clinics at the University of North Texas, Texas A&M Commerce, Brigham Young University, Western Washington University and the University of Northern Colorado. Most recently, Jim's composition, “Chain Reaction,” was published in a collection of accompanied snare drum solos called, “Aptitude: a conversation in snare soloing,” published by Drop6 media, Inc.
Jim White has performed and/or is featured on recordings with such diverse artists as Maynard Ferguson, Rufus Reid, Clay Jenkins, Don Aliquo, Viktor Krauss, Joey DeFrancesco, Gene Ludwig, Rosemary Clooney, Jim Ferguson, Chris Potter, Pat Coil, Mike Pope, Bob Dorough, Bob Sheppard, Rich Perry, Marc Johnson, Stefan Karlsson, Kirk Whalum, Annie Sellick, Pam Tillis, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Lorrie Morgan, Crystal Gayle, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Willie Nelson, Allison Krauss, Jack Pearson, Jeff Coffin and others.
Jim is an artist clinician for Bosphorus Cymbals and Innovative Percussion.
Gray Barrier
Percussionn
Gray Barrier, Assistant Professor of Music, has performed with the Peter Britt Summer Festival Orchestras and as principal timpanist with the Chicago Civic Orchestra. He has toured with the New York cast of Godspell and served on the staff of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. He is active in the Percussive Arts Society and previously served as the organization's Louisiana state president. Mr. Barrier received his Master of Music degree from Northwestern University and has studied with Don Koss of the Chicago Symphony and Cloyd Duff of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Andrew Dahlke
Saxophone
Andrew Dahlke, Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the University of Northern Colorado, performs, teaches, composes, and conducts research in both classical and jazz areas. He holds Bachelor of Musical Arts and Master of Music Education degrees from the University of Michigan and the Doctor of Musical Arts in saxophone from the University of North Texas. Andrew studied with Larry Teal, Donald Sinta, Eugene Rousseau, Jim Riggs, and Tim Ries. Andrew, early in his career, worked in New York City as a jazz musician and composer, performing at such venues as the Knitting Factory, Downtime, and the Cornelia Street Cafe. He was the first to perform Ingolf Dahl's saxophone concerto in Seoul, Korea and to give a presentation on jazz at the Seoul National Conservatory of Music as well as a lecture/performance on contemporary saxophone technique at Hanyang University. He taught K- 12 music full time in Michigan and served as a faculty member for the University of Michigan Youth Program in Ann Arbor and at Interlochen. Recently, he premiered his own solo work entitled Three Excursions at the World Saxophone Congress 2003 and taught at the University of North Texas and at Texas Christian University.
 Robert Murray
Trumpet
Robert Murray is the newly appointed Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Northern Colorado. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of North Texas, having studied with Keith Johnson. His previous degrees were earned through studies at the University of Washington and Portland State University, studying trumpet with Gerald Webster, Fred Sautter, and Roy Cummings. Dr. Murray has served as Principal Trumpet with the Owensboro Symphony in the state of Kentucky, the Orquesta Sinfonica deMineria in Mexico City, and the Portland Opera Orchestra. He was a member of the Dallas Brass and with that group performed solo engagements and appeared as guest artists with orchestras such as the Cincinnati Pops and Florida Philharmonic. His other past performing experience includes regional orchestras throughout the Pacific Northwest and Texas, the Oregon Symphony, the Dallas Opera, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Mannheim Steamroller, the Moody Blues, Ice Capades, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones and the Lawrence Welk All-Stars. He has worked under the batons of James DePriest, Murry Sidlin, Doc Severinsen, Norman Leyden, Erich Kunzel, Peter Nero, Frederick Fennell and Eugene Corporon. He and his wife, Lauren, an oboist, perform together as the duo Harmonie del Sur. They perform inrecitals and masterclasses at universities and schools throughout the country. They have recently appeared at the International Double Reed Society Conference and the University of North Texas Conductors Collegium and were guest artists at the Winter Sun Music Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida. In the past year, they have been recipients of three new works composed for them, John Steffa’s Songs in Tribute, Three Flirtations by Sy Brandon, and Frescoes by Bryan Johanson. This past summer, Dr. Murray was a featured soloist and clinician at the World Association ofSymphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference in Jonkoping, Sweden performing “Awake, You Sleepers” with the Nanset Wind Orchestra from Norway. Among Dr. Murray’s other recent solo engagements are a solo performance with the Owensboro Symphony of Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, a performance in Mexico City of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, the North American premier of Hans Henrik-Wehding’s Konzert Musik for Trompete and Blasorchester with the Murray State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and additional solo features with the Owensboro Symphony and the University of North Texas Wind Symphony. Dr. Murray is featured with the Owensboro Symphony on the just released Albany recording “Orchestral Music of Arnold Rosner,” performing with fellow OSO trumpeter Jonathan Martin the Concerto for Two Trumpets, Tympani and Strings. Dr. Murray’s trumpet studios have established a reputation for excellence; his students have participated and competed successfully at the state, regional, national and international levels and most recently been honored with appearances as national finalists in the ensemble division at the National Trumpet Competition in Washington, D.C. and performances at the International Trumpet Guild Conference. Dr. Murray has received Distinguish Service Awards from the Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and Minnesota Music Educators Associations. Dr. Murray is a Bach/Selmer Artist Clinician.
 James Vaughn
Double Bass
James Vaughn is currently Principal Double Bass with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, Double Bass Instructor with the School of Music at the University of Northern Colorado and a member of the Faculty Jazz Quintet. He has held principal positions with the Denver Chamber Orchestra, the Breckenridge Music Festival and has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the western United Sates. He maintains a busy performance schedule with a diversity of performing arts organizations such as Colorado Ballet, Mercury Ensemble and national touring Broadway productions at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Also an electric bassist, he freelances as a jazz/commercial bassist along the front range. Other performing credits include five seasons as a member of the Colorado Springs Symphony and engagements with the Colorado Symphony, Colorado Music Festival and Opera Colorado. Since 1985 he has participated in "Inside the Orchestra," a music appreciation program that is in popular demand throughout Denver metro-area schools, churches and synagogues. He is a recipient of the Junior Symphony Guild's "Clef Award" for his dedication to introducing young audiences to classical and symphonic music.
 Nat Wickham
Trombone
Dr. Nat Wickham is Professor of Trombone and Euphonium at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where he is also director of the UNC Trombone Choir. Wickham is a versatile performer and experienced teacher. His work as both a classical and jazz solo artist, recording artist, clinician and adjudicator has led to performances throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Currently, Wickham is principal trombonist with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra and trombonist with the Rocky Mountain Brass Quintet and the UNC Faculty Jazz Quintet.
For six years Dr. Wickham was lead trombonist and jazz soloist in the Bob Curnow Big Band, performed with the Brazilian jazz group Desafinado for three years, and has been leader of his own jazz groups. He has played lead trombone with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Natalie Cole and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, among others, and has collaborated in performances with countless internationally known jazz artists. As a conductor, Dr. Wickham has directed honor bands in Washington and Colorado including the Colorado All-State Small Class Jazz Band, and has been guest conductor with the Eastern Washington University Wind Ensemble
Wickham has performed with the Rochester (NY) Philharmonic Orchestra, the Spokane (WA) Symphony Orchestra, the Boulder (CO) Philharmonic, the Boulder Brass, and for two years was principal trombonist with the Rochester Broadway Theater League.
Wicham is trombone specialist for the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) Resource Team. He has performed at IAJE Conferences in New Orleans, Anaheim, Atlanta and Chicago; at International Trombone Festivals, in Rochester (NY), Nashville, and Las Vegas; and at the Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington D. C. Under his baton, the UNC Trombone Choir was invited to perform at the 2001 International Trombone Festival in Nashville.
Wickham holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in trombone performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where he was also awarded the Eastman School Performer's Certificate. His Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in trombone performance are from the University of Northern Colorado.
He has studied trombone with Buddy Baker, John Marcellus, Roy Main and Carl Lobitz; jazz improvisation with Baker, Ramon Ricker, Jiggs Whigham and David Hanson; and jazz composition and arranging with Bill Dobbins. Prior to his appointment at UNC, Wickham taught at the Eastman School of Music, Eastern Washington University, Central Michigan University and the University of Wisconsin at River Falls.
Last updated August 18, 2005 - For technical information contact the webmaster
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