Singers in the Troy University’s Long School of Music will have a rare opportunity this October. The choral program has invited Christine Guter, a vocal jazz performer and clinician from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University Long Beach, to conduct a three-day vocal jazz clinic with Troy University’s vocal jazz ensemble, frequency. The workshop will be held Oct. 14-16, 2012.

This will be the second internationally renowned vocal jazz performer to spend time with frequency. In 2010 and 2011, Greg Jasperse, a vocalist and jazz composer/arranger from the groups Sixth Wave and Vertical Voices, visited the campus several times to work with frequency.

The partnership concluded with the recording of the choir’s first album, Fields of Gold: The Music of Greg Jasperse (Ilium Records, Executive Producer, Robert W. Smith; Producer, Greg Jasperse).

Guter’s résumé speaks for itself. She has sung on the soundtracks of major motion pictures such as X-Men 3, Seven Pounds, Superman Returns, and Happy Feet and has had the opportunity to sing with jazz legends such as Maynard Ferguson, Mel Torme, and Bobby McFerrin. She is a part of the vocal jazz group Vocalogy, and teaches California State Long Beach’s top vocal jazz ensemble, Pacific Standard Time.

“This is a rebuilding year for frequency. Many of the students that have been with this group since its ‘birth’ in 2009 have graduated. This year, frequency is proud to have 10 rookie members and 4 veterans. We have also expanded our “a cappella only” roots to include a small instrumental jazz combo. This allows us to program complex, cutting edge jazz charts,” says Diane Orlofsky, Director of University Choirs. “Working with Christine will be a tremendous learning experience for all of the student members. She is a “trifecta” of talent: gifted in singing, in pedagogy, and in leading an outstanding vocal jazz ensemble. We all will learn so much!” Orlofsky remarked.

The Troy community will be able to hear frequency at the Sounds of the Seasons concert, the highly anticipated Shelia Jackson concert, and at their very popular February “LIVE with frequency” concert. Members of frequency will also travel to Atlanta in January to attend the Jazz Educators Network conference where they will attend clinics by international jazz educators and hear world-class jazz ensembles. Frequency is: David Caddell ( Journalism, Greenville), Carlton Copeland (Music Education, Hartford), Blake Eubanks (Music Education, Ashford), Amy Griffith (Psychology, Dothan), Ashley Horton (Music Industry, New Brockton), Cody Irwin (Music Education, Dothan), Tyler Logan (Music Education, Mobile), Hannah Moore (Undeclared, Niceville, FL), Daniel Murphy (Music Industry/Broadcast Journalism, Daphne), Melanie Sims (PR/Broadcast Journalism, Troy), Alyson Stroh (Social Work, Montgomery), Jordan Ratliff (Music Education, Oneonta), Stephanie Washburn (Music Education, Alex City), Aaron Wine (Communication Studies, Wetumpka), and Dillon Worley (Music Education, Andalusia).

For more information about the choral/vocal areas and the John M. Long School of Music, go to http://music.troy.edu/vocalchoral or call (334)-670-3322.

This article was submitted by Troy University.