Photo Courtesy ICC Vocal Jazz Facebook Page
For our annual Student Appreciation Night, CIJS presents ICC Vocal Jazz with very special guest Morton High School Jazz Band: two highly respected student groups out of Central Illinois.
6pm: Morton High School Jazz Band
Jeff Arbisi, Director of Bands and District Fine Arts Coordinator
7:15pm: ICC VOCAL JAZZ
Dr. Julie A. Clemens, Director, Professor of Music and program chair at Illinois Central College
Photo Courtesy ICC Vocal Jazz Facebook Page
ICC Vocal Jazz is Illinois Central College’s premiere vocal ensemble. Singers are selected through auditions each year or whenever a space becomes available. The group is often accompanied by a jazz combo, with musicians who play keyboard, bass, and drums. The group performs a variety of vocal jazz, pop, and a cappella selections. ICC Vocal Jazz is a service organization. Many students to the group earn an ICC tuition waiver, and in turn, perform throughout the year for college and community events.
Dr. Julie A. Clemens serves as Chair and Professor of Music at Illinois Central College. In this role, Dr. Clemens oversees and teaches in the music theory program, directs the non-audition choir on campus, leads ICC Vocal Jazz, and teaches applied voice. While in this role, she has partnered with other area piano teachers to create the ICC Music Academy which serves community members of all ages with access to high quality private music instruction. Recently, the choirs at ICC have been privileged to collaborate with the Heartland Festival Orchestra on two performances - Video Game Music: In Concert and Aretha: A Tribute, and with Bradley University Orchestra and Chorus in Poulenc’s Gloria. ICC Vocal Jazz often travels to JEN conferences to participate in the JENerations Jazz Festival and have had the opportunity to work with vocal jazz giants such as Trist Curless (Manhattan Transfer) and Peter Eldridge (New York Voices).
Dr. Clemens holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Illinois State University, a Master of Music Education with a conducting emphasis also from ISU, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music. Her research interest revolves around equity in the community college system for marginalized student populations, and much of her current study focuses on college readiness, developmental education, and systemic equity issues in higher education. In her research, Dr. Clemens addresses racial inequities through a critical Whiteness lens and examines institutional and systemic racism in academic settings, namely 2-year higher education institutions.
Photo courtesy Morton High School website
The celebrated Morton High School Jazz Ensemble is led by Director Jeff Arbisi. The Morton High School Jazz Ensemble is the top jazz band at Morton High School, including members from the band, orchestra and choir programs. They meet twice a week after school, and these dedicated students work hard on learning style, improvisation, and history while working on both traditional and contemporary repertoire. The ensemble recently placed third in their class at the renowned Jazz in the Meadows competition.
Mr. Arbisi received his Associate of Arts in music at Illinois Central College, where he studied jazz saxophone under Larry Harms. At Lincoln College, he studied classical and jazz saxophone and clarinet under William Rhoda and received his Bachelor of Arts in Jazz studies in 2015.
In addition to his highly respected work as Director of the Morton HS Jazz Band, Mr. Arbisi also serves as Director of Jazz Ensembles at Youth Music Illinois, as Fine Arts Coordinator for Morton District 709, and as the manager of Bertha Frank Performing Arts Center. He is an active performer and has played with such prestigious groups as the Illinois Central Jazz Train, J.C. and The Redemption, and the Central Illinois Jazz Orchestra.
Morton HS Jazz Band 6pm
ICC Vocal Jazz at 7:15pm
Concerts are held at Trailside Event Center
4416 N Prospect (above Trefzger’s)
Third Sunday of the month (unless otherwise noted)
Members $8
Non-members $12
Students Free