CAAP Workshops at Vista

A grant from San Antonio's City Arts Access Program (CAAP) has enabled three workshops this semester at Northwest Vista College. Master classes with singer actor and writer Lindsey Van de Kirk and with the San Antonio Brass Ensemble take place on Monday, February 18, 2013 from 12:30 to 3 PM. A third is scheduled for Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 5 PM, with singer-songwriter and pianist Bett Butler and Joël Dilley, her bassist husband. All events take place in Rehearsal Hall 152 of the Palmetto Center for the Arts at Northwest Vista College. All students and members of the community are welcome to observe. More information.

LINDSEY VAN DE KIRK (Monday, February 18, 2 PM) is an accomplished singer, actor, and writer.  Her stage experience includes such shows as City of Angels, Me and My Girl, Urinetown, Oklahoma, Into the Woods, The Laramie Project, Kindertransport, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Children of a Lesser God, Guys and Dolls, A Christmas Carol, Lend Me a Tenor, and Rumors, among many others.   She traveled throughout Texas for two years performing with Opera in the Schools.  She has taught voice privately since 1979 and also teaches voice at Saint Mary’s Hall.  She is a full member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.  She holds a Master’s degree in Opera/Musical Theater from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

SAN ANTONIO BRASS (Monday, February 18, 12:30 PM) Ensemble is South Texas' premier large brass ensemble. Founded in 1982, this versatile brass ensemble performs a wide variety of musical genres ranging from Classical music to Dixieland, Jazz, show tunes, classic rock, swing, big band, and everything in between. San Antonio Brass_ range of musical abilities has produced engagements throughout the State of Texas including collaborations with the Texas Bach Choir, the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, the San Antonio Symphony, the San Antonio Children_s Chorus and the City of San Antonio_s annual Luminaria event. Musical explorations have ranged from the music of Bach for brass and organ to a tribute to Louis Armstrong. Comprised of some of the finest brass players in Texas, including the principal brass of the San Antonio Symphony and the area_s finest University Instructors, the San Antonio Brass has contributed to the cultural life of San Antonio, Bexar County and the state of Texas through its performances and educational programs. The musicians derive great satisfaction from their youth activities and spend considerable amounts of their time encouraging and mentoring young brass players. 

(Tuesday, March 19, 5 PMS) Jazz singer/songwriter/pianist BETT BUTLER has two albums of original music: SHORT STORIES, which earned a “recommended” rating from All Music Guide; and MYTHS & FABLES, which won a performance grant from the San Antonio Artist Foundation. Her song “When Love Has Left the Room” placed first in the Jazz category of the International Songwriting Competition out of over 10,000 entries worldwide. In 2008, she was named a Woman of Influence in the Arts by the San Antonio Business Journal and chosen Artist of the Month by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs. In 2010, she was awarded the inaugural Fred Weiss Memorial Grant for Professional Development by the Texas Music Coalition, and in 2011 she was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame. Recent recording projects include BOLEROS, a fusion of traditional Latin American music and jazz with Trio Azul; and A NEW WORLD, a world fusion project with Joël Dilley. Her upcoming album is AN AMERICAN SAMPLER, featuring classics from the Great American Songbook.

(Tuesday, March 19, 5 PMS) Award-winning bassist/composer/producer JOEL DILLEY has toured, performed, and recorded with Willie Nelson, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Herb Ellis, Tal Farlow, Arturo Sandoval, Richie Cole, and regional symphony orchestras, including performances at the Moscow Conservatory and philharmonic halls across the Russian Federation. He was a featured guest bassist on Public Radio International's "Whad'Ya Know" and a featured composer on Texas Public Radio's "Classical Spotlight." Commissions include musical settings for poems by Li Young-Lee at Round Top Festival institute and Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" at San Antonio Museum of Art. His three critically-acclaimed albums on Dragon Lady Records—RIVER OF HOPE, THE WINDOW, and A NEW WORLD—have received airplay on jazz radio stations across the US and podcasts worldwide. He co-owns Mandala Music Production, where he produces music licensed worldwide for commercial and non-commercial use, including tracks on HBO, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Playboy Channel, Food Network, and ambient airplay in retail outlets throughout the United States and Australia. Dilley's song "Luz de la Luna" from A NEW WORLD was nominated for best song in the Jazz category in the 2010 Independent Music Awards. His upcoming solo album LULLABY OF THE FLATLANDS is currently in production.