Jazz Studies

Bio: Tim Ishii has been Director of Jazz Studies at UT Arlington since 2004. Under his direction, the Jazz Orchestra has performed in Mexico City, Germany, Hawaii, Kansas, throughout Texas and the surrounding Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. In 2007 the Jazz Orchestra was selected to perform at the Texas Music Educators Conference in San Antonio, Texas and in 2009 the band was awarded the “Gene Hall” award as the Outstanding Collegiate Band at the University of North Texas/City of Addison Jazz Festival which included bands selected by taped audition from coast to coast. Tim is active as a clinician and has conducted numerous high school and college honor bands in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Oregon. In December 2014, he appeared as guest artist with the Iolani High School Jazz Band (Honolulu, Hawaii) in Kobe, Japan performing at the Konan Boys High School Winter Jazz Festival and Konan Women’s University. He is Past President of the Texas Jazz Educators Association and is Co-Music Director for the Hawaii Jazz Institute, a joint collaboration between the University of Texas at Arlington and the Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii. As part of the 2015 Hawaii Jazz Institute, the UT Arlington Jazz Orchestra performed aboard the USS Missouri battleship that is now docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In addition, Tim and the UT Arlington Jazz Faculty performed and provided educational enrichment at the 2015 Maui Jazz Festival. In May of 2016, Tim was invited to give big band clinics in Detmold, Germany at the Hochschule Fur Musik and also presented a master class to area saxophonists at the Haus Die Musik in Detmold. In October of 2016, Tim along with fellow UTA Jazz Faculty and students traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to finalize arrangements for a Study Abroad Exchange program with the Royal College of Music. The group also was invited to participate in the 2016 International Jazz Education Festival hosted by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In June of 2016, Tim, the UT Arlington Jazz Faculty, and Jazz Orchestra returned to Hawaii to work with students from the Honolulu area in the Hawaii Jazz Institute. Since 2016, the UT Arlington Jazz Area has continued outreach efforts in Hawaii, Sweden, Germany, and China. The UT Arlington Jazz Program is proud to sponsor the Eddie Gomez Trio in Residence each fall and spring semester. Tim maintains an active freelance and clinician schedule. Tim is an Artist/Clinician for Conn-Selmer and D’addario.

Bio: Michael Morrison was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Levelland, Texas. He holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music/Performance degree, both with an emphasis in Jazz Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has performed in the UT Arlington Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Bill Snodgrass and Timothy Ishii, and has been a student of Mr. Timothy Ishii for many years. Also, he has performed in the UT Arlington Wind Ensemble as principle alto saxophone and as guest soloist with the UT Arlington Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Morrison has also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Jazz Studies program at UT Arlington. His duties included teaching jazz combos, jazz history, and jazz theory. In addition, he presented lectures and performed for the Saxophone Master Class under the direction of Mr. Timothy Ishii. During his time at UT Arlington, Mr. Morrison has performed with many renowned artists; such as, Arturo Sandoval, Jon Faddis, Terell Stafford, Bob Mintzer, Dave Pietro, Linda Oh, Peter Erskine, Mike Williams, Denis DiBlasio, Roger Ingram, and Dave Hagedorn. Michael Morrison is a Adjunct Professor of Saxophone at the University of Texas at Arlington in addition to maintaining an active performing schedule in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. He is a member of the American Jazz Composers Orchestra, Mesquite Repertory Jazz Ensemble, Rebel Alliance Jazz Ensemble, and the Curtis Bradshaw Octet. Also, he performs with his jazz trio—Michael Morrison Trio—which has been the house jazz trio at Newport’s Restaurant for three years. They have also been the featured jazz group at the Mesquite Arts Center Summer Jazz Breaks in 2011. In addition to performing, he is an in demand private lesson instructor throughout the area, teaching classical saxophone repertoire as well as jazz saxophone, improvisation, theory, and beginning flute and clarinet.

Bio: As a trumpet player, he has performed, toured, and recorded with a wide variety of jazz musicians and pop artists. He was a member of Bob Belden's acclaimed experimental jazz group, Animation, which recorded and performed throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Following a groundbreaking tour to Iran in 2015, the group garnered press in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and the Boston Herald. In the DFW area, he is a sought after soloist and recording musician and maintains a busy career as a freelance performer. He has held trumpet clinics throughout DFW, performed at International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE,) the Jazz Education Network (JEN,) and also teaches privately in his studio. Mr. Clagett holds degrees from the University of Miami (Coral Gables) (B.M.) in studio music and jazz and the University of North Texas (M.M.) in jazz studies.

Bio: Ryan Haines is a trombonist, composer, clinician, and brass teacher based in Dallas, Texas. He was an Adjunct Instructor for Jazz Trombone at the University of North Texas from 2017-2018, taught Jazz Trombone at Arizona State University from 2011-2015, and was the interim Director of Jazz Studies at Northern Arizona University from 2011-2012. Ryan was the lead trombonist, Musical Director, Producer, and Chief Arranger for the Falconaires Jazz Ensemble based at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. He has composed and arranged music for 9 Air Force recordings and videos by premier ensembles including the Falconaires and the Airmen of Note. Ryan has performed as a featured artist at international music conferences, jazz festivals, and before audiences throughout the United States. Ryan has composed and arranged an extensive list of published music for jazz ensemble, brass ensemble, and trombone and tuba/euphonium ensembles; available through EJazzLines.com and Potenza Music publishing. A Sea Breeze Jazz recording artist, Ryan composed an 8-movement suite for big band entitled “The Sky Blue Suite” for his 2001 debut recording “To the Sky” and his follow-up recordings “New Horizons” and “People and Places” received critical acclaim internationally. Jazz industry reviewers use phrases such as: “world-class”, “stellar”, “amazing” and “as good as it gets” to describe his trombone playing and writing style.

Bio: Brian Mulholland is an adjunct instructor of jazz bass and music business at the University of Texas at Arlington. Since 2007, he has served UTA variously – from lecturing in jazz history and music appreciation to directing instrumental and vocal jazz combos. As a bassist, he toured with the late jazz artist Maynard Ferguson. During his tenure with the band, Mr. Mulholland's debut album, Deco (2005), was featured in the Maynard Ferguson Presents Series. His recorded performance highlights include Ferguson's Grammy®-nominated* studio album,The One and Only (2007), and the Maynard Ferguson Tribute memorial concert DVD (2007). He has held bass clinics in the U.S. and Canada, judged for jazz ensemble festivals, and performed at International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) and International Society of Bassists (ISB) conferences. During his final year at the University of North Texas (UNT), he taught electric bass lessons as a graduate teaching assistant of jazz bass. Mr. Mulholland holds degrees from the University of South Carolina (B.M., magna cum laude) and the University of North Texas (M.M.) in jazz studies. * 2007, Best Instrumental Arrangement: “Besame Mucho,” arranged by Steve Wiest. GRAMMY is a registered trademark of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc.

Bio: Tom lives in Fort Worth, Texas and he is originally from Brookings, South Dakota. His website address is: tomburchill.com. Tom Burchill is a professional guitarist, teacher and award-winning jazz band director, gifted arranger and composer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. An active freelance guitarist, he performs frequently throughout the metroplex and has impacted many lives through his teaching and his music. Tom teaches private guitar at the University of Texas at Arlington. Tom held the position of jazz band director at Weatherford College for 13 years. He is a highly sought-after clinician and private instructor and teaches at jazz education camps each summer. During his tenure as a jazz educator he has had the privilege of performing with a variety of jazz artists including Clark Terry, Peanuts Hucko, Joey Defrancesco, Randy Brecker, Peter Erskione, Marcel Ivory, David Fathead Newman, James Clay, Marvin Stamm, John Fedchock, Bill Watrous and Phil Woods among others. An excellent, motivational teacher, Tom is proud of the students he has had the privilege to teach. Altogether, his former students have won more than 20 Grammy awards and have gone on to play with such artists as Snarky Puppy, Count Basie Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, The Lincoln Center Band, Leon Bridges, Little Big Town, Tori Kelly, Miranda Lambert, Kirk Franklin, Toby Keith, Erika Badu, Prince, Snoop Dogg, Frank Foster, Mumford and Sons, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Sheryl Crow. Tom has performed with a number of revered artists and was honored to accompany the late, great Luciano Pavarotti in February of 2002 at his performance at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. He plays regularly with the Fort Worth Symphony where he has performed with artists such as Willie Nelson, Bernadette Peters, Michael Feinstein, Monica Mancini, and Art Garfunkel. Tom is also a member of the local group, Brasuka which plays original Brazilian jazz in a style reminiscent of Sergio Mendez. Their first project of all original compositions is to be released in the fall of 2021. They performed at the JEN conference in Dallas (2018), the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival (2019), and play frequently at The Kitchen in Dallas as well as other venues around the Dallas and Fort Worth area. Burchill earned a Bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance from the University of South Dakota and a Master’s degree in Jazz Education at the University of North Texas where he was a part of the jazz bands, jazz small groups, guitar ensembles and jazz singers.

Bio: From Canada’s east coast, Peter Rioux’s traditional piano style is heavily rooted in the blues idiom. As a teenager, Rioux developed an interest in improvisational music which he expanded through jazz studies at St. Francis Xavier University and the University of North Texas. Throughout his career, Rioux has had the pleasure of touring with blues legend, Lazy Lester, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, D.J. Fontana. Rioux’s career is also comprised of multiple cross Canada tours and performances at some of the country’s top music festivals. In recent years he has maintained a busy schedule performing around the DFW metroplex as a leader and a sideman. Under the leadership of saxophonist Shelley Carrol, he has opened for Ravi Coltrane and has performed in tribute shows in honor of Don Wilkerson and Arnett Cobb. Rioux has coordinated Bud Powell tributes shows and is dedicated to paying respect to jazz tradition through teaching and performing.

Bio: Native Cuban Saxophonist, composer and band leader. Recording artist at Sunnyside Records Jazz label, an endorsee at the prestigious Theo Wanne saxophone mouthpieces, Gonzalez saxophone reeds and recipient of a Grammy Nomination for his collaboration in the album, “Buena Vista Social Club Presenta a Omara Portuondo”. All About Jazz names Carlos "a dynamic fresh new voice on the saxophone”. Latin Jazz Network portrays his playing as “quite extraordinarily expressive and beautiful,” further adding, “Carlos Averhoff Jr. is a musician who is renowned as a virtuoso soloist.” The music of Carlos Averhoff Jr., blends an authentic combination of Afro-Cuban rhythmic elements and a strong presence of today's contemporary Jazz language, masterfully painting a landscape of contemporary harmonies and rhythms from his native land, Cuba. A particular element that Carlos brings to his shows is a unique technique he developed named, M.A.R.I (Melodic And Rhythmic Independence) in which he plays a percussive instrument with his left foot while simultaneously playing his saxophone. This element delivers a unique Cuban background and taste in his concerts. Throughout his career as a band leader and side man, Carlos Averhoff Jr. have performed in recognized stages and Jazz Festivals around the world such as: Carnegie Hall, Paris Philharmonic, Jazz At Lincoln Center , ELB Philharmonic, Monterey Jazz Festival, Krakow Philharmonic, Jazz Odd Nowa Jazz festival, Beantown Jazz Festival, Monte-Carlo Sporting Club, Berklee Performance Center, Scullers Jazz Club, Blue Note Jazz Club, SFJazz, Angela Peralta Theater, Barcelona Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, Irapuato International Jazz Festival among others. Carlos Averhoff Jr. has played alongside well known artists from the Jazz and Latin Jazz scenario such as: Chucho Valdes & Irakere, Chucho Valdes & La Creacion Yoruba Orchestra, Jazz drummers Louis Hayes, Jimmy Cobb & Bob Moses, Juan De Marcos and The Afro-Cuban All Stars, Cuban drummer Horacio ‘El Negro’ Hernandez; trumpet player Brian Lynch, pianists, Jason Moran, Roberto Fonseca; saxophonists Dave Liebman, Greg Osby and the list goes on. In the US, Carlos Averhoff Jr. graduated with bachelor degree, Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College Of Music and continued his Master studies in Jazz Performance at The New England Conservatory, graduating with honors. Carlos Averhoff Jr. took instruction from Jazz luminaries Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Ed Tomassi, Frank Tiberi, Greg Osby, Bill Pierce, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Lovano, Jason Moran, Cecil McBee, Ran Blake, John McNeil and Donny McCaslin

Bio: Saxophonist Prof. Chris McGuire is a member of the University of Texas-Arlington classical and jazz faculty, and an in-demand performer on saxophone, clarinet, and other woodwinds. He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from the University of North Texas and, over a thirty plus year performance career, has performed and toured with many diverse musical acts from The Duke Ellington Orchestra to country star Jamey Johnson, from the Jim Cullum Jazz Band to the industrial rap of MC 900 ft. Jesus, numerous other jazz, pop, and rock acts, and movie and television soundtracks. At UT-Arlington, he has deployed his versatile musical and pedagogical skills for over ten years by teaching applied saxophone, coaching jazz combos and classical quartets, and directing the Jazz Lab. Outside of UT-Arlington, he maintains a full performance schedule playing for a range of ensembles and recording projects, including a recent worldwide collaboration for the Ryan Anthony Foundation’s Cancer Blows.

Bio: Stockton Helbing is always moving. If he is not playing the drums, he is busy being a composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, educator, music director, author, and entrepreneur. Stockton maintains a busy schedule of performing, recording, lecturing, and teaching around North America with his trio, quartet, quintet, and sextet. He is a frequent guest artist at colleges and high schools where he clinics, rehearses, and performs with their small groups, big bands, and percussion ensembles. Since 2011, Stockton has been heard across the United States playing drums for American music icon and trumpet player extraordinaire Doc Severinsen. Stockton has released eight albums to date: Lodestar (2005), For Nothing is Secret (2007), Battlestations & Escape Plans (2010), Crazy Aquarius (2012), Handprints (2014), Patina (2015), Swimming in Place (2017), and Light Sleeper (2020), his most recent. Each album not only showcases Stockton’s drumming abilities, but his composing, arranging, and producing skills as well. Stockton has authored two books, Big Band Drum Set Sight Reading Etudes Volume 1 and Studies in Syncopation, both of which are included in the percussion curriculum at the University of North Texas. Since 2016, Stockton has directed a Jazz outreach program called the Helbing Jazz Initiative (HJI). Through HJI presentations, Stockton and his band have provided Jazz masterclasses for thousands of elementary, middle school, and high school students throughout the Dallas/Ft. Worth Area. HJI masterclasses focus on celebrating the Jazz masters of the past through performance and discussion of their musical and social contributions to Jazz and United States history. In April of 2019, Stockton was recognized by the Dallas Jazz Appreciation Month (DJAM) Jazz Legend award for Jazz Innovator of the year for his work with HJI in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Stockton has performed and recorded with a wide range of artists including Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, the Maniacal 4, Erykah Badu, David Braid, Steve Wiest, Jennifer Holiday, Blue Lou Marini, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Denis DiBlasio, The Cincinnati Pops, Chip McNeill, Darden Purcell, Clay Jenkins, Phil Woods, Wayne Bergeron, Randy Brecker, The Imperial Brass, Mary Wilson, Paul Tynan, Andy Timmons, Tom “Bones” Malone, Ernie Watts and many more. Stockton currently teaches drum set at the University of North Texas as an adjunct professor of music. Stockton has appeared as a guest artist at schools including the University of North Texas, San Jose State University, Southern Wesleyan University, the University of Illinois, Simpson College, George Mason University, the University of South Carolina, St. Francis Xavier University, Oklahoma State University, and Troy University. Stockton lives in Dallas, TX, with his wife Denise, John their son, Liliana their daughter, Jack the dog, and Aquarius the turtle.

Bio: Whitney studied musical theater and opera before falling in love with the music of Sarah Vaughan and pursuing a career in music singing jazz. She has been a working musician, composer, arranger and recording artist for over twenty-five years. She has worked extensively as a voice over artist, jingle singer and professional vocalist in genres that range from musical theatre to pop, soul, R&B, and jazz. Whitney has opened for Nina Simone, Betty Carter, Earth Wind & Fire, Macy Grey, The Roots, Maxwell, Mavis Staples, and Kurt Elling. She has studied with and performed with jazz greats Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Dick Hyman, Mark Murphy, Nancy King, Chuck Owen, Rufus Reid, and Maria Schneider. James received her bachelor’s degree in music from Cornish College of the Arts in 1999. In May 2022, Whitney received her master’s degree in jazz studies from the University of North Texas. While at UNT, Whitney was a Teaching Fellow in the Vocal Jazz Department. As a TF, Whitney gained the invaluable experience of directing two vocal jazz ensembles, instructing, and redesigning the secondary jazz voice curriculum for non-vocal jazz majors and teaching private voice lessons. Her 2010 debut CD The Nature of Love spent 16 weeks on the National Jazz Charts and received critical acclaim from US and International Jazz Press. In 2012, Whitney was one of thirteen jazz musicians heralded as “Legends in the Making” and was featured on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz: Rising Stars on NPR Radio hosted by Jon Weber. In 2015, Whitney was hired as the first woman on-air jazz disc jockey for NPR Station WUSF 89.7 FM, hosting the popular radio show All Night Jazz. Whitney’s seeks to use her experience, talent and expertise combined with her warmth and humor to help aspiring musicians develop their musicianship skills, discover their talent, and deepen their knowledge and love of music. As a vocal instructor she believes that everyone’s voice is unique. It is her job to help you explore your voice to discover your own sound - while focusing on pedagogy, vocal technique, expression, and artistry. Whitney has continued her vocal pedagogy studies by completing Somatic Voicework™ The Lovetri Method, Levels 1 & 2 in July 2023, and The Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University Levels 1, 2 and 3 in July 2024.