Music Industry Studies

Bio: Songwriter/Film Composer/Musician Dr. Will Townsley has been an active composer, performer, and music educator for 20 years. Will has composed and arranged music for various ensembles of all levels. His music for film includes scores for four documentaries for Bro N Stine productions (Las Vegas, Nevada) -- Boys of Summer (and sequels), You Should Know Jack, Share the Road, and Redemption of the Fall. As a former Nashville songwriter, Will wrote several songs featured in the Curb Publishing catalog. His song How Long (co-written with Billy Decker) is published with Al Jolson/Black and White Music (Nashville, Tennessee). His songs have been recorded by Jason Ashley, Colt Prather, and others. His composition Blues for Addie was recorded and performed by the UT Arlington Jazz Orchestra on their CD release Caravan of Cool. Will has performed with artists that include Sammy Kershaw, Joe Nichols, Bob Mintzer, and Tom Dumont (No Doubt). He has opened for Jake Owen, Brett Young, Chris Jansen, Richie McDonald (Lodestar), Larry Stewart (Restless Heart), Tim Rushlow (Little Texas), and Blues Traveler. He has performed for major organizations including the Dallas Cowboys and was invited to perform at a songwriter showcase at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. As a music educator, Will is currently the Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Industry Studies at the University of Texas–Arlington where he teaches courses in recording techniques, songwriting, film scoring, and music business. He has also served as an adjunct saxophone instructor at the University of Texas–Arlington and graduate teaching assistant at Texas Christian University and UT Arlington. Will holds a doctoral degree in saxophone performance from Texas Christian University where he studied classical and jazz saxophone with Joe Eckert. He has also studied saxophone with Tim Ishii (University of Texas-Arlington) and Don Aliquo Jr. (Middle Tennessee State University) as well as jazz composition with Dan Cavanagh and Rick Stitzel. He is affiliated as a songwriter and publisher (Tee Four Music) with BMI.

Bio: Aleyna Brown is a contemporary composer, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, and educator based in Dallas. As a versatile musician and entrepreneur, with a complement of five music degrees, Aleyna’s work serves to both celebrate and recontextualize women in music technology spaces. Aleyna has produced artists across a wide variety of genres as well as her own albums as an independent artist. As a flutist, Aleyna has performed as a pit orchestra reed doubler, electroacoustic soloist, and chamber musician across the U.S. and abroad. As a composer, Aleyna has been commissioned by organizations including the International Flute Orchestra and the Green Vibes Project.

Bio: A Philadelphia native, Jamar Jones, according to Jonathon Sprinkles, "is a guy that has been a part of all of our lives in some way without us realizing it." Since 1996, Jamar has been trusted to work with and for some of the music industry's most respected brands as a producer, composer, arranger, and musician to an impressive list of artists that includes Boyz II Men, Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott, Jamie Foxx, Mary Mary, Usher, and the legendary Ms. Patti Labelle. Recognized as a child prodigy, Jamar started playing the piano at the age of 4 years old when his mother purchased a piano for the home following the death of his father in 1981. The piano that was purchased from the Cunningham Piano Company in Philadelphia "became the tool through which I would express all my emotion" states Jones. After attending initial study at the West Oak Lane School of Music, Jamar quickly progressed to being recognized as a young gifted performer through winning the best soloist awards at several stage band competitions in junior high. Eventually, the recognition for Jamar Jones as a dominating young performer would lead to an invitation to be a part of the City of Philadelphia's premier high school jazz students' Philadelphia All-city Jazz Band. It was his participation in the All-city Band that led to his induction to the Grammy All-American High School Jazz Band in 1994 and 1995. While a freshman at Temple University, Jamar co-wrote and co-produced the song, Dear God, for the Grammy nominated Boyz ll Men album Evolution. Jamar continued to work for several years as a producer with many artists but one major highlight of this tenure was producing the theme song for the movie, Hurricane, which starred Denzel Washington and was performed by Boyz II Men with The Philadelphia Orchestra. He has served as a musical director for both stage artists and a diverse range of theater and film projects over the previous 20 years. Jamar has lent his talents as a producer, arranger, composer, and musician to: Mary Mary, Kindred, Myron Butler, Tamela Mann, Kanye West, Janet Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Deitrick Haddon, Crystal Aiken, Vickie Winans, T.D. Jakes, Usher, Fantasia, Mario, Claudette Ortiz, Floetry, Bruce Parham, Vivian Green, Voices of Theory, Jill Scott, Fred Hammond, Richard Smallwood, Syleena Johnson, The Rickey Minor Band, Patti LaBelle, Denise Rich, Al Kasha, Rihanna, Eminem, P. Diddy, Kim Burell, Steven Ford, Warryn Campbell, Adam Blackstone and others.

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: 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.