Correia Middle 'Artist in Residency' Makes Sweet Music

Trumpeter Derek Cannon works
with the Correia students
in the school's auditorium.

Students in Correia Middle School's Jazz Band were fortunate to benefit from the "Artist in Residency" program which brought professional trumpeter and educator Derek Cannon to the school in November.

The Correia students, in grades 8 and 9, worked with Cannon before performing for Correia students and parents. The highlight was a public performance at Sufi restaurant in Clairemont where Cannon, Glen Fisher and other professional musicians joined the young players.

"They are sponges, just absorbing everything," said Cannon, who is on the faculty of both San Diego State University and Grossmont College. “Having a music program like this is invaluable for the students and rare for a middle school. (These students are) getting a strong foundation in music early on that college students often lack and find themselves working to catch up later."

 

The Correia Instrumental Music Association and Glen Fisher's First Friday Music Club partner to raise funds to bring professional local musicians to the Point Loma school. Correia's band director, Marc Dwyer, collaborates with Fisher collaborate to choose musicians and organize the workshops and performances. Delfeayo Marsalis, Bill Watrous and the Dallas Brass are among the list of musicians the “Artist in Residency” program has brought to Correia in recent years.

At San Diego State and Grossmont College, Cannon teaches Music Theory, Jazz Improvisation, Elements of Jazz, and he is the founder/director of the Afro-Cuban Ensemble at Grossmont College. He has performed with musical greats including Natalie Cole, The Four Tops, Clark Terry and The Temptations and at The Montreaux Jazz Festival in the Switzerland, The Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, and the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada.

"We learned to listen to each other better when we play," said Andrew Johnson, grade 7, in what they felt was a pretty cool experience.

For more information on the program, contact Christina Gilmore of the Correia Instrumental Music Association at christina92107@gmail.com.