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Grades 6 to 12

2023 Summer Jazz Workshop

During this unique time, the arts are more important than ever. Join us for the 13th annual Summer Jazz Workshop at Francis Parker School in conjunction with Jazz 88.3. This program has provided a unique opportunity for middle and high school-age students to study with some of San Diego's most gifted professional jazz performers and educators in an environment designed to nurture their growth as musicians, both technically and creatively. 

Jazz Workshop will provide students a one-week session where they will receive group instruction on their individual instruments and have access to a variety of sessions covering topics in music theory, jazz improvisation, and masterclasses by our fantastic faculty. 

This is the perfect venue for students to continue to grow musically as they learn to express themselves through the art of jazz improvisation.

We welcome beginners, intermediate and advanced students at this workshop designed to nurture their growth as musicians, technically and creatively. 

Scholarships and financial assistance are available and more information can be found by contacting workshop Director Chaz Cabrera at ccabrera@francisparker.org. 

We look forward to having you join us this summer!

Material Requirements: Instrument of choice

Register Here

Course Hours

9:00 am-2:00 pm: Grade 6-9 students
9:00 am-3:00 pm: Grade 10-12 students
 
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Dates 

July 10-July 14 For rising Grade 6-9 Students (Performance July 15)

Course Price: $789

July 24-July 28: For rising Grade 10-12 students (Performance July 29)

Course Price: $899

Jazz Workshop Faculty

Derek Cannon: Trumpet

Derek Cannon

Derek is an accomplished performer and music educator having earned a Bachelor of Arts in music, and Master of music degrees from San Diego State University (SDSU). During his time as a student at SDSU he won many soloist awards at jazz festivals throughout the state. Derek has maintained an active performing career which includes performances with Natalie Cole, Clark Terry, The Four Tops, The Temptations and Jon Faddis to name a few. As a BMI affiliated composer Derek has also written and produced music for several recording artists in the Chicago area.

Internationally, he has performed at The Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, The North Sea Jazz Festival in The Netherlands, The Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, and The Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada. Derek’s recent recordings include “Coup d’ Eclat,” with Monette Marino, 2010, “From Me To You,” with Paula Prophet, 2010, “Free Your Mind,” with Walter Beasley, 2009, “Destiny,” with Kamau Kenyatta, 2008, and “Come On Over,” with Allison Adams Tucker, 2008.  

In addition to being a member of the music faculty at Grossmont College, Derek has also chaired the Jazz Studies Department at Chicago State University (1995-1999), and is a member of the jazz studio faculty at San Diego State University.  Derek has been a member of the Grossmont College Music Department Faculty since 1993. His classes include music theory, jazz improvisation, elements of jazz, and he is the founder/director of the Afro-Cuban Ensemble. In 2002, Derek was elected to the prestigious "Who's Who Among America's Teachers."

Tommy Collins: Guitarist

A Southern California native, Tommy Collins has been playing guitar for over 25 years. He started in middle school playing lead guitar in rock and heavy metal bands while studying with acclaimed blues and rock guitarist Wayne Riker. In high school, he attended summer programs where he learned from guitarists Ted Greene, Pat Martino, Martin Simpson, Jodi Fisher, Jim Hall and Joe Diorio. Inspiration gained from these musicians, and others, confirmed that the pursuit of music and education would become his life.
Tommy received his bachelor’s degree in music with an emphasis in education from San Diego State University where he studied with jazz guitarist Art Johnson. Around this time, he joined the San Diego based Reggae/Funk/Jazz group “Spaceman Spiff”. Spiff played for ten years all over Southern California, in clubs such as the Temple Bar and Onyx Room, college campuses, and festivals. They recorded albums with Jeff Lorber and Guy Eckstine, and were nominated several years in a row for best jazz artists at the San Diego Music Awards.
Since 2001, Tommy has collaborated, and worked with, a variety of bands and artists including Sun Ra guitarist Dale Williams and Joe Piscopo’s Frank Sinatra show. He also co-founded the experimental music band “Bus Ride” where he recorded two albums. In addition to his busy teaching schedule, he still gigs regularly.
Tommy’s other passion is music education. After earning his California teaching credential, he worked for a few years in the San Diego City School District teaching instrumental music. Tommy joined the private sector in 2003, teaching music at the San Diego Jewish Academy. He is still there, currently as the chair the Visual and Performing Arts Department. In addition to teaching AP Music Theory, guitar and general instrumental music, Tommy has organized a variety of workshops with world class musicians including Earth Wind and Fire bass player Verdine White, Israeli Jazz ensemble “Yambasha”, and master jazz guitarist John Stowell.
Tommy also teaches at the Guitar Workshop Plus at Cal State San Marcos, and at the Summer Jazz Workshop, in partnership with San Diego’s House of Blues® and Jazz 88.3. He currently lives in San Diego with his wife and two daughters.

Danny Green: Piano

Pianist and composer Danny Green has garnered a reputation in the jazz community as an emerging artist whose music sounds simultaneously seasoned and fresh. Showcasing a brilliant blend of jazz, Brazilian, Latin and classical elements, Green’s music engages listeners with evocative melodies and infectious rhythms. According to JazzReview.com, “Danny Green is what evolution in jazz is all about, expressing the traits of those that came before him, with a style and panache that is all his own…an individual who expresses what is inside of him.”

Hailed as “one of the important up-and-comers on the scene today” by All About Jazz, Green is one of the most prolific and talented jazz pianists in the San Diego area. Maintaining a busy performance schedule as leader of the Danny Green Trio, Green has performed at notable venues, series and festivals across the county, including the The Shapeshifter Lab (NYC), Anthology/The Music Box (San Diego), The Blue Whale (LA), Vibrato Jazz Grill (LA), Cafe Pink House (Saratoga), The Blue Note (NYC), The Loft @ UCSD, Steamer’s Jazz Club (Fullerton), KSDS Jazz 88.3’s Jazz Live, the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, CSU Summer Arts Monterey, the Integrity Jazz festival in North Dakota, TEDxUCSD, and the KSDS Jazz 88.3 Ocean Beach Jazz Festival. He has also been chosen to be a resident artist at the San Diego Museum of Art’s Summer Residency Project.

Green is also highly devoted to music education. In addition to teaching private lessons, he is a faculty member of the annual Jazz 88.3 Summer Jazz Workshop, directs the jazz combo at Coronado School of the Arts, and presents a jazz appreciation workshop at elementary schools as part of the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library’s outreach program. Green has also taught piano courses at Grossmont Community College and San Diego City College, and has been an artist in residence at Canyon Crest Academy and at CSU Summer Arts Monterey.

Justin Grinnell: Bass

Justin Grinnell is a San Diego-based freelance musician and music educator. A versatile acoustic and electric bassist, Justin is comfortable performing a wide variety of musical styles such as jazz, latin, funk, rock, pop, musical theater and classical.

In May 2005, Justin received his master's degree in jazz performance from San Diego State University. While attending SDSU on a full scholarship, he had the opportunity to travel, perform and teach in South and Central America as a member of two faculty-student jazz groups. At this time, Justin studied privately with internationally acclaimed acoustic bass soloist, Bert Turetzky.

After receiving his master's degree in jazz performance from SDSU, Justin was accepted into the Henry Mancini Institute's 2005 Summer Education Program on a full scholarship. HMI provided Justin with the opportunity to work with one of Los Angeles' premiere session bassists, Nathan East, as well as Billy Childs, Dave Liebman, Christian McBride and Vince Mendoza.

Justin is currently performing and composing for several jazz-influenced groups. In addition to leading his own groups, Justin is also a member of the Brazilian Jazz-inspired Danny Green Trio. The trio's debut CD, "With You In Mind," won the 2009 San Diego Music Award for Best Jazz Album and their 2012 sophomore release, "A Thousand Ways Home," was recently nominated for the same award. Justin is also a member of the ARC Trio, a creative collaboration stretching the boundaries of modern jazz.

Although Justin is often performing in familiar San Diego jazz hotspots, he is also no stranger to San Diego's best-known theaters: the Civic Theatre, the Old Globe, Spreckels and the La Jolla Playhouse. Justin has spent a lot of time at these venues as a pit orchestra member for a number of Tony Award-winning musicals, such as A Chorus Line, Avenue Q, The Drowsy Chaperone, Spamalot, Grease and The Color Purple.

Justin recently began his doctoral studies at the University of Southern California. Besides studying privately with Los Angeles' first-call jazz bassist, Darek Oles, Justin's enrollment at USC has already given him the opportunity to study with internationally-recognized jazz artists Peter Erskine, Russ Ferrante, Bob Mintzer and Alan Pasqua.

In addition to his performing schedule, Justin is also a dedicated music educator. In addition to teaching at Grossmont College, he frequently serves as an adjudicator and clinician at local jazz festivals.

Melonie Grinnell: Piano

Melonie Grinnell is a San Diego based jazz pianist. Active as an educator and performer, she began studying piano at the age of four and  has since been recognized not only for her skills as a pianist, but also for her abilities as a vocalist, music educator and musical director. Melonie received her Bachelors of Music degree in music education with a jazz emphasis from the University of Miami and a Masters of Music performance degree in jazz studies from San Diego State University.

Melonie has an extensive list of musical performance experiences in jazz, classical and musical theater. She has performed in well-known San Diego jazz venues including Dizzy’s, Croce’s Jazz Bar, 98 Bottles and the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library. Melonie has also worked as a musical director and pit keyboardist for Starlight Civic Theater, the San Diego Repertory Theater and the Lawrence Welk Theater. Additionally, she has been employed by Royal Caribbean International Cruises, both as a pianist and musical director for shows featuring major headliner acts.

Melonie has been a music educator at the college level for 15 years and is proud to be part of the prestigious music faculty here at Grossmont College. Her teaching experience extends to Miracosta and Southwestern Colleges. Classes include music theory I, class piano, music history, jazz piano, musicianship for general education elementary and vocal jazz ensemble. She teaches traditional face-to-face classes as well as online classes.

Additionally, she is on the faculty for the Francis Parker School/KSDS 88.3 Summer Jazz Workshop where she teaches jazz piano and co-directs middle school to high school student ensembles. She is also active as an adjudicator for instrumental jazz festivals including the Coronado/COSA Jazz Festival and the KSDS Jazz 88/CMEA festival.

Leonard Patton: Vocal Teacher

Ian Tordella: Saxophone

Ian Tordella

San Diego area saxophonist Ian Tordella is a unique voice on the west coast jazz scene. Tordella’s compositions are harmonically in the realm of post-bop, but strongly influenced by indie-rock, trip-hop and electronica. His upcoming third album features his long-time collaborator Brooklyn guitarist Jeff Miles, and continues this trajectory of fusing jazz with more contemporary sounds and influences. Outside of his own band, Tordella appears both live and/or on recordings with a variety of local groups including Joe Garrison’s acclaimed large-ensemble Night People, Ben Wanicur’s trio/quartet, Gilbert Castellanos’s Federal Jazz Project Band, and guest appearances with rock mainstays The Heavy Guilt and Little Hurricane.

Raised in the Washington, DC area, Tordella received a B.M. in jazz performance from University of North Texas before transplanting to California in 2003, where he furthered his studies under altoist Charles McPherson. He has worked with trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos [of the Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra], guitarist Peter Sprague, pianist Joshua White, bassist Jeff Denson [Lee Konitz], saxophonist Jason Robinson, and others.

Mike Holguin: Percussion

Born in East Los Angeles, Mike Holguin is best known for his versatility and wide variety of musical tastes. This is due to the fact that Mike attended a different school every single year from Kindergarten all the way through High school. Mike was exposed to everything from Latin, Jazz, Funk, Rock, Concert Percussion, Marching Percussion, Studio recording, Theatre, Reading, Writing, Arranging, Composing, etc. Mike has hundreds of studio sessions to his name including Sony PlayStation as well as Movie credits on Jerry Brookheimers' Block Buster Movie “Pearl Harbor”. 
In the Jazz world, Mike has also played with every major Big Band in San Diego including multi award winning Big Time Operator, Gilbert Castellanos, Brad Steinwehe's Big Band, Bill Green, Society Beat, San Diego Jazz Orchestra and the San Diego State University “A” Jazz Band. 

In the Latin music scene, Mike has performed on many occasions with the Grammy award winning queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, Jack Costanzo, Jose Rizo's “Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars”, Gilbert Castellano's Latin Jazz Quintet, Alan Phillips, Gunnar Biggs Quartet, Monnette Marino, Gene Perry, Allison Tucker, Danny Green, Orquesta La Nueva, Orquesta Primo. He has also played with many of the salsa groups in Los Angeles including Son Mayor, RMM Recording artist Yari More and Gilberto Torez. 

In the Country and Pop scene, Mike has performed with Grammy Award Winners Lee Ann Womack, LeeAnne Rhymes, John Michael Montgomery, Jamie O'Neal, Phil Vasser, Wayne Nelson, Little River Band, Buck Howdy, Juice Newton, James Otto, American Idol's Josh Gracin and Bucky Covington. Disney's Jordin Pruitt as well as Comedian Rich Little. Mike has also been a member of The Church at Rancho Bernardo and The Mighty Untouchables for the past 15 years.


While in High School, Mike marched with The Sound Machine of the Inland Empire from 1989 -1991. After graduating High School Mike joined the US Navy and was stationed on board the Aircraft carrier USS Ranger CV-61. It wasn't till after returning from Operation Desert Storm that he was accepted into the US Navy School of Music in Norfolk, VA. In 1991, Mike would begin his world travels with the 7th Fleet Navy band stationed out of Yokosuka, Japan. During his tour of duty, Mike would see 22 countries including Russia, Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, etc. In 1994, Mike was transferred to the Navy Band in San Diego. It was here that he would settle down and begin his civilian music career. 


Educationally Mike currently teaches percussion at San Diego State University, Rancho Bernardo HS, Mira Mesa HS, Bernardo Heights Middle School. He is also an accomplished arranger both for percussion and band. Mike is proud to be endorsed by Evans Drum Heads and Vic Firth Sticks. 

Questions about the Summer Jazz Workshop?
For questions or for scholarship opportunities, please contact Chaz Cabrera, Program Director for the 2023 Summer Jazz Workshop, at ccabrera@francisparker.org.