Artist Educators

Anisha Rush

Originally from Colorado Springs, CO, Saxophonist, composer and educator Anisha Rush is redefining what it means to be a modern jazz artist. As a performer, Rush has shared the stage with some of today’s most respected artists, including Makaya McCraven, Ron Miles, Matt Wilson, Dawn Clement, Greg Gisbert, Shane Endsley and Art Lande. Her work has taken her to celebrated stages and festivals such as Bonnaroo, DC Jazz Festival, Winter Jazz Fest and Telluride Jazz Festival. As a bandleader, she has been featured at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival (Artist Corps), Five Points Jazz Festival, Hey Nonny Women’s Jazz Festival and more.

A rising force and thoughtful innovator, Rush was selected for the 2023 Next Jazz Legacy, an apprenticeship program led by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. Most recently, Anisha Rush and the Encounter were awarded a 2024 Chamber Music America Performance Plus grant, supported by the Doris Duke Foundation. Currently based in New York City, Rush is pursuing an Artist Diploma (’27) at The Juilliard School, where she continues to expand her artistic reach.

Bailey Hinkley Grogan

Bailey Elizabeth Hinkley Grogan is a Doctor of Musical Arts in Studio Jazz Voice and a nationally recognized jazz scholar whose research on Black female instrumentalists has been presented at major academic conferences across the United States. A graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, and the Bob Cole Conservatory, she has earned multiple awards for creativity and vocal jazz performance.

As a vocalist and songwriter, Bailey blends jazz, folk and R&B influences, drawing inspiration from artists such as Nancy Wilson, Chick Corea, Patsy Cline and Pat Metheny. She has performed with Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling and Janis Siegel, and released her debut album, Three Sides of a Story, in 2024.

Now serving as adjunct faculty in jazz studies at the University of Northern Colorado, she continues to perform regularly in Denver while balancing her work as an educator, consultant and recording artist.

Carl Schultz

Carl Schultz is a saxophonist, composer, educator, and historian currently based in Santa Clara, California, where he serves as Director of Jazz Studies at Santa Clara University. He is completing his new album, The Road to Trantor, an avant-fusion suite inspired by Isaac Asimov’s science fiction themes. This follows his trio album ACT reACT, which highlights compositions by his mentor, Art Lande. Schultz’s career includes performances with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, where he played nearly 1,000 shows and is featured on The Glenn Miller Orchestra: Live in Tokyo. He has also performed with modern jazz ensembles such as the Lars Halle Orchestra and Norman David and the Eleventet. Schultz is a sought-after guest lecturer and has given clinics at schools including The University of the Arts and Penn State Altoona.

Darrell Grant

Darrell Grant is an internationally recognized pianist, composer and educator whose work channels music as a force for social change. His debut album, Black Art, was named one of The New York Times’ top ten jazz CDs of 1994, launching a distinguished career marked by performances across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He has appeared at leading venues and festivals, including Paris’s La Villa jazz club and the Havana Jazz Festival, and recently debuted as a soloist with the Oregon Symphony.

Centered on themes of hope, community and place, his major works include Step by Step: The Ruby Bridges Suite, The Territory, and Sanctuaries, a jazz chamber opera addressing gentrification. Since relocating to Portland, he has been named Portland Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association and received a Northwest Regional Emmy, an Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship, a MAP Fund grant and the Governor’s Arts Award. He is a professor of music at Portland State University, directing the Social Justice & the Arts program.

Jonathan Phillips

Jonathan Phillips, an educator and performer, has 18 years of teaching under his belt. He has mentored and directed numerous bands, guiding many students toward collegiate music programs and professional careers as gigging artists. As a saxophonist, he has had the privilege of performing with the Reno Jazz Orchestra, the Four Tops, the Miracles and Sol’Jibe. He has also directed the Reno Jazz Orchestra and led honor bands at the elementary, middle and high school levels. These experiences have shaped his deep love for music, and his goal is to inspire that same passion in every student he teaches. Jonathan looks forward to creating incredible musical opportunities and helping students reach their fullest potential.

Maiya Sykes

Maiya Sykes is a classically trained vocalist, producer, vocal arranger and entrepreneur. A graduate of Yale University with a degree in political science, she also holds a master’s degree with distinction from her fellowship at Oxford.

Maiya’s versatile vocals have graced numerous films and soundtracks, including the Oscar-winning *La La Land*, the critically-acclaimed *Dolomite Is My Name*, the Netflix series *Waffles + Mochi*, and most recently, *Creed III*, where her voice is featured on the track *The Void*. She has also had her four-chair-turning debut on Season 7 of *The Voice*, Maiya collaborated with YouTube sensations Postmodern Jukebox and Scary Pockets.

In 2026, Maiya continues to expand her artistic reach. This summer, she will be the featured female vocalist with the legendary big band at the Mendocino Music Festival, directed by Allan Pollack. Additionally, she is finishing up her own record, due at the end of the year. Maiya’s dynamic career reflects her passion for music, innovation and performance, solidifying her as a multifaceted force in the entertainment industry.

Mark Ferber

Drummer Mark Gerber, heard on more than 200 recordings and a current professor of drum set at California State University, Fresno, is a leading voice on today’s international jazz scene. A longtime collaborator with artists including Lee Konitz, Gary Peacock, Fred Hersch and Billy Childs, he continues to perform worldwide with projects such as Ralph Alessi’s This Against That, the Marc Copland Quartet, the Brad Shepik Organ Trio and his twin brother Alan Ferber’s Grammy-nominated big band and nonet.

In addition to his extensive recordings and touring career, Ferber has taught throughout the United States and Europe, serving faculties of CalArts, the School of Improvisational Music and City College of New York. A UCLA graduate and endorsing artist for Istanbul Cymbals, he brings both scholarly depth and real-world experience to his work. Originally from Moraga, California, he now lives in Los Angeles.

Richard Lloyd Giddens, Jr.

Richard Lloyd Giddens Jr. is a bassist, composer and educator shaped by Fresno’s rich jazz tradition. At 17, he earned a full scholarship to The New School’s Jazz and Contemporary Music Program in New York City, studying with luminaries including Reggie Workman and Joe Chambers. Soon after, he left school to tour nationally and perform with the Off-Broadway production STOMP. He later completed his BFA (2007) and MFA at the California Institute of the Arts, where he was mentored by Grammy Lifetime Achievement award winner Charlie Haden.

Giddens has headlined major international festivals, including Jazz em Agosto and the Saalfelden Jazz Festival, and has performed in 29 countries and 48 states. A recording artist with Tzadik and Orenda Records, he appears on numerous acclaimed releases, including Matt Otto’s Notebook, and leads his own debut album, Mimosas. He is Director of Jazz Studies at Fresno State, a 2018 California Arts Grant and 2025 Fresno Art Council Grant recipient, and led the Fresno State Jazz Orchestra to a 2025 DownBeat Outstanding Performance Award.

Tina Raymond

Tina Raymond is a highly respected drummer and educator based in Los Angeles, blending traditional jazz, African polyrhythm, and classical percussion. Known for her unique voice in contemporary improvised music, she has toured the US, Europe, and Asia both as a leader and a sideperson. Her 2023 album Divinations (Imani Records) explores a groove-centric, melody-driven sound, surprising fans of her abstract work with avant-garde musicians like Bobby Bradford and Vinny Golia. Other recent releases include Rachel Eckroth’s Live at Sam First and Bobby Bradford’s Stealin' Home. Her debut album Left, Right, Left (2017) explores America’s polarized politics through music. Raymond is an Associate Professor and director of Jazz Studies at California State University Northridge. She has received a DownBeat Educator Achievement Award and presents globally, with teaching credits spanning prestigious universities and jazz programs.