There are so many great things about the Oklahoma City professional clarinet scene. The Musicians who are leading the charge are listed below with a short Bio. We are going alphabetical here, and being a Zumwalt, I understand how unfair it is. I am sure that I have missed some and would love to include them, so if you, or someone you know, should be here please send me a bio and a photo and maybe a link or two so we can connect! email: john@clarinetfingeringchart.com
Brad has had an obsession with mouthpiece acoustics for almost 30 years. He went from refurbishing to now producing mouthpieces (Behn Mouthpieces & EPIC CNC) for clarinetists of all skill levels.
Brian also serves as an Advisor for UCO’s Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance, Master of Music in Jazz Studies, and teaches Applied Saxophone. He directs the “UCO Jazz Ensemble I” which has won many awards. Under Gorrell’s direction, UCO’s top jazz group was honored in Downbeat Magazine‘s 39th Annual Awards in 2016 for outstanding large ensemble performances, a repeat of their 35th Annual Student Music Awards in 2012 success. In March of 2018 “UCO Jazz Ensemble 1” tied for first place in the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival in the collegiate jazz ensemble division and in September 2018 was featured on the center stage of the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Though Brian confessed to me that his clarinet skills are not where he would like them to be, Brian Gorell’s name is at the top of many admirers list. Proficient on both the keyboards and saxophones, Brianhas produced and directed a bunch of albums with UCO’s Jazz Ensemble I:
Gorrell been aggressively creating new programs at the University of Central Oklahoma. These including Oklahoma’s only Master of Music in Jazz Studies, a Minor in Jazz Studies and with majors in Performance and Music Production. He is the founder of the Oklahoma Youth Jazz Ensemble, offering advanced jazz education for Central Oklahoma’s top high school students. Brian Gorrell has twice been awarded “Collegiate Jazz Educator of the Year” by the Oklahoma Jazz Educators Association.
As a music instructor, Tara is an expert in woodwind instruction for beginners. Her teaching responsibilities range from marching bands to concert bands, even a master class at the University of Central Oklahoma for orchestral excerpts.
Dr. Lisa Kachouee is a Clarinet Instructor at Oklahoma City University. As an orchestral, chamber, and solo clarinetist, Lisa has performed in Carnegie Hall and over thirty secondary schools and universities across the United States and in Mexico and Europe.
Dr. Lisa Kachouee hits the road on tour with Duo Rodinia, with composer and percussionist Jamie Wind Whitmarsh. Duo Rodinia just finished a recording project with PARMA Recordings and expect it will be released in 2021.
As professional clarinetist and someone committed to education that goes beyond the classroom, Dr. Kachouee writes articles for The Clarinet and has done in-depth research on the works and life of composer Daniel Nelson.
Vince Norman
When I ask around town about great jazz clarinetist, Vince is always on the list. He was exposed to music early in his life. He is the child of Ray Norman, a saxophonist, who played in big bands of the ‘40’s – the 50’s. His dad performed with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys and with Charlie Barnett and Claude Thornhill. But for Vince, his first real introduction to the magic of Jazz was with his 8th grade band leader, Paul Brewer.
At age 16, still in high school, Vince was offered his first real gig playing with the Rick Swyden Big Band. Though Del City, Oklahoma, was home, most of his career was in the Washington DC area as both as part of The U.S. Army Field Band and as a freelance musician. It was here that Vince performed as a saxophonist with “The Jazz Ambassadors” and also as a member of the arranging staff. Vince Norman has played in 49 states, missing only Alaska. Beyond his extensive U.S. touring, he has played concert tours all over the world (including: Canada, Europe, India, Japan, and Mexico).
[…] that your child will thrive while learning to play an instrument, invest in their future! Find a jazz clarinetist in Oklahoma City who has the patience and skills to work with your child as they develop this new talent. If […]
[…] that your child will thrive while learning to play an instrument, invest in their future! Find a jazz clarinetist in Oklahoma City who has the patience and skills to work with your child as they develop this new talent. If […]