Where Milwaukee musicians take center stage!
OCTOBER 16th MUSICIANS:
6:15 - 7:00 Malik Johnson, cello
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7:15-8:00 Milwaukee HS of the Arts Vocal Jazz Ensemble
8:15-9:00 Ben Piette Trio: Nikolas Rehfeld, piano, Jeff Hamann, bass, Ben Piette, drums
Malik Johnson
MALIK JOHNSON, cello
Malik Johnson a.k.a. “99TheProducer” is a classically trained cellist, composer, and music producer based in Milwaukee, WI. He is a Grammy nominated producer, for his work on Kirk Franklin’s Grammy award winning album Long Live Love and Masego’s “Studying Abroad, Extended Stay.” He has performed with the Matt Jones Orchestra, which led to a collaborate performance with PJ Morton on NPR's Tiny Desk series, and worked on John Legend's Christmas album released in 2018.
In addition to his skill as an outstanding cellist, Malik is a self-taught guitarist, and a formally trained pianist. Malik’s current projects include writing and arranging strings for upcoming projects, teaching, and producing his debut album as 99TheProducer.
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Milwaukee HS of the Arts Vocal Jazz Ensemble
This ensemble has performed at numerous conferences and festivals, including the National ACDA conference, the Midwest Region ACDA Conference, and the Wisconsin Choral Director’s Association state convention. The group has been recognized nationally with 12 prestigious DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards since 2014. . The group has also performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and has been featured prominently in ABC’s WISN holiday prime time feature, “Season to Celebrate.”
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Individual students from this ensemble have received recognition from several national competitions, including the Grammy Foundation, the YoungArts scholarship competition, the Ravenscroft Jazz Prize, and the NAACP ACT-SO competition.
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Raymond Roberts begins his 34th school year as Choral Director at Milwaukee High School of the Arts. He also serves as ​​World Musics and Cultures R&R Chair for the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA). Raymond is CIVIC MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARDS recipient, receiving the 2009 Certificate of Excellence for Choral Instruction.
RAYMOND ROBERTS, director
The Milwaukee High School of the Arts Vocal Jazz Ensemble is an award-winning group comprised of the most advanced singers from the vocal music program. Dedicated to the study and perpetuation of America’s music- jazz, the curricular focus is centered on improvisation, utilizing both solo and ensemble repertoire as the vehicle for spontaneous musical creation.
Ben Piette Trio
BEN PIETTE, drums
Benjamin K. Piette (b. 1999) is a performer, composer, educator, and audio engineer, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He holds a B.F.A. in Music Composition and Technology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. There, he co-founded I/O Composition Collective, which served as a community and platform bridging the social gaps between composers, performers, and audio engineers within the Peck School of the Arts. He served as their first president. Currently, he sits on the Board of Directors for Civic Music Milwaukee, an organization supporting and advancing music education throughout the community, especially to youth who otherwise would not have access to musical training.
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Ben is an active performer and playing percussion - primarily drum set - in rock clubs, jazz bars, and concert halls has made him adaptable to many musical situations and styles. He plays and has played with artists such as Mark Davis, Augie Haas, Jeff Hamann, Clay Schaub, alt-rock band CREDENTIALS?, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee pop ensemble, Carroll University’s choirs, pop band Hewitt., and fusion band Pretendacle, to name a few.
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Ben has been involved in many recording and mixing projects with artists such as Sycamore, Hewitt., Peggy Otwell, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Jazz and Afro-Cuban Orchestras, not to mention a countless number of his own compositions.
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Ben is also regularly involved in live audio event production, with experience doing monitor, front-of-house, and live stream mixes, as well as routing and mixing corporate audio for presentations, panel discussions, board meetings, etc.
JEFF HAMANN, bass
Jeff Hamann is an accomplished bassist who has performed for over thirty years. He currently teaches and performs for the Milwaukee Jazz Institute. He has been heard by millions over the last twenty years on the National Public Radio Show, "Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?" He has performed throughout the U.S. and internationally with a who's who of jazz legends that include Charles McPherson, Benny Golson, Phil Woods, Ben Sidran, Frank Morgan, Ray Appleton, Peter Bernstein, Brian Lynch, David Hazeltine, Eric Alexander, and Cheyenne Jackson, to name a few.
NIKOLAS REHFELD, piano
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