Performing Arts

The Boston Brass National Livestream from The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, Sponsored by West Shore Community College.  The Boston Brass will be playing live at the Ramsdell to bring you a one of a kind virtual experience.

BOSTON BRASS – ARTS ACROSS AMERICA: COMMUNITY, TOGETHER

This real-time/live-streamed performance and educational initiative was created by Boston Brass in recognition that presenting organizations and music programs across the country are also experiencing the COVID-related difficulties of keeping their doors open, maintaining the interest of their patrons and helping school music programs in their communities to keep students engaged. With over 35 years of international touring behind them, Boston Brass offers a terrific, artistically entertaining “something-for-everyone” program featuring familiar classical works to popular jazz standards, all delivered with the ensemble’s signature audience interaction and charming rapport.

A link to this online presentation is available below!
*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series Featuring Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo

With over 1000 engagements in the last five years alone, Frank Vignola has become one of the most popular and sought after guitarists on the international music scene. His dynamic genre-spanning music has brought him to 14 countries on three continents – and still growing – performing in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.

*This Content is Archived and Will Be Available Indefinitely For Your Enjoyment*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series featuring Michigan’s own, Jim Alfredson & Organissimo

You might notice something different at an Organissimo performance. The audience isn’t the typical homogenous “jazz” audience. You’ll see a healthy mix of people from all walks of life; young and old, black and white, from hippies to corporate professionals and everything in between. Organissimo’s music skirts over fences and satisfies a diverse range of tastes. You’re as likely to see people dancing as a group of folks intently listening.As American cultural critic Elvis Mitchell wrote after witnessing a show at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, “The group’s toned, muscular playing keeps the crowd rapt, a condition noticeable by the fact that almost no one is talking.“

*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series Featuring Sierra Hull

In her first 25 years alone, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sierra Hull hit more milestones than many musicians accomplish in a lifetime. After making her Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 10, the Tennessee-bred virtuoso mandolinist played Carnegie Hall at age 12, then landed a deal with Rounder Records just a year later. Now 28-years-old, Hull is set to deliver her fourth full- length for Rounder: an elegantly inventive and endlessly captivating album called 25 Trips.

Revealing her profound warmth as a storyteller, 25 Trips finds Hull shedding light on the beauty and chaos and sometimes sorrow of growing up and getting older. To that end, the album’s title nods to a particularly momentous year of her life, including her marriage to fellow bluegrass musician Justin Moses and the release of her widely acclaimed album Weighted Mind—a Béla Fleck- produced effort nominated for Best Folk Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards.

“There’s a lot of push-and-pull on this record, where in some moments I feel like everything’s happening so fast and I wish I could slow it all down so I can really enjoy it,” Hull points out. “But then there are also times where I’m looking forward to the day when the craziness has died down a bit, and life’s a little calmer.”

*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series featuring
A Musical Evening with WSCC’s Alumnus, Singer/Songwriter Chloe Kimes

Americana singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Chloe Kimes defines the next generation of folk-singing troubadours with relentless honesty across her poignant tunes. The Michigan native was bred on bluegrass festivals and family harmony but relocated to Nashville in 2016. With over a decade of writing and performing and a degree in Recording Industry/Songwriting under her belt, Kimes pulls influence from the flourishing Bluegrass/Americana community in her Nashville home, as well as from her backwoods, Michigan roots. An inspired storyteller, her organic sincerity is sure to capture listeners at first listen.

Click Here to Listen to Chloe Kimes on Spotify

*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series: The Fred Knapp Quartet Feat. Randy Napoleon

Fred Knapp: Drums
Matthew Fries: Piano
Rob Hartman: Bass
Randy Napoleon: Guitar

Fred Knapp: Drums

Fred Knapp is a drummer, vocalist, pianist, composer, and educator. He is known for having a special touch on the drum set with the ability to adapt to any playing situation. Fred has studied with Quincy Davis, Keith Hall, Tim Froncek, and Rupert Kettle. He also studied jazz piano with Dr. Steve Zegree and drum set with legendary jazz drummer Billy Hart, while getting a music degree from Western Michigan University. For more than two decades Fred has been busy performing in the Mid West with his trio, the John Shea Trio, and working as a freelance musician. He was named “Jazz Musician of the Year” in 2019 by the West Michigan Jazz Society. Fred also has a thriving teaching studio where he teaches piano and drum set. The Fred Knapp Trio recently released its seventh CD, “Song for Jaden”. Their previous release, “How Deep is the Ocean” received an editors choice award from CDBaby.com. Fred has performed and/or recorded with Terrell Stafford, Xavier Davis, Walter White, Chris Vadala, Conrad Herwig, Randy Napoleon, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Paul Keller, Diego Rivera, Randy Johnston, Sunny Wilkinson, Tad Weed, Tom Knific, Jeremy Siskind, Shawn “Thunder” Wallace, and a who’s who of local greats such as John Shea, Steve Talaga, Mike Frost, Rob Smith, Terry Lower, Betty Joplin, Jim Cooper, Edye Evans Hyde, Tom Hagen, Robin Connell, the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra, Big Band Nouveau, the Kalamazoo Big Band, and award winning area jazz ensemble Evidence.

Click Here to Listen to Fred Knapp On Spotify

Randy Napoleon: Guitar

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Randy Napoleon began his journey in jazz immediately after finishing his studies at the University of Michigan. Jeff Hamilton of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra invited the young Napoleon to do a series of performances with them at the Hollywood Bowl. From there, Napoleon’s career took off, first touring with pianist Benny Green nationally and internationally for a year, and then full time with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. A three-year stint with crooner Michael Buble followed; Napoleon is featured on Buble’s Grammy-nominated CD “Caught in the Act.”
Guitarist George Benson calls Napoleon “sensational.” Detroit Free Press critic Mark Stryker says Napoleon “plays with a gentle, purring tone that makes you lean in close to hear its range of color and articulation.” Washington Post critic Mike Joyce praises his “exceptionally nimble finger-style technique.” Comparing him to Wes Montgomery, music critic Michael G. Nastos says, “he displays an even balance of swing, soul, and single-line or chord elements that mark an emerging voice dedicated to tradition and universally accessible jazz values.”
Napoleon currently tours with the legendary singer/pianist, Freddy Cole, and is featured on Cole’s 2009 album, “Live at Dizzy’s Club: The Dreamer in Me.“ He is the main arranger and the guitarist on “Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B,” a 2010 Grammy-nominated release from High Note that features songs from the Billy Eckstine song book, as well as on “Talk to Me,” Cole’s 2011 album, and Cole’s most recent album “This and That.”
Today, Napoleon is one of the most sought-after guitarists in New York, where he is known as a forward-thinking musician with a passion for the jazz guitar tradition. In addition to backing the best, he leads his own bands, an organ trio, a trombone trio, a quartet with piano, and a three-horn sextet that includes organ, drums, trumpet, tenor sax, and trombone.

Click Here to Listen To Randy Napoleon on Spotify

*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series Presents

A collaborative effort of hundreds of musicians, vocalists, and recording artists. Enjoy the West Shore Community College Wind Symphony and Concert Choir Virtual Project presentation!

*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series featuring
A Musical Evening with WSCC’s Alumni, Evan Taylor & The Ministry

A Collaboration with “Excellence in the Community” Concert Series, Salt Lake City Utah

Evan Taylor is a trumpet player from the small town of Ludington, Michigan. Early on, Taylor gained musical skills from playing weekly at his church. In 2014, he began studying at Michigan State University under Guggenheim-Fellow & Award Winning trumpeter Etienne Charles. In fall of 2018, Taylor began his Masters at the University of Utah under Grammy nominated trumpeter & arranger, Kris Johnson.

Taylor is currently based in Salt Lake City, UT. He is endorsed by Victory Musical Instruments out of Miami, FL.

Taylor records for Warner/Chappell Music. He has been hired by named artists such as Delfeayo Marsalis, Corey Christiansen & David Halliday. His ability extends to: Jazz, R&B, Salsa, Gospel, Hip-Hop and Popular Music. He has been counted on with several corporate entertainment groups including the International Musician’s League, Greenlight Booking, JMV Entertainment, and others.

Click Here to Listen to Evan Taylor on Spotify

*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series featuring
Edgar Struble Presents: The Kenny Rogers Band with Special Guests Rudy Gatlin & Linda Davis
**Edgar will be available via facebook chat on Feb. 11 during the livestream to field any questions!**

Scottville native Struble worked with Rogers and his band from 1976 to 1991, and although Rogers passed on in 2020 and the lineup has changed through the years, Struble has remained close to the band. 

In a recent interview from his California studio, Struble said, “This concert was recorded live from a soundstage in Nashville in late August 2020. The Oceana County Fair Board commissioned the taping. The fair, like most others across the U.S., was shut down due to the COVID pandemic. However, Paul Erickson and the Fair Board were bound and determined to have an event, even if it meant doing it online. 

Performed by the band that backed Rogers for more than 40 years and featuring new lead singer, Don Gatlin, the concert will bring back fond memories of Rogers’ hits, and will entertain audiences unfamiliar with his music. Hosted by Rudy Gatlin and Edgar Struble, the show includes memorable musical performances and behind-the-scenes commentary between Struble and his former band mates.

Struble said, “It was certainly a joy to travel to Nashville and spend a couple of days with old friends while producing this video. We had so much laughter and even some tears as we rehearsed and rolled through this show. And I was so grateful to our dear friends, Linda Davis who showed up to sing a couple of duets, and Rudy Gatlin who came in to help me with the emcee duties. It was a family reunion that I’ll never forget.”

Click Here to Listen to Edgar Struble on Spotify

Fry Street from WSCC Performing Arts on Vimeo.

*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series featuring
A Musical Evening with The Fry Street String Quartet

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Quartet in A Major, Op. 18 No.5I. – Allegro
Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809) Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 76 No.4. “Sunrise”II. – Adagio
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Quartet in f minor, Op.80I. –  Allegro vivace assai
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Quartet in f minor, Op.80I. –  Adagio
Leos Janacek (1854-1928) Quartet No. 1 “Kreutzer SonataIV. –  Con moto
Bela Bartok (1881-1945) Quartet No. 2 II. – Allegro molto capriccioso 
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Quartet in c minor, Op. 51 No.1II. – Romanze: Poco adagio
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Quartet in c minor, Op. 51 No.1IV. – Allegro

This remarkable quartet – hailed as “a triumph of ensemble playing” by the New York Times – is a multi-faceted ensemble taking chamber music in new directions. Touring music of the masters as well as exciting original works from visionary composers of our time, the Fry Street Quartet has perfected a “blend of technical precision and scorching spontaneity” (Strad). Since securing the Grand Prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the quartet has reached audiences from Carnegie Hall to London, and Sarajevo to Jerusalem, exploring the medium of the string quartet and its life-affirming potential with “profound understanding…depth of expression, and stunning technical astuteness” (Deseret Morning News). 

The FSQ’s tour repertoire reaches many corners of the musical spectrum, including works of Britten, Schubert, Beethoven and Bartok, as well as programs of American women composers Laura Kaminsky, Amy Beach, Joan Tower and Libby Larsen. Recently, the quartet performed and live-streamed its first Bartok Cycle in the Russell Wanlass Performance Hall at Utah State University.

After more than 30 performances in three different countries, The Crossroads Project: Rising Tide continues to resonate with audiences. This fresh approach to communicating society’s sustainability challenges draws upon all the senses with a unique blend of science and art and has been featured on the NPR program joe’s big idea which aired during All Things Considered, as well as in publications by Yale Climate Connections, Reuters, and the New York Times. 

The Fry Street Quartet is pleased to hold the Dan C. and Manon Caine Russell Endowed String Quartet Residency at the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University. In 2019 the members of the FSQ were named Music Directors of the NOVA Chamber Music Series in Salt Lake City, Utah’s longest-running chamber music series. 

Click Here to Listen to the Fry Street Quartet on Spotify

*Archived content will be available following the scheduled date and time of the livestream.*

WSCC Performing Arts Living Room Series featuring
A West Michigan Musical Evening With Guitarist Lou Musa & Pianist Craig Avery 

About Lou Musa

Lou “Luigi” Musa was born and raised in Rockford I’ll. At the age of five he began playing the guitar and was taught by his father, an accomplished guitar and accordion player from Ferentino, Italy. Lou began taking formal lessons at age seven and studied classical guitar for over 11 years. By 17, he was teaching private lessons during the week while performing live in Chicago and other cities in the region on weekends. Lou has been credited on many albums and projects as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He also has a wide range of musical styles, from country to jazz, blues to progressive rock, plus the ability to play other instrument’s such as, mandolin, banjo, and keyboards. He also writes, performs, and produces music for movies and commercials. Lou relocated to Grand Rapids, MI in 1997, and currently performs and tours as lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the band; “The Verve Pipe”. Outside of his busy touring schedule, he continues to teach guitar and bass part time, plus performs locally at clubs and churches.

About Craig Avery

Craig Avery was born in San Diego, California on September 16th, 1984. He took an interest in music at an early age, playing melodies on his toy xylophone and waking up early to watch music videos on MTV. He started taking piano lessons at the age of four and taught himself how to play the guitar and drums by the time he got to high school. Craig moved to Scottville, Michigan his freshman year and it was there that his love for music really took off. Accompanying the choir, playing piano in jazz band, and performing with the pit orchestra for musical theater productions. He went on to pursue his Associate’s Degree at West Shore Community College where he performed with the Collegiates Show Choir and WSCC Jazz Band. 

Craig continued his college education at Grand Valley State University and received a Bachelor’s of Arts in music. It was there he studied classical, jazz, and contemporary music, and performed with almost all of the ensembles available. He had the privilege to perform with the GVSU New Music Ensemble in New York City for the highly acclaimed “Bang on a Can Festival” in 2007, and recorded albums that were recognized on NPR and affiliated podcasts. 

Craig performs frequently with Grand Rapids based party band, Brena. They play on average 175 events a year ranging from beach side bars, weddings, formal galas, music festivals, sporting events, and summer concert series. Craig also accompanies the East Kentwood choir program, performs with the praise band at church, and can be heard on countless recordings of local musicians and bands.