Oakland University - News Archive - Department of Music, Theatre and Dance welcomes new jazz faculty

Miles Brown	Jiana Hunter	Sean Dobbins
Three dynamic jazz educators will join the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance faculty this fall. Bassist, composer, performer and teacher Miles Brown is a versatile musician who has earned bachelor and doctorate (forthcoming) degrees from the Eastman School of Music in jazz performance studies as well as a master’s degree from the Mannes College of Music in classical bass performance. As a jazz performer, Miles has led groups featured at the Syracuse Jazz Festival, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, and the Blue Note. He has played with jazz masters such as Sam Rivers, Joe Magnarelli, Ralph Alessi, Walt Weiskopf, Harold Danko, Bill Dobbins, Joe Lovano, Ben Monder, and Kenny Werner; and he has recorded on the Native Language, Leading Tone, and Yummy House labels. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, applied jazz vocal instructor Jiana Hunter received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Kentucky State University where she served as section leader and soloist to the award winning KSU Concert Choir. She earned a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies Performance: Voice at Western Michigan University and is an alumna of the world renowned vocal jazz ensemble Gold Company, under the direction of Dr. Steve Zegree. Jazz drummer Sean Dobbins will serve as Artist-in-Residence. He got his start as sought-after Detroit area jazz sideman at a young age, when he would regularly play with Blue Note artist Louis Smith. As Sean's Career progressed, he found himself the recipient of many awards and accolades including the "Woody Herman Jazz Award", an award for outstanding musicianship, as well as the Louis Armstrong Scholarship. In 1999 Sean was asked to become the director of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Summer Jazz Program. This program was designed to help educate and inspire young artist as they began their quest of learning jazz. In 1998, a year before Sean's arrival, the program was in jeopardy of being cancelled due to low enrollment. In 2000, a year after Sean took over the reigns, the enrollment more than tripled and a year later, the group was featured on WEMU, a national jazz radio program. The department's jazz program was previously managed by Professor Danny Jordan, who died this past spring after a long illness. For information about Oakland University's jazz program or the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, visit oakland.edu/mtd

Three dynamic jazz educators will join the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance faculty this fall.

Bassist, composer, performer and teacher Miles Brown is a versatile musician who has earned bachelor and doctorate (forthcoming) degrees from the Eastman School of Music in jazz performance studies as well as a master’s degree from the Mannes College of Music in classical bass performance.

As a jazz performer, Miles has led groups featured at the Syracuse Jazz Festival, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, and the Blue Note. He has played with jazz masters such as Sam Rivers, Joe Magnarelli, Ralph Alessi, Walt Weiskopf, Harold Danko, Bill Dobbins, Joe Lovano, Ben Monder, and Kenny Werner; and he has recorded on the Native Language, Leading Tone, and Yummy House labels.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, applied jazz vocal instructor Jiana Hunter received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Kentucky State University where she served as section leader and soloist to the award winning KSU Concert Choir. She earned a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies Performance: Voice at Western Michigan University and is an alumna of the world renowned vocal jazz ensemble Gold Company, under the direction of Dr. Steve Zegree.

Jazz drummer Sean Dobbins will serve as Artist-in-Residence. He got his start as sought-after Detroit area jazz sideman at a young age, when he would regularly play with Blue Note artist Louis Smith. As Sean's Career progressed, he found himself the recipient of many awards and accolades including the "Woody Herman Jazz Award", an award for outstanding musicianship, as well as the Louis Armstrong Scholarship.

In 1999 Sean was asked to become the director of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Summer Jazz Program. This program was designed to help educate and inspire young artist as they began their quest of learning jazz. In 1998, a year before Sean's arrival, the program was in jeopardy of being cancelled due to low enrollment. In 2000, a year after Sean took over the reigns, the enrollment more than tripled and a year later, the group was featured on WEMU, a national jazz radio program.

The department's jazz program was previously managed by Professor Danny Jordan, who died this past spring after a long illness.

For information about Oakland University's jazz program or the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, visit oakland.edu/mtd