"Back To School"

Back in 1986 I sang a song for the film "Back To School" starring Rodney Dangerfield, it was a song that originally Jeffrey Osborne recorded but due to some contractual problems I was asked to sing the song in the film.

I never thought I'd be going "Back To School", well I have, but in a different capacity. Wayne Henderson of the Jazz Crusaders and I have worked together for years. He had become the Director of Faculty for the California College of Music, otherwise known as CCM in Pasadena, CA. He asked if I could come and help out with the vocal department. This was in January / 2009. I met with Wayne and Michelle Ishii, Michelle is the owner of the college, and started teaching at the college two days a week. At first it was a little awkward, because I had never really taught someone else what I do, but I have produced many vocals over the years and so that was the approach that I decided to take and it's working out.

At the college I teach private lessons to the students that are enrolled in the college and others who take private lessons from the community. I also teach a Vocal Performance Workshop, a Vocal Improvisation Class and I've also taught an A Capella Ensemble. The vocal department has grown quite a bit since I was first asked in January / 2009 and so I've asked some of my colleagues to also come and teach vocals at CCM. This line-up includes Kevin Dorsey, Alex Brown and Oren Waters, all of us have sung together for many years and all of them have a resume of credits a mile long, or two :-)

We're all having a great time seeing some up & coming young artists and giving them the direction they need so that they really know what it takes to make it in this industry, and they're seeing that it goes beyond their talent. I currently sit as the Vocal Chair for CCM, but in the future I'll share with you some of the productions that are coming out of CCM.

Unil next time - Phillip