THE NASH 2016-17 SEASON - The Nash Non Equity Auditions

The Nash invites Phoenix - area vocalists to audition for its 2016-17 Vocal Ensemble, which will be directed this year by noted Vocal Educator,
Greg Amerind.

The Nash Vocal Ensemble is a community based group interested in jazz which rehearses one night a week at The Nash, in downtown Phoenix. Members of the ensemble will work with Amerind to develop vocal techniques, collaborate with fellow musicians, and create their individual stage presence and style.

The Nash Vocal Ensemble will perform throughout the year at The Nash as well as at other engagements around the Valley. Funding for The Nash Vocal Ensemble is tuition-based. Some scholarships may be available for qualified individuals.

Dr. Gregory Amerind

One of the leading vocal educators in Arizona, Greg Amerind brings his vast experience working with singers of all ages to direct the Vocal Ensemble.

Performing since the age of 5, studying piano, trumpet and voice throughout his school years, Greg majored in music and theater at UCLA and Cal State University, Northridge, and at Arizona State University, where he received the Bachelor's degree in Music Education (Summa Cum Laude), Master of Music degree in Voice Performance, and Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting.

A songwriter and professional singer for many years in Los Angeles, Greg appeared in musical theater; nightclubs; concert venues, most notably with Pacific Jazz & Electric, a jazz vocal ensemble he co-founded and for which he wrote and arranged much of the material; and studios, where he was often called upon to record demos for LA songwriters as well as for commercial, TV and Radio, and industrial projects.

Greg was a featured soloist with Lionel Hampton and his big band, and has also performed with entertainers such as Ann Jillian, John Astin, and Patrick Duffy in various projects, as well as appearing briefly in the filmThe Jazz Singer with Neil Diamond and Sir Lawrence Olivier. Relocating to Arizona in 1997, Greg has served as soloist, composer/arranger and director of the SGI-USA Arizona Cactus Chorus, a lay Buddhist community group devoted to the cause of world peace through music and cultural exchange. He had the honor of conducting a 300-voice interfaith choir singing We Are One at Phoenix's Chase Field in commemoration of the September 11 attacks on America.

Most recently he was a featured performer and arranger with Phoenix-based vocal jazz ensemble, Oasis; served as the Assistant Artistic Director from 2006-2015 for the Phoenix Boys Choir; was the founding director of ASU's Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Heatwave, from 2009 to 2013; and is frequently called upon as a choral clinician and adjudicator. He is currently a music adjunct faculty at Mesa Community College in Mesa, AZ. Greg has also been a private voice instructor since 1982.

As a composer, he has a catalogue that includes dozens of choral and jazz vocal ensemble arrangements as well as over 150 songs in the genres of classical, pop, jazz, rock, R & B, and show tunes. His choral arrangements and compositions have been performed by Jr. High, High School and Collegiate choirs; and his solo CD, Late Boomer, a collection of original jazz vocal compositions is available online at CD Baby and at most digital download sites.

He has served as the Repertoire & Standards Chair for the American Choral Directors Association's Western Division in the categories of Boy Choirs and Vocal Jazz Ensembles since 2009 and was recently named the ACDA's National Chair for Vocal Jazz Repertoire and Resources. He currently resides with his wife and daughters in Tempe, Arizona.

The Nash is named for the most valuable player in jazz (Modern Drummer Magazine) and Phoenix native, drummer Lewis Nash.Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix on Roosevelt Row, The Nash offers a full calendar of live performances and ensures the future of the iconic art of jazz through its educational and outreach programs. The Nash hosts classic jazz and new music concerts; performances by student musicians, local pros and touring artists; weekly jazz jam sessions; workshops; master classes; and clinics. Educational programs offer programs to develop emerging jazz musicians and public appreciation for this original American art form. Find more information on The Nash's programs and performances online at
www.thenash.org or on Facebook and Twitter.