Baltimore Jazz Conference 2023
BJA is excited to bring our fourth annual Baltimore Jazz Conference (ok, almost annual – we skipped 2022 as we moved the event from Fall to Spring), and especially happy to return to an in-person format where you can listen, learn, and connect in one of Baltimore’s premier music venues. This year’s topics include:
- A Music Census for Baltimore
- Copyright & Royalties: Are You Leaving Money on the Table?
- Funding your Art: Show Me the Money
- Jazz Education
- The BJA Vinyl Roadshow
- Baltimore Jazz Stories
The day will be capped by a concert upstairs featuring the John Lamkin Favorites Jazz Quintet, with free admission for BJA members! See below for more details on the presenters, schedule, and concert. Light refreshments will be provided in the morning, as well as free lunch in between sessions!
Baltimore Jazz Conference 2023
Saturday, April 22, 12pm – 5:30pm (registration begins 10:30am)
An die Musik, 409 N Charles St, Baltimore
FREE
Adjacent to the Conference, BJA will hold an open Membership Meeting at 11:00am (also at An die Musik). Come hear about our current plans, ask questions, make suggestions, and meet your board of directors. All active BJA members are welcome (even if you become a member on the spot).
While the event is free, we request that you register in advance so that we have some idea about how many people to expect for each session — it REALLY helps us plan and keep this event running smoothly for you! Thank you.
Register Online
Registration is closed – thanks for a great conference!
Schedule
10:30 – Registration
No need to come this early, but you are welcome – we’ll have coffee and light snacks, and time to do a little networking before the events. The BJA Member Meeting mentioned above will occur upstairs from 11:00am to 12:00pm, so the early registration is especially for those atendees to get registered before heading up, but the registration table will be open for the duration, so come whenever you are ready!
12:00 – Funding your Art: Show Me the Money
Join panelists from the Maryland State Arts Council, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County to learn about opportunities and resources for funding your artistic dreams.
12:00 – Jazz Education in Baltimore
Join panelists from Baltimore School for the Arts, Morgan State University, Baltmiore City Public Schools, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Orch Kids program to discuss opportunities for learning and teaching jazz in the Baltimore area.
1:15 – Lunch break
Who says there’s no such thing as free lunch? BJA will provide pizza and soft drinks for those who want to hang around and network while they eat. Of course there are also plenty of great restaurants in walking distance, many of whom will offer discounts for An die Musik / Jazz Conference patrons. Just make sure you’re back in time the next session – you won’t want to miss them!
2:30 – A Music Census for Baltimore
BJA board member and JHU/Peabody professor of musicology Anna Celenza leads a discussion on an upcoming Music Census for Baltimore; a similar census was taken in DC some years ago in hopes of better understanding how musicians are supported in the area, and what can be done to help them thrive. This session will introduce the idea and encourage discussion about what this project could mean for Baltimore jazz musicians.
2:30 – The BJA Vinyl Roadshow
Bring your prized jazz LPs for show and tell with a panel of record collectors and record store proprietors – find out if you have a rare treasurer, or just share your stories of your favorite jazz records.
4:00 – Copyright & Royalties: Are You Leaving Money on the Table?
Join representatives from Broadcast Music, Inc., SoundExchange, and Johns Hopkins University’s Arthur Friedheim Music Library for a discussion about copyright, royalties, and how to make sure your artistic vision is protected and rewarded.
4:00 – Baltimore Jazz Stories
Sit back and relax with fellow jazz lovers, including some of the Baltimore jazz community’s most well-known and well-informed personalities, to hear and share stories of the Baltimore jazz scene of the past and present.
7:00 – Concert
Join us for a great concert upstairs in An die Musik’s renowned listening room; BJA members will all receive complimentary tickets (while they last) — for your free ticket, just let us know when you check in that you’d like to attend the concert, and we’ll hold a seat for you (as long as space allows).
The John Lamkin Favorites Jazz Quintet
John R. Lamkin II – Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Lyle Link – Saxophones
Darius Scott – Piano
Michael Graham – Bass
Jesse Moody – Drums
Free admission for active BJA members while they last (tickets available for non-members at https://www.instantseats.com). Not sure if you’re an active member? Email us and ask, we’ll let you know.
About the Presenters
Anna Celenza, professor Johns Hopkins University, board Secretary, Baltimore Jazz Alliance
Anna Celenza is a professor at Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of several books,
including Jazz Italian Style, from Its Origins in New Orleans to Fascist Italy and Sinatra (2017)
and The Cambridge Companion to George Gershwin (2019). She’s also published eight
children’s books, including Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. In 2016, Celenza co-founded
Music Policy Forum, a non-profit that advises local governments about how to create sustainable
music ecosystems.
Rich DeJong, Artist Relations, SoundExchange
Rich is the outreach specialist for SoundExchange and is primarily responsible for tracking down artists and rights owners for whom SoundExchange has unclaimed royalties. He also represents SX at many industry events, conferences, and music festivals. Rich is a graduate of George Mason University and holds degrees in international relations and international business. He has been a drummer for nearly 30 years and has toured nationally and internationally with a wide variety of acts. Rich is a native of the Netherlands has been part of the SoundExchange team since 2007.
Jocquelyn Downs, Senior Director, Arts Council and Programming, Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts
Jocquelyn is a filmmaker and arts administrator with over twenty years of experience working with students, arts educators, artists, and communities advancing arts education initiatives and programs for underrepresented communities. She currently serves as the Director of the Arts Council for Baltimore City where her primary focus is to provide resources and financial support to creatives and arts/culture organizations throughout the city.
Charles Funn
Charles Funn, a graduate of Morgan State College is a retired band instructor (44 years) with the BCPSS. In addition to being a music instructor, he was and is a practicing professional musician having played behind and with Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Gladys Knight, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Dells, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, The Morgan State University Concert & Jazz Bands and the Howard University Jazz Ensemble. In addition, he was a cast member of two Off Broadway Productions: “Satchmo, America’s Musical Legend”, as an actor, vocalist, dancer and musician and Maurice Hines’ “Harlem Suite” as an onstage musician.
Funn’s awards include numerous Mayoral Citations, Jazz Journalist’s Association Jazz Hero Award for 2015, The Benny Golson Jazz Masters Award for 2018 presented by Howard University and The Baltimore Jazz Alliance Award for 2022.
Funn currently performs with Dr. Phill Butts Big Band, Bowie State University Community Jazz Ensemble, The New World Outreach Jazz Orchestra, The Clarence Knight Orchestra and The Charles Funn Big Band.
Funn started, trained and developed countless future musicians as he nurtured and guided the musical development of Baltimore’s youth.
Maryann Lombardi
As an executive leader and problem solver, Maryann Lombardi has spent 20+ years working with governments, institutions and communities to build the programs, policies, and resources that help the creative economy thrive. She’s a two-time author and the single parent of the coolest teenager on the planet.
Maryann Lombardi has worked for and partnered with The Government of the District of Columbia, UMass Amherst, The City of Springfield, MA, SXSW, Canadian Music Week, Gener8tor, Sound Music Cities, UNCG, Georgetown University, and others to provide opportunities for her employers and clients to create sustainable and profitable partnerships, leverage national visibility, and build institutional and community buy-in to reach their goals.
She believes tacos are their own food group, wine is best when it’s Spanish and shared, and the cost of inaction is higher than the cost of action – so the time to take action is now.
Marianne Matheny-Katz & Howard Katz
Marianne Matheny-Katz and Howard Katz are co-founders of the Jazzway 6004 (www.jazzway6004.com) concert series (a 501c3 nonprofit) which ran from 2007 to 2020. During that time they produced, and personally funded 93 concerts, creating a unique and memorable creative environment for performers and audiences. Jazzway closed during the Covid pandemic in 2020, and has not reopened at this time. The Katz’s are currently concentrating on fundraising and creating a second phase of the series. Marianne & Howard were also executive producers of the Baltimore jazz documentary “Tell Me More and Then Some”, which is available in 4 episodes on YouTube.
Howard Katz is a Baltimore native and was a commercial business owner, property developer, manager and entrepreneur for 35 years. He’s been a lifelong avid jazz lover.
Marianne Matheny-Katz is a native of New York City and has called Baltimore her home since 1988. Marianne was an economic analyst with the Department of Defense for 30 years until retirement in 2016, and has also been co-owner and administrator of the Katz’s property business. A founding member of the Baltimore Jazz Alliance, Marianne has been a jazz and blues performer for over 25 years.. She released the critically acclaimed recording, “Somewhere in Paradise” in 2014, featuring many of Baltimore’s best instrumentalists. Marianne was a two-time second place winner in the Billie Holiday Competition in 2000 and 2002.
Aaron Meyers, Board of Directors Chair, Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation
Aaron Myers is a DC based entertainer, activist and entrepreneur. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Pride Interactive Media Group, a media company that specializes in supporting and producing art across all disciplines. He is also the Interim President/CEO of Crittenton Services of Greater Washington.
Mr. Myers Chairs the Board of Directors for the Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation, and serves on the boards of CTE Vision Foundation and Covenant Full Potential Development Center. In 2021 he began is first term on the Board of Governors for The Recording Academy (DC Branch) and as Vice-Chair of the LBTQIA Committee of the NAACP (DC Branch).
Artistically, he is the Resident Artist at Mr. Henry’s Restaurant in Washington, DC & The Eaton DC. For the last 12 years he’s served as the Minister of Music at Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, an open and inclusive congregation.
Quincy Phillips
Quincy Phillips is a drummer, pianist, an organist and the pastor at his home church, East Baltimore Deliverance, who holds his B.A. in Music from the prestigious Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Phillips is no stranger to the music industry, having spent more than 30 years cultivating his passion as a musician from childhood through his adult years. Phillips had the great honor to perform for the President of the United States Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for the “Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House”. The evening included performances by the Christian McBride Big Band, Yolanda Adams, Leon Bridges, Andra Day, Anthony Hamilton, Demi Lovato, Sam Moore, The Band Perry, with Rickey Minor as executive music director.
Phillips won 1st place for Jazz Composition for his arrangement of “Alone Together” at the IAJE conference in NYC and is a member of Grammy award winning Christian McBride Big Band and The Baltimore Jazz Collective.
Brian Prechtl, Percussionist and Interim Director of Education and Community Engagement, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Percussionist Brian Prechtl has been a member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 2003. Before joining the BSO, he was a member of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in Fort Wayne, IN for 14 seasons. Previous to that appointment, he held Principal Percussion positions in the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. Prechtl spends his summers in Jackson Hole, WY as a performer in the Grand Teton Music Festival where he has been a member of the percussion section since 1992.
While maintaining a full-time percussion position Brian is now serving as Interim Director of Education and Community Engagement. His perspective as both a performer and educator informs his work in this new role. He has been a leader in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s education programs for years as well as its renowned Community engagement OrchKids program since its inception in 2008. He serves as Wind Ensemble and Orchestra Director, teaches percussion and has piloted a “bucket band” program that has served as a model for El Sistema programs across the country. He recently published Bucket Band Basics– a primer for teaching artists. In 2016 he was awarded with a Ford Award for Excellence in Community Service from the League of American Orchestras for his work in the OrchKids Program. Prechtl was selected as one of 12 invitees to the 19-20 cohort of the League of American Orchestra’s Emerging Leaders Program.
An active composer, Prechtl has had world premiere performances at the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Eastman School of Music, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and throughout Baltimore. He has won composition prizes from the Percussive Arts Society and the College Music Society. He also serves as the composer in residence for the Community Concerts at Second Chamber Music Series since 2011.
Brian Lives in Ellicott City with his husband Tad and their Pit Bull, Clarence. All three of them can be found hiking and camping when they have the opportunity to be in the great outdoors, either in Grand Teton National Park or in Patapsco State Park in Maryland.
Dan Spears, Vice President of Industry Relations and Licensing, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
Dan Spears is the Vice President of Industry Relations and Licensing at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). In his capacity as Vice President, Mr. Spears works closely with BMI’s Licensing management team to create strategic, value-driven sponsorships and customer events. He serves as a pivotal bridge between the company’s Licensing, Creative, and Business Affairs teams. In this role, Mr. Spears continues to develop new customer initiatives and strategic partnerships that feature BMI songwriter performances and help educate key accounts, while providing new sources of revenue for affiliates and licensees. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Bowdoin College.
Rudy Wagoner, Owner of Mr. Vinyl Records
Rudy Wagoner, owner of Mr. Vinyl Records, has been appraising and purchasing record collections in the area for 15 years. His warehouse in Station North houses 150,000+ vinyl records, and he runs a large online record store through eBay and Discogs.
Clarence Ward, III
Considered by many to be the Heart and Soul of Baltimore’s jazz scene. Multi-instrumentalist Clarence H. Ward III, pours heart and complex emotion into the every fiber of his sound. From the minute you hear the crisp, agile wail of his trumpet, the sultry warmth of his flugelhorn or the playful sincerity of his sax you are frozen, caught in a snare of hope and honesty until he decides he has said his piece. Standing as a major influencer in the development of Baltimore’s present jazz sound, Ward’s lion heart positions him on the vanguard, reinforcing jazz music as a vital voice for these modern times.
Laura Weiss, Program Director, Maryland State Arts Council
Laura Weiss has served as Program Director for Arts Services at the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) since 2019. She works specifically with independent artists and arts organizations in the performing and literary arts. Laura has over 15 years of experience in arts administration, working for many years at Everyman Theatre prior to her work with MSAC. Laura holds a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre from The Catholic University of America.
MSAC is dedicated to advancing the arts in Maryland by providing leadership that champions creative expression, diverse programming, equitable access, lifelong learning, and the arts as a celebrated contributor to the quality of life for all the people of Maryland.