Faculty

Wayne Bergeron, Trumpet

Wayne Bergeron is enjoying a career as one of the most sought-after musicians in the world. Studio sessions, film dates, international touring, jazz concerts, guest appearances, and clinics keep him busy not only in his hometown of Los Angeles but worldwide.  Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1958, Bergeron came to California at age one. He originally started on French horn but switched to trumpet in seventh grade where he found a natural upper register ability. Bergeron credits his junior high and high school teachers, Ron Savitt and Bob Smith, for molding his talent into practical working skills.

Bergeron first caught the ear of many when he landed the lead trumpet chair with Maynard Ferguson’s band in 1986. Bergeron can be heard on Maynard’s recordings of Body and Soul, Big Bop Nouveau, Brass Attitude, and The One and Only Maynard Ferguson.  Bergeron demonstrates daily why Maynard remarked, “Wayne is the most musical lead trumpet player I’ve had on my band.”  Bergeron’s greatest love is playing lead in big bands. He has recorded and played with some of Los Angeles’ most respected bands including Gordon Goodwin, Arturo Sandoval, Pat Williams, Sammy Nestico, Jack Sheldon, Chris Walden, Tom Kubis, John La Barbara, Bob Florence, Joey Sellers, Ray Anthony, Bill Watrous, Bob Curnow, and Quincy Jones. He has also done guest appearances with the L.A. Philharmonic, The New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Taiwan Symphony, and Tokyo Philharmonic.

Walter Blanding, Sax/Clarinet

For the past three decades as a music educator, performing artist, and composer, Walter has been bringing joy through music to people across the globe, from New York to China and everywhere in between. His career includes performances and recordings with some of the great artists of our times: Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Count Basie Orchestra, Cab Calloway, Branford Marsalis, Illinois Jacquet Big Band, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis Quintet, Roy Hargrove, Tony Bennet, New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Paris Radio Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and many others.

Walter was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in New York City. His artistry began to impress critics and listeners alike in 1991 with his debut on Tough Young Tenors, acclaimed as one of the year’s best jazz albums. In 1999, a feature article in Newsweek International described Walter as the “Jazz Ambassador to Israel.” Walter lived in Israel for four years and made a significant impact on the music scene, touring the country with his ensemble and with invited artists from the United States. Walter also taught music in several Israeli schools and even opened his private school in Tel Aviv. With his dedication to enriching lives by using the arts as a means of cultural exchange, Walter served as the Jazz Ambassador in Shanghai, China, for Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai from 2018 to 2020.

Barb Catlin, Piano/Woodwinds

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Barb Catlin has become one of the leading jazz educators in the Southwest. After eighteen successful years in Arizona, she returned to her home state of California where she directs the jazz programs at Pomona College and the California Institute of Technology. Barb has many accolades as a jazz pianist, including being named as a Downbeat “Player to Catch”, but is equally well-known for her tenure as musical director of the highly acclaimed youth honor jazz program, The Young Sounds of Arizona, as well as her years as director of jazz studies at Mesa Community College.

Barb majored in music education on woodwinds at California State University at Fresno, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Grand Canyon University with a B.S. in Music Education, and completed and a Master’s in Music Education with an emphasis in Jazz Studies on piano from Arizona State University where she was the recipient of the William English Music Education Award.

Her enthusiasm for playing, “real-life” approach to education, and expertise in the rhythm section has made Barb a popular clinician and adjudicator at the high school and college levels. 

Mike Dana, Guitar

Recently retired, guitarist, educator, and composer Mike Dana has been Director of Jazz Studies at Fresno City College from 1990 to 2018. AT FCC, Mike directed the award-winning Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combos, and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. He also taught advanced improvisation, jazz theory, arranging, and jazz history.

His guitar credits include performances with Cannonball Adderley, Gary Burton, Clark Terry, Bob Mintzer, Bobby Shew, Ingrid Jensen, Ernie Watts, Arturo Sandoval, Eric Marienthal, and many others. His commissions, compositions and arrangements for both instrumental and vocal jazz ensemble are widely performed across the U.S. These are published by Belwin/Alfred, Kendor, Jazzlines, UNC Jazz Press, and Heritage Music Press. He recently completed his first wind ensemble commission, for the Fresno Community Concert Band.

Mike’s performing and teaching have taken him around the world. He was a US State Department cultural envoy to Thailand as a member of the Allison Miller Quartet, and will travel to Lebanon, Cyprus, Thailand and China in 2018.  Other honors include Grammy Foundation Music Educator of the Year semi-finalist (2016), and Jazz Educator of the Year (CMEA, 2018), and induction into the California Alliance for Jazz Hall of Fame (2018.) Post-retirement plans include lots more composing, performing, and teaching, and traveling with his wife Julie.

JB Dyas, Bass

Dr. JB Dyas has been a leader in jazz education for the past two decades. Currently Vice President for Education and Curriculum Development at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Dyas oversees the Institute's education and outreach programs including Jazz in America (www.jazzinamerica.org), one of the most significant and wide-reaching jazz education programs in the world. He has presented numerous jazz workshops, teacher-training seminars, and jazz "informances" worldwide with such renowned artists as Ambrose Akinmusire, Don Braden, Bobby Broom, Dave Brubeck, Gerald Clayton, Robin Eubanks, Herbie Hancock, Antonio Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Sean Jones, Delfeayo Marsalis, Christian McBride, Bobby Watson, and Steve Wilson.

Prior to his current position at the Hancock Institute, Dyas served as Executive Director of the Brubeck Institute where he implemented its College Fellowship Program, Brubeck Festival, Summer Jazz Colony, and Jazz Outreach Initiative. Before that he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Miami-Dade College – one of the largest and most multi-cultural colleges in the nation, and New World School of the Arts – Miami’s award-winning performing arts high school.

Dr. Dyas received his Master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Miami and PhD in Music Education from Indiana University, and is a recipient of the DownBeat Achievement Award for Jazz Education. A professional bassist, he has performed well over 1,000 jazz and commercial music engagements throughout his career and continues to present jazz clinics, professional development workshops, and leadership seminars around the globe. www.jbdyas.com

Jeff Jarvis, Trumpet

Jeff Jarvis has distinguished himself as a trumpeter, composer, jazz educator, and music publisher. He serves as Director of Jazz Studies at California State University Long Beach and frequently appears as a honors jazz band conductor, clinician and lecturer. Jeff is the Music Director Emeritus of the Central New York Jazz Orchestra, and is a former Vice-President of the International Association For Jazz Education.

Jeff's early career as a studio trumpeter encompasses over 100 albums for such names as Lou Rawls, Melba Moore, The O'Jays and many more. Live performance credits include Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Bellson, Joe Williams, Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Heath, Joe Lovano, Henry Mancini, Slide Hampton, Kevin Mahogany, Grady Tate, Eddie Daniels, Rob McConnell, and Doc Severinsen. 

Jeff is frequently commissioned to compose music for school, military and professional musical groups, along with serving as a contributing editor for The Instrumentalist, and writing for other music trade journals such as Flute Talk, Band & Orchestra Product News, and Jazz Educators Journal. Jarvis has co-authored The Jazz Educators Handbook with Doug Beach, a jazz piano book with Matt Harris entitled The Chord Voicing Handbook, and with Mike Carubia, Effective Etudes For Jazz, the new standard in jazz performance/audition solos.

Tina Raymond, Drums

Tina Raymond is an accomplished drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator based in Los Angeles, CA.
A unique voice in the contemporary improvised music scene, Raymond blends traditional jazz vocabulary with African polyrhythm and classical percussion technique. Brian Zimmerman of DownBeat Magazine writes, “Raymond displays ferocious chops and a remarkable sense of balance.” She has toured the US, Europe, and Asia as a leader and

sideperson.

An Associate Professor, Raymond is the director of Jazz Studies at California State University Northridge. Prior to her appointment at CSUN, she was tenured faculty at Los Angeles City

College in Hollywood, CA. She received a DownBeat Educator Achievement Award (2020) and currently serves as President for California Alliance for Jazz. Raymond has presented globally

and her teaching credits include Jazz Institut Berlin, Engelsholm Winter Jazz, University of Gothenburg, Indiana University, Northern Colorado University, University Nevada at Reno,

University of Oregon, Willamette University, University of Kansas, University of Michigan, Loyola University New Orleans, Portland State University, Bard College, Idyllwild Arts, and more. 

She received an M.F.A. in Jazz (drum set) from CalArts in 2010 and a B.M. in double performance, classical percussion and jazz studies, from University of Cincinnati’s CCM in 2008.  She is an endorsed educator with Remo and Sabian.

Aarón Serfaty, Drums/Percussion

Aarón Serfaty was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He began playing drum set at the age of fifteen and started to play professionally at seventeen. He did extensive work as a session and touring drummer from 1980 until 1991 with local and international artists such as Frank Quintero, Ilan Chester, Guillermo Carrasco, Carlos Mata, Guillermo Davila, Soledad Bravo, Elisa Rego, and El Trabuco Venezolano.

In 1991 he moved to Los Angeles to study Jazz and African American studies at the California Institute of the Arts. Aarón has also taken lessons with Peter Erskine, Joe LaBarbera, Jeff Hamilton, Jerry Steinholz, and Juan Oliva. Since his move to the US, he has played with artists like Stan Kenton’s 100th birthday celebration orchestra at The Hollywood Bowl (on percussion), Arturo Sandoval, Sergio Mendes, Jon Anderson, Oscar Hernandez, Otmaro Ruiz, Dori Caymmi, Rique Pantoja, Teka, Oscar Castro-Neves, Denise Donatelli, Kristin Korb, Kathleen Grace, Bill Cunliffe, Shelly Berg, Justo Almario, and Alan Pasqua, among many others.

As a teacher he has taught at Los Angeles College of Music (1997-2014), at The California Institute of the Arts (2000-2014) and is currently on faculty at the University of Southern California (1997-present) where he conducts the Latin Jazz Ensemble, teaches drum set, and a Latin Percussion class.