Alumnotes
Sandro Morales '09
Concetta "Cettina" Donato '11
In March, pianist Keiko Ueda of
Kumamoto, Japan, released the
CD Sanctuary with 21-string koto
player Izumi Fujikawa. The album
also includes pieces with famenco
guitar, chorus, and orchestra. Visit
www.keikoshiga.com.
Kundayi Musanami of Boston, MA, is
the founder of the Worship Him Out
Loud Experience (W.H.O.L.E.), a worship music concert tour and training
initiative. Visit www.w-h-o-l-e.com.
2009
Sara Richardson Crigger of Nashville,
TN, has been accepted to a graduate program in vocal performance at
Austin Peay State University .
Brennan Dylan of Woodside, NY,
released the album Raining in Berlin.
He is part of the Clinic Records roster, and his song "Slammin" was featured in a Nurse Jackie trailer. Visit
www.brennandylan.com.
Gilda Garcia of Mexico City, Mexico,
was a sound designer for the animated box-offce hit in Mexico La
Leyenda de la Llorona (The Legend
of the Crying Lady) and has worked
on a number of award-winning features and short flms. Visit www.
sinemotif.com.
Drummer Daniel Malone of Jackson,
MI, and his band Les Racquet
released the album Whale Hail. Visit
www.lesracquet.com.
Sandro Morales of Sherman Oaks,
CA, scored the feature flms: Fatal
Justice and Collision Course. Visit
www.sandromorales.com.
38
Berklee today
2010
Orlando Dixon of Colmar Manor,
MD, was a featured artist on the
fourth season of The Voice.
Trent Freeman of British Columbia,
Canada, and his group the Fretless
won three awards at the 2012
Canadian Folk Music Awards. The
group also features Eric Wright '09
and Ivonne Hernandez '10. Visit
www.thefretless.com.
Tavonna Miller '11
Jonathan Pinson '11
2011
Drummer Jonathan Pinson of Los
Angeles, CA, was chosen to participate in the Monk Institute. He will
be touring with Herbie Hancock this
summer.
Singer/songwriter Moana Avvenenti
of Saint Martin, St. Maarten, successfully completed an Indiegogo
campaign to fund a new album
release. Visit www.moanaa.com.
In January, Concetta "Cettina"
Donato of Messina, Italy, released
her second CD, a big-band and jazz
quartet album, Cettina Donato
Orchestra "Crescendo," featuring
Berklee alumni and students. Visit
www.cettinadonato.com.
In March 2012, Alessandro Lombardo
of Trezzo Sull'Adda, Italy, featured
drummer Steve Gadd on his YouTube
channel.
Kazuyo Kuriya of Kumamoto, Japan,
had her arrangement of Chick Corea's
"Spain" performed at Carnegie Hall in
May. She also performed at the Cairo
Jazz Festival.
Vocalist Tavonna Miller of Allston,
MA, released the song "Straight Up
Poetic." She recently toured Boston,
Philadelphia, and New York. Visit
www.tavonnamiller.com.
Sid Lees of Roxbury, MA, recently
opened a production and recording facility called Herd Studios. Visit
www.herdstudio.com.
Drummer Giuseppe Paradiso of
Medford, MA, released the album
Otherness Collection. It features a
number of Berklee alumni and students. Visit www.giuseppe-paradiso.com.
Casimir Liberski of Brooklyn, NY,
released the albums The Caveless
Wolf and The Atomic Rabbit with
his trio. They recetly played at the
ShapeShifter Lab in New York, and
are planning a fall European tour.
Kalie Martin of Richfeld, PA, is
currently a production singer for
Carnival Cruise Line's playlist productions.
Andrew Picha of Northborough, MA,
plays with the Christian worship
group the Andy Needham Band. In
2012 the group released its national
debut album, Lifted High, and performed 165 live dates. Picha is also a
drum and live sound clinician for the
Simply Worship Conference. Visit
www.andyneedhamband.com.
Zac Zinger of Pittsburgh, PA, was a
2013 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz
Composer Award winner. Visit www.
zaczinger.com.
2012
Utar Artun of Boston, MA, was the
recent winner of the First National
Symphonic Composition Contest
in Turkey for his 15-minute work
Paradox. Visit www.myspace.com/
utarartun.
Navid Martinez of Los Angeles, CA,
scored the independent flm Juan in
a Million that won frst prize in the
Best Foreign Film category at the
L.A. Indie Film Festival.
Sean Peters of Watertown, MA,
practices massage and healthcare
with Momentum Healthcare, LLC in
Boston, MA.
In June, pianist Matt Savage of
Francestown, NH, released his 10th
album, A Bigger Celebration. Visit
www.savagerecords.com.
2013
Jennifer Chianesi of New York City
appeared in April on Bravo TV's
The Kandi Factory, which follows
Grammy winner Kandi Burruss as
she mentors aspiring musical artists.