In the Spring 2010 I will be teaching Jazz Appreciation at Southeast Missouri State University.
If you are interested in drum lessons please contact me for availability at jay.contrino@gmail.com
...in a nutshell...
Jay Contrino JUST moved to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where is wife is a new associate professor of dance at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO). Before moving to Missouri, Jay was formally a teacher and freelance drummer in the Dallas area for 6 years.
He has taught private drumset instruction at Schaelling Studio in Lewisville for three years and Eastfield College in Mesquite, TX for one year as adjunct faculty. He is a former co-leader of the dance/R & B/disco/funk band Groove Academy. He also directed his own small jazz combo that recently performed at the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival along with the contemporary dance ensemble, Outstanding Balance.
Jay recently earned his master's degree in Jazz Studies from Univertisy of North Texas and he holds a BM in performance from Berklee College of Music.
-In 2008 he joined the Glenn Miller Orchestra for three months during their U.S. tour.
While living in the Dallas area he has performed at:
-Denton Arts and Jazz Festival.
-New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
-Bass Hall with the UNT Repertory Ensemble.
-Sammons Center for the performing arts in a Tribute to Shirley Horn.
-White Rock Music Festival, Grape Fest, and Taste of Addison.
-Gaylord Texan, Sambucca Uptown, Sambucca Addison, Sipango's, Terelli's, Cool River Cafe, Kirby's, Sam's Boat, September's, Mansion at Turtle Creek, Cosmo Rouge, M Street Bar, Six Flags, and Carson's Live.
...here is the full story...
Jay Contrino grew up near Boston Massachusetts where he studdied drumset at an early age. He began performing professionally in a variety band led by his father Joe, a singer/pianist, while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. Soon he began performing weekly throughout Boston and New England area in original and cover bands. In 1996 Jay left Boston to pursue a career in music performing and traveling throughout the USA, Caribbean, and Europe.
Throughout his career Jay has performed in a variety of musical situations, styles, and genres including Pop, Rock, Funk, Smooth Jazz, Big Band Jazz, Jazz Combo, Country, Show Band, and Broadway style musicals. He has worked at theme parks, cruise ships, small clubs, large hotels, symphony halls, and jazz festivals. In 2008 he toured throughtout the United States with the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. Some notable venues include: Memorial Auditorium in Worthington, Minnesota, Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado, and Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York.
During his four year tenure with the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line he has performed with entertainers such as Maureen McGovern, Ben Vereen, Tommy Tune, the Osmond Brothers, Lorna Luft, Joanne Whirley, Bowzer, Mickey Dolenz, the Platters, the Coasters, and the Diamonds.
In 2004 Jay moved to Denton, TX to persue a Masters in jazz studies at University of North Texas where he began performing weekends in local jazz and pop/cover groups. Some recent notible performances include the New Orleans Jazz and Herritage Festival, Bass Hall in Ft Worth with the UNT Repertory Ensemble, Sammons Center for the Performing Arts in A Tribute to Shirly Horn, Grapefest Music Festival, White Rock Music festival, and A Tast of Addison. He has also performed in Threepenny Orera, and One Upon a Mattress, for the UNT Theater department as well as Always Patsy Cline for Denton community theater.
Being married to a dance teacher has led Jay to opportunities in creating music for dance. Since 2004 Jay has been an accompanist for college dance classes at Texas Women's University and at University North Texas where he was a staff musician in the Dance and Theater Department for five years. He also performed at the 2009 Denton Arts and Jazz festival in a collaborative performance with Outstanding Balance Contemporary Dance Ensemble.
Jay has taught private lessons for three years at Schaelling Music Studio in Highland village, TX and in the Spring of 2009 he joined Eastfield college where he taught applied drumset and percussion lessons for one year.
Jay recently moved to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, along with his wife who is now a full time associate professor of dance at Southeast Missouri State University. He will be teaching jazz appreciation at the university during the Spring 2010 semester.
Jay holds a Bachelor degree (B.M.) in performance from Berklee College of Music and a Master's degree (M.M.) in Jazz studies from University of North Texas.
Jay has studied with Gary Chaffee, Ed Soph, Jamie Haddad, Ian Froman, Joe Hunt, Ed Kaspik, Dick DiCenso, and John Horrigan.
jay@jaycontrino.com
