ACDA Southern Program Digital

MASON JAZZ VOCAL ENSEMBLE

DIRECTOR, DR. DARDEN PURCELL

AMERICAN CHORAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION

SOUTHERN REGION CONFERENCE Friday, March 6, 2026, 9:45 a.m.

Cannon Center for the Performing Arts 255 N. Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103

You’re Makin’ Me Crazy

PROGRAM

Gary and Rosana Eckert arr. Michele Weir Paul Bratcher, piano; Jeremy Fagen, scat; David O’Malley, guitar

Deed I Do

Fred Rose, Walter Hirsch arr. John Toomey Ponenya Min, bass; Jeremy Fagen, saxophone; David O’Malley, guitar

Orange and Blue

Sarah Jarosz, John Leventhal arr. David von Kampen

He Was The Cat

Ginny Carr Goldberg Phillip Todd, vibraphone; Paul Bratcher, piano

Baroque Samba

Darmon Meader arr. Darmon Meader Paul Bratcher, piano

MASON JAZZ VOCAL ENSEMBLE Amanda Araujo, Greeshma Bhat, Diego Billington, Emily Davies, Jeremy Fagen, Gabe Fulton, Ava Jack, Corinne Kelly, Adam Lenahan, Andrew London, Jadyn Nguyen, Phillip Todd The Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Dr. Darden Purcell, is the DownBeat awardwinning Jazz vocal group of George Mason University. They have performed at BLUES ALLEY, the Kansas City Jazz Summit, ACCENT Vocal Festival, Jazz4Justice™ concerts, and been featured with the American Festival Pops Orchestra (Anthony Maiello) Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, (Jim Carroll), and the Capitol Bones All-Brass Big Band. Members of this group have performed as back-up vocalists for Ben Folds alongside the National Symphony Orchestra (Wolf Trap), Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Beach Symphony.

The MJVE was awarded a DownBeat Student Music Award for "Outstanding Performance Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Undergraduate College” and “Outstanding Ensemble” at the Kansas City Jazz Summit.

Conference performances and presentations include the ACDA National conference (Dallas, 2025), Jazz Education Network (Dallas, 2018, New Orleans, 2024), Virginia Music Educators Association (Richmond, VA, 2023), and the American Choral Directors Association Southern Region Conference (Raleigh, NC, 2022). They have shared the stage with vocal super groups, The New York Voices, The Manhattan Transfer and ACCENT. The Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble is honored to present at the American Choral Directors Association, Southern Region Conference in Memphis, TN.

Director, Darden Purcell Origin Records recording artist, Darden Purcell is a Washington D.C. based jazz vocalist, featured with symphony orchestras, big bands and small ensembles and jazz educator. Ms. Purcell has shared the stage with top jazz artists, Maria Schneider, Christian McBride, Branford Marsalis, Joe Locke, Eric Alexander, Terell Stafford, Chip McNeill, the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra (Jim Carroll), Navy Commodores, Airmen of Note, US Army Blues, American Festival Pops Orchestra (Tony Maiello), and American Pops Orchestra, performing nationally and internationally, including Blues Alley, Chris’ Jazz Cafe (Philadelphia), Club Bonafide (NYC), The Jazz Kitchen (Indianapolis), Blue Wisp, Bop Stop, Blu+ Jazz (Ohio), Con Alma (Pittsburgh), Sharp9 (NC), JazzB (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Aalt Stadhaus (Luxembourg), Wolf Trap and The Kennedy Center (back-up vocals for Mr. George Benson, Caroline Shaw, Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles). Dr. Purcell is the Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice Instructor and Director of the Downbeat Award-winning, Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble at George Mason University.

Ms. Purcell is a former Washington DC Air Force Band vocalist, performing in Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. She performed back-up vocals for Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans, Bryan White, Lari White, Janie Frickie, Freda Payne, Sherrie Payne, Gloria Loring, Melba Moore and Rita Coolidge as well as Darlene Love on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Dr. Purcell is an active jazz vocal educator and clinician. Her groups have performed at the New York Voices Jazz Festival, Western Michigan’s Gold Company Jazz Vocal Invitational, Kansas City Jazz Summit, ACCENT Vocal Festival, were a featured collegiate group at the 2018 and 2024 Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conferences, 2023 Virginia Music Educators Association conference, and have shared the stage with The New York Voices, ACCENT and The Manhattan Transfer. Dr. Purcell has been invited to present/perform at Jazz Education Network conference (Dallas, New Orleans), the American Choral Director’s National Conference, ACDA Southern Region conference, Virginia Music Educators Association conference, “Jazz Voices” conference (Graz, Austria), Projeto GURI (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and “JazzDays” Festival (Luxembourg). Her students have been finalists in the Ella Fitzgerald Vocal competition, awarded “Outstanding soloist" and “Outstanding Musicianship" at collegiate festivals, Downbeat Student Music Awards and military band positions.

Dr. Purcell earned a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Jazz Performance at Virginia Tech, a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her latest recording “Love’s Got Me in a Lazy Mood” was released on Origin Records to rave reviews and international airplay.

Thank you to the director of the Dewberry School of Music, Dr. Linda Apple-Monson, for her support of the Jazz Studies department. Thank you George Mason Jazz faculty for their incredible work with the instrumental program. Darden would like to thank her husband, Shawn, for his unwavering love and support.

Thank you to everyone at American Choral Directors Association Southern Region for your dedication to excellence in choral music and for the tremendous effort you put into making this conference such a meaningful and inspiring event.

music.gmu.edu dardenpurcell.com Email: dpurcel2@gmu.edu

MJVE Sound Engineer Billy Kessinger is the Audio Supervisor for the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University. In this role he oversees the audio technology and support for multiple performance venues on campus. Billy is also an Adjunct Professor, teaching courses in Sound Engineering and Mixing. As a Front of House Engineer, Billy has mixed artists such as Audra McDonald, Patti Lupone, Kristin Chenoweth, Lea Salonga, Christian McBride, Branford Marsalis, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra and the American Festival Pops Orchestra. Billy earned a Bachelor Science in Music Business from Radford University, and a Master of Arts in Arts Management from George Mason University.

MJVE Rhythm Section Paul Bratcher, a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, began his study of jazz at Bishop McDevitt High School where he played in the Jazz Band under the direction of David Knott. Paul continued his education at Messiah College pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Music Education. While attending Messiah he played and studied with Tim Warfield, Kirk Reese, Cyrus Chestnut and Bruce Barth. Paul continued his education at Michigan State University studying Jazz under bassist Rodney Whitaker. Paul has shared the stage with Rodney Whitaker, Diego Rivera, Etienne Charles, Michael Dease, Walt Weiskopf, and Wes “ Warm Daddy” Anderson. He has toured South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Canada, and Uruguay, Egypt, Indonesia and more. Dr. Bratcher is Associate Chair of Piano at the Levine School of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Georgetown University. Dr. Bratcher earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from George Mason University, Fall 2025.

Clay Cottis is an active drumset performer and educator in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2013, Clay accepted a position as a percussionist with “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps located in Washington, D.C., where he performed as a snare and tenor drummer until 2019. Clay currently maintains an active private lesson studio in Northern Virginia, serves as the Director of Percussion at Thomas Edison High School in Alexandria, VA, and is a Jazz Studies major at George Mason University.

Clay has performed at Radio City Music Hall, Lucas Oil Stadium, the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Ancona Jazz Festival, the Avenches Tattoo, The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Hylton Performing Arts Center, George Mason University Center for the Arts, and more.

David O’Malley is a junior Jazz Studies major, studying with Dr. Shawn Purcell. He has performed in the Jazz Combos, Jazz Workshop, Mason Jazz Ensemble and MJVE at venues, the Center for the Arts, Hylton Performing Arts Center, the Ancona Jazz Festival (Italy) and Umbria Jazz Festival (Perugia, Italy).

Ponenya Min is a senior Jazz Studies major studying with Ben Thomas. Ponenya has performed in the Jazz Combos, Jazz Workshop, Mason Jazz Ensemble and MJVE at Blues Alley, the JEN Conference (New Orleans), Ancona Jazz Festival (Italy), and Umbria Jazz Festival (Perugia, Italy).

GEORGE MASON JAZZ STUDIES

George Mason University Jazz Studies (instrumental and vocal) offers opportunities for improvisation, performance, recording, writing, leadership and service. Our ensembles and students have performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy), Shanghai Concert Hall (Beijing, China), Center for the Arts, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Jazz Education Network conferences, Virginia Music Educators Association conferences, American Choral Directors Association National conference, Blues Alley, Wolf Trap, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Smithsonian, Kansas City Jazz Summit, University of Trinidad and Tobago and more. Our students have won “Outstanding Ensemble” accolades, military band positions and DownBeat Student Music Awards. A high point of students’ time is Jazz4Justice™, an annual concert that combines the Jazz department with local law communities to raise money for academic initiatives and public access to justice.

Ensembles Mason Jazz Ensemble (Big Band) Jazz Workshop (Lab Band) Combos Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble (Downbeat Award) Steel Pan Ensemble Braddock Road Brass Band Latin American Ensemble (Downbeat Award)

Jazz Degrees 2 Minors - Performance & Jazz Studies Bachelor of Music | Master of Music Doctor of Musical Arts - Jazz Emphasis

music.gmu.edu Email: Dr. Darden Purcell at dpurcel2@gmu.edu

GEORGE MASON JAZZ FACULTY WADE BEACH Piano Jazz Combos

DR. KEVIN MCDONALD Drum Set

GRAHAM BREEDLOVE Trumpet Braddock Road Brass Band

XAVIER PEREZ Saxophone

JIM CARROLL Founder, Jazz program Mason Jazz Ensemble Intro to Jazz Improvisation Topics in Jazz

VICTOR PROVOST Steel Pan Steel Pan Ensemble

DR. GEOFFREY DEAN Jazz/Commercial Piano

DR. DARDEN PURCELL Director Jazz Voice Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble

AARON ECKERT Trombone

DR. SHAWN PURCELL Guitar Jazz Combos Jazz Arranging

JOHN KOCUR Jazz Studies Jazz Workshop Jazz & Blues in America Jazz Improvisation I & II

BEN THOMAS Bass

go.gmu.edu/georgemasonjazzcamp JUNE 22-26, 2026 The George Mason Jazz Camp is an inclusive summer program for musicians (instrumental and vocal) of all levels, (Under-18 and Adult Tracks) with a desire to advance their musical artistry. Students play in Big Bands, Combos, Latin Jazz and Vocal Jazz groups, take classes in jazz improvisation, jazz theory, arranging and history and participate in master classes and concerts with inspirational musicians and educators in the Virginia, DC and Maryland region.

COMMUTER & RESIDENTIAL OPTIONS With guest artist-in-residence, Grammy award-winning, saxophonist, composer and educator

ROXY COSS!!

go.gmu.edu/georgemasonjazzfest The George Mason Jazz Festival is a yearly invitational, non-competitive event open to middle school, high school, collegiate, and community jazz ensembles. Sponsored by Mason Jazz Studies and the Dewberry Family School of Music, participating groups perform a 20 to 25minute set in the Harris Theater and receive written feedback from adjudicators. Afterwards, each group receives a clinic with George Mason Jazz faculty in the de Laski Performing Arts Building. In addition to providing comments to bands, the adjudicators will offer select students George Mason Jazz Camp scholarships and Outstanding Soloist/Performer awards.

FEBRUARY 13, 2027

music.gmu.edu Email: Dr. Darden Purcell at dpurcel2@gmu.edu