Morehouse College Faculty

Department of Music

Faculty and Staff

	Uzee Brown, Jr., D.M.A. Chairman, Voice RCPAC 131A Phone: (404)215-2601 ubrown@morehouse.edu Dr. Uzee Brown joined the faculty in 1973 and currently serves as Chairman of the Department of Music. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College, a Master of Music in Composition from Bowling Green State University, and a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance from the University of Michigan. He has received numerous composition and arranging commissions ranging from National Public Radio and the Atlanta Symphony to colleges, universities, church and civic organizations, and his compositions have been heard throughout the world, including Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. His engagements include master classes, workshops and recitals of African-American music from work songs and spirituals to art songs. Additionally, Dr. Brown is Director of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir.

	Stephanie Whittaker Administrative Assistant RCPAC 131A Phone: (404)215-2601 smeadows@morehouse.edu

	Jefferson Ethridge, D.M.A. Associate Professor, Piano RCPAC 219 Phone: (404) 614-3789 jethridg@morehouse.edu Dr. Jefferson Ethridge holds a Bachelor of Music from Belhaven College, Jackson, MS, and a Master of Music and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan. He joined the faculty in 1991 and teaches Applied Piano as well as core curriculum courses for the non-music major, including Masterpieces of Music and History of Jazz. Dr. Ethridge is a member of MTNA and performs regularly as a recitalist in collaboration with both faculty and student performers. Educational Background: BM, Belhaven College 1974; MM, U of Michigan 1976; DMA, U of Michigan 1980. Areas of Expertise: Piano Performance Recent Performance: Lecture-Recital: Harlem Renaissance poetry set to music by composers of German or Austrian birth.

	Mel Foster, D.M.A. Associate Professor, Voice RCPAC 224 Campus Phone: 7905 mfoster@morehouse.edu Dr. Mel Foster, tenor, joined the faculty in 1996 and is currently an Associate Professor of Music. His educational background consists of a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He teaches Applied Voice, Singer's Diction, Voice Class, and Masterpieces of Music. Educational Background: B.M.- Eastman School of Music, 1989; M.M. and D.M.A - University of California, Santa Barbara, 1997. Areas of Expertise: African-American Operatic Tenors, Opera and Art Song Literature, and Operatic Vocal Technique Recent Publications: Stage Director and premiered the role of King Melchior in Americolor Opera's Production of "3Kings and a Prince" in December, 2007 at the Callenwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia

	Blake Gaines, M.M.E. Director of Bands RCPAC 127 Campus Phone: 2693 Blake Gaines joined the music faculty in 1990 and currently serves as Director of Bands and Instructor. His teaching responsibilities includes conducting the Morehouse College Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, the Marching Maroon Tigers, History of Jazz, Intro To Jazz Improvisation, Orchestration and Arranging, and Applied Brasses. Under his direction the Marching Band has performed the Pre-Game Show at Super Bowl XXI, The Today Show, The NFL Owners Ball, Jack The Rappers Convention, and the Olympic Flag Installation. The Jazz Ensemble has performed in concert with such names as Kent Jordan (Flutist), Wes Anderson (former lead saxophonist with the Lincoln Center Jazz Band), and Delfeayo Marsalis (at the worlds famous “Snug Harbor” in New Orleans). As an arranger/composer, he arranged the music for the Pre-Game Show at Super Bowl XXI, wrote horn parts and performed on the first Byron Cage Gospel Project, arranged two selections that were played in the movie “Drumline”, and wrote the music for the Outkast hit “Morris Brown”. Mr. Gaines continues to perform locally and nationally as a jazz bassist. He has shared the stage with artist such as Bob Baldwin, Buddy Williams, Chuck Lobe, Wil Downing, Tom Brown, and Steve Oliver. To add to his credits, he is a producer and has been named to the Executive Board of Trustees for The American Society of Young Musicians Atlanta Chapter. He is also a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha, and Kappa Alpha Psi. Mr. Gaines holds a Bachelors in Music Education from Jackson State University located in Jackson, MS, and Masters of Music Education from the University of Central Oklahoma located in Edmond, OK.

‌	David Morrow, D.M.A. Professor and Director of the Morehouse Glee Club RCPAC 128 Campus Phone: 3783 Faculty Web Page: www.morehouse.edu/facstaff/dmorrow dmorrow@morehouse.edu Dr. David Morrow, a native of Rochester, NY, was valedictorian of his Morehouse College class, holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He currently directs the renowned Morehouse College Glee Club, a group which has toured internationally in Poland, South Africa, Russia and Canada, conducts the Wendell Whalum Community Chorus, is Artistic Director and Conductor of The Atlanta Singers, and Co-Directs the Morehouse-Spelman Chorus. Among other honors, Dr. Morrow has led performances in such widely varying venues as Atlanta’s Symphony Hall with Jessye Norman, the opening ceremonies of Superbowl XXVIII with Natalie Cole and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Atlantic Centennial Olympic Games. In 2002, he was guest conductor for Centro Ecuatoriano Norteamericano’s first Festival of Spirituals Guayaquil, Ecuador and was the conductor of the 2009 HBCU Concert Choir at the Kennedy Center. In addition, he has conducted honors choruses across the country, lectured or conducted workshops in public schools, colleges and universities, including the Detroit Public Schools, University of Tennessee-Chattagooga, Cornell and the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, and, in 2010, at Westminster Choir College. Dr. Morrow is a member of Metropolitan Atlanta Musicians Association, is President of the National Association of Negro Musicians, serves on the Board of Directors of the Intercollegiate Men's Choruses, Inc. and is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the Georgia Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and is a “Friend of the Arts” member of Sigma Alpha Iota. Educational Background: Bachelor of Arts, Morehouse College, 1980; Master of Music, University of Michigan, 1981; Doctor of Musical Arts, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, 1995 Areas of Expertise: Choral Music; Conducting; African American Music

	Carlos Simon, M.M. Instructor, Theory RCPAC 222 Phone: (404)215-2739 csimon@morehouse.edu Carlos Simon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music (with concentrations in piano and composition) from Morehouse College and a Master of Music degree from Georgia State University. He has studied composition with Robert Tanner, Uzee Brown, TJ Anderson and Nicktas Demos. He has had works performed by the Morehouse College Glee Club, the National Conference for Catholic Musicians and the Spelman/Morehouse String Quartet, and his music appeared nightly on the Herman Cain Show in 2010. Mr. Simon has compositions published by GIA Publications. Simon is a member of ASCAP, Society of Composers and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. He currently serves as organist/pianist for the Ben Hill United Methodist Church. Mr. Simon maintains an active career as a keyboardist performing locally and abroad with artists such as N’Dambi, Yahzarah, Russell Taylor, Gabbie McGhee and Angie Stone.

	Robert Tanner, D.M.A. Associate Professor Composition and Theory RCPAC 225 Phone: (404) 614-3792 rtanner@morehouse.edu Dr. Robert Tanner joined the Morehouse College music faculty in 1999 and currently teaches courses in composition, theory, and music history. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Industry from Capital University and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in composition from The Ohio State University. Dr. Tanner is the recipient of the ASCAP Young Composers Award for Ornaments and the Ruth Friscoe Prize for Romance for Alto Saxophone and Piano and his commissions include works by the OSU Symphony Orchestra and the Luna Nova New Music Ensemble. He has served as a panelist at conferences hosted by the College Music Society and the Center for Black Music Research and has also served as an adjudicator for competitions sponsored by the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Heritage Music Festival.