Services

Item Description

One saxophone or improvisation lesson with Greg Brown, award winning musician and music teacher. 

Item Special Note

Greg Brown - Northgate High School (Instrumental)
Mr. Brown earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984 and his Master’s degree in 1992 from California State University, Hayward. He has been Director of the Instrumental Music and Music Department Chairman at Northgate High School since 1997. Mr. Brown took over as Chairman of the Performing Arts Department in 2004.

The Northgate instrumental groups have flourished under Mr. Brown’s direction receiving numerous Command Performance, Superior and Unanimous Superior Ratings at orchestra, band and Jazz festivals throughout Northern California. His ensembles have entertained invitations to perform at festivals in Europe, China, New York City, New Orleans, and Washington D.C.

Beginning in 1989 Mr. Brown has served as the Alameda County Representative and later Jazz Representative to the California Music Educator’s Association, Bay Section Board. He has been sought after as a clinician and festival adjudicator (California Music Educators Association, Northern California Band Association, California State University East Bay, California State University Stanislaus, College of San Mateo, Folsom Jazz Festival, Livermore Unified School District and a host of others). Mr. Brown has guest conducted the Northern California Honor Band and the Mt. Diablo Unified School District Middle School Honor Band. As a saxophonist he has performed with Mel Torme, Dianne Carroll, Terry Gibbs, Bobby Shew, Bill Berry, Dianne Schurr and Steve Allen. As a conductor he has worked with Mic Gillette, Bobby Shew, Allen Carter, Jeff Beal, Pete Christieb, Andy Martin, Edgardo Cambon, Francisco Torres, Mary Fettig and many others. In addition, Mr. Brown may be heard on recordings made by Queen Ida, Freeze Gillory, Don Turney, and The Bunyups. He also serves as the Senior Camp Coordinator at Hayward-La Honda Music Camp and is Co-Director/Educational Consultant of the Big Band of Rossmoor.

The Pleasanton Legislative Action Committee selected Mr. Brown as their Educator of the Year in 1988. He was awarded the Outstanding Band Director Award at the Monterey Jazz Festival High School Big Band Competition in 1988 and at the Pacific Grove Band Review in 1989. In 2009, Mr. Brown’s contributions to music education were recognized when the CMEA Bay Section awarded him the Gil Freitas Award. Additionally, Mr. Brown received the Jazz Educator of the Year Award from the CMEA Bay Section in 2014. In that same year the Mt. Diablo Unified School District chose him as one of five finalists for Teacher of the Year. Mr. Brown has been nominated for the Jazz Educator of the Year award for the state of California by the California Music Educators Association and the California Alliance for Jazz for 2017 and 2018. Most recently, Mr. Brown received a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Legislature for Lifetime Achievement in Education and nominated to serve on the National Association for Music Education, Council for Jazz Education.