Michigan Theater
Cécile McLorin Salvant
UMS 101: Jazz
Curious about UMS performances, but haven’t taken the plunge? Want to learn more about an unfamiliar artist or genre?
Take a deeper look into the timeless songs that make up the Great American Songbook, and you’ll understand why Cécile McLorin Salvant is being compared to legends like Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. Her distinct sound is at the core of authentic vocal jazz while seamlessly crossing into show tunes and adult contemporary. The class will guide you toward a deeper understanding of the role of jazz vocalists as storytellers and ensemble leaders in modern jazz music.
UMS and Ann Arbor Public Schools Community Education & Recreation (“Rec & Ed”) are offering pre-performance classes created especially for first-time UMS attendees, curious audience members, or anyone who simply enjoys attending performances with a group.
Participants can register for the workshop along with a performance ticket, or for the workshop only. Class sessions will take place in the performance venue or at a nearby (walkable) location. (Sorry, no ticket exchanges or refunds for previously purchased tickets.)
To participate in UMS 101, you must register through the Rec & Ed website and pay the registration fee ($15 for workshop only, or $65 for workshop plus a ticket to the performance).
This event is a collaboration between UMS and Ann Arbor Public Schools Community Education & Recreation (“Rec & Ed”).
Each UMS 101 class will be facilitated by a dance, jazz, or classical music expert and feature conversation, interactive exercises, and mini-lectures that will help you better understand the genre and have a more enjoyable UMS performance experience. The classes will bring you together with other audience members who are curious about the performing arts and want to learn more.
About the Instructor
Brendan Asante is a Ghanaian vocalist, educator, conceptual producer, and musician born and raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He is the co-founder of Video7, an audio/visual collective based in Detroit containing multiple singers, MCs, jazz instrumentalists, and producers. A graduate of the University of Michigan’s jazz studies program, Asante sings in phrases that appear to contain and conceal words. In an effort to deduce meaning from Asante’s lyrics, listeners can assign an individualistic connection to the music. He also uses this as a method of songwriting, combining this with his melodic reading technique to unlock new musical ideas when teaching to students.
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