Oscar Night 2021 was quite a bit different from previous years for Charles Dickerson, supervisor of Special Ensembles in the CSUDH Music Department and executive director and conductor of the Inner City Los Angeles Youth Orchestra (ICYOLA). That's because this year, “If Anything Happens I Love You,” a short featuring the music of Dickerson and the ICYOLA, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Dickerson attended a small dinner party at the home of one of the film's producers, where they all watched the broadcast together. “Man, when it was announced that we won, we screamed at the top of our lungs,” says Dickerson. The animated film focuses on parents' grief ... Read More
Music
Grammy Award Winner Kenny G Takes Part in Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series
After sharing personal anecdotes about his storied music career, and advice for California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) students, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G performed a special holiday concert for the campus community during the virtual 2020 Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series on Dec. 9. Kenny G is among the world's most acclaimed instrumental musicians and one of the biggest selling artists of the modern jazz era with worldwide sales of more than 75 million records. The opportunity to have him as a Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series speaker came about after the president was invited by CSUDH Philanthropic Board Chair Maria Villa ('82, B.S. business ... Read More
CSUDH Jazz Professor Teodross Avery Celebrates the Music of Thelonious Monk on New Album
Saxophonist and California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Music Teodross Avery has felt a connection to the music of Thelonious Monk from an early age. “I've been listening to his music since I was 15 years old,” says Avery. “He was one of my favorites and my heroes long before I started pursuing degrees in music.” Avery's longtime love and respect for his music has resulted in a new album celebrating Monk's work, “Harlem Stories: The Music of Thelonious Monk,” released in September on Wj3 Records. The title of the album refers to Monk's strong New York roots. “I wanted to make sure that we brought the spirit of Harlem ... Read More
CSUDH Professors Release New Album
From the first time they played together, CSUDH Music Department Chair Scott Morris and Associate Professor of Music Chika Inoue knew they had found something special. Morris, who plays classical guitar, and Inoue, who plays classical saxophone, discovered that their two instruments created a unique blend that audiences responded to. The pair continued to play together over the next few years, developing their sound and expanding their repertoire. They soon decided they wanted to record the music they were creating, and their efforts have paid off with the release of their first collaborative CD under the name Chika & Scott. Their debut album “Unfettered” will be released on October ... Read More
Daily Breeze: CSUDH Receives $1.6 Million to Preserve Historic Music from African Diaspora
Source: Daily Breeze The Michigan-based Georgia and Nolan Payton Foundation has offered Carson's Cal State Dominguez Hills a $1.6 million gift that will help preserve historic musical performances and songs for the new Center For African Diaspora Sacred Music and Musicians. Formerly known as the African Diaspora Sacred Music and Musicians Program, it already includes the Georgia and Nolan Payton Archive of Sacred Music. The program, which focuses on music created and performed in Southern California, is internationally recognized for its preservation and promotion of African Diaspora music, which dates from the days Black people were enslaved. “The investment in support of our ... Read More
