Doors at 2pm | Dinner menu available
All donations to benefit Ukraine
Featuring renowned soprano Rachael Gates along with The Unity Trio of Jeff English on piano, Justin Valla on double bass, and Steve Edwards on drums, this hour-long performance happens on Sunday, March 5, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at UrbanBeat, 1213 Turner St, Lansing. Come enjoy an eclectic mix of jazz, folk, and musical theater. In addition, a dinner menu is available. All donations will benefit the suffering people of war-torn Ukraine.
General admission $1 + fee. Donations accepted online at micharts.org or at the door.
The Unity Trio
Jeff English, piano
Justin Valla, double bass
Steve Edwards, drums
Soprano, Opera Director and Singing Health Specialist, Dr. Rachael Gates has sung in Germany, Russia, Italy and throughout the United States. She has taught at Northwestern University, The Hartt School of Music, Yale University, Michigan State University, and currently teaches Singing at Grand Valley State University. She is the voice specialist for the College Music Society Committee on Musicians' Health and is published in the NATS Journal of Singing. Her book, The Owner’s Manual to the Voice (Oxford) is available on Amazon and at The Metropolitan Opera Shop.
Jeff English is a retired teacher of choral music and piano in the East Lansing Public Schools. He was a public school teacher for 30 years and before that taught music at Lansing Community College for 5 years. He is also the music director at the Ruhala Center For the Performing Arts as well as pianist and music director at Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing. Jeff has been music director and pianist for over 150 musicals from high school and college theater to community theater and professional theater.
Justin Valla is the director of orchestras for Okemos High School, and assistant director for the Chippewa Middle School Orchestras. Before teaching in Okemos, Justin taught orchestra in St. Johns, Marshall, and Lansing. Justin graduated from Michigan State University in 2000 with bachelors’ degrees in double bass performance and music education. At MSU he performed with jazz bands, small jazz ensembles, chamber ensembles, the MSU Symphony Orchestra, the MSU Wind Symphony, the New Music Ensemble, and various other performance groups. In 2010, Justin graduated from MSU with a master’s degree in music education.
Justin is dedicated to teaching all students to be thoughtful and productive people as well as high-achieving musicians by fostering what he calls an “orchestra family.” Recently, he was elected as the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association's Orchestra Teacher of the year for District 8, which includes Mid-Michigan schools. His Philharmonic Orchestra from Okemos High School performed for music educators from all over the state at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids in January. At the beginning of this school year, he joined the Mid Michigan Youth Symphony as their newest conductor.
with Mykola Deychakiwsky, bandura
All ages welcome, https://www.micharts.org/