2013-2014 Touring Artist Roster by Maryland State Arts Council

MARYLAND TOURING ARTISTS ROSTER FOR MARYLAND TOURING GRANTS - FY13 AND FY14 APPLICATIONS The National Players Larry Wills

OCEAN Quartet

Word Dance Theater

Whit Williams

MARYLAND STATE ARTS COUNCIL

Maryland Touring Artists Roster Welcome to the Maryland Touring Artists Roster! The roster showcases a diverse range of Maryland’s touring artists and ensembles in dance, multidisciplinary, music and theater. The performances and educational programs by the artists and ensembles featured on the roster reflect a high quality of artistry that will captivate the imagination and entertain audiences of all ages. The touring artists and ensembles have been selected through a rigorous evaluation process by fellow touring artists, arts presenters and arts educators in Maryland. The Maryland State Arts Council has approved these touring artists and ensembles to represent our state based on their artistic excellence, tour management ability and community engagement programs. Each profile on the roster contains a brief description of the artist and tour-ready programs, contact information, fee ranges for touring and educational programs, availability and technical specifications to assist you with your decision-making. If you have questions beyond what the roster provides, please contact the artist directly to discuss your programming needs. Fee Subsidy Support for Maryland Presenters Maryland nonprofit organizations can apply for financial support to present a touring artist or ensemble on the roster through the Maryland Touring Grant. The goals of the Maryland Touring Artists Roster are: 

to expand the pool of performing artists presented in Maryland

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to further the artistic development of performing artists

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to enhance the artists' marketability and touring capacity beyond their home state

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Placement on the Maryland Touring Artists Roster offers many benefits, including:

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opportunities for artists to receive bookings/artist fees through the Maryland Touring Program

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access to free MSAC professional development workshops designed to meet the needs of performing artists

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a free subscription to the MD Presenters Network forum where performers can interact with one another through networking, collaboration, and sharing of resources, and

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MSAC promotion at local, regional, and national conferences

For more information about Maryland roster artists and the Maryland Touring Program application for Maryland presenters: Amy Grossmann Phone: 410-767-6536 Email: agrossmann@msac.org Website: www.msac.org

Maryland Touring Artists Roster Table of Contents Dance

BALLET THEATRE OF MARYLAND, INC. ........................................................................... 1 CLANCYWORKS DANCE COMPANY ...............................................................................2 DANCE EXCHANGE ..................................................................................................3 FOOTWORKS PERCUSSIVE DANCE ESSEMBLE ...................................................................4 KALANIDHI DANCE ..................................................................................................5 LAURA SCHANDELMEIER & STEPHEN CLAPP/DANCE BOX THEATER, INC ...................................6 NAOKO MAESHIBA..................................................................................................7 SILK ROAD DANCE COMPANY .....................................................................................8 SUTRADHAR INSTITUTE OF DANCE AND RELATED ARTS .......................................................9 UPDRAFT AERIAL DANCE THEATER ............................................................................10 VTDANCE ...........................................................................................................11

Multidisciplinary NANA PROJECTS ..................................................................................................12 WORD DANCE THEATER .........................................................................................13

Music 5 L, THE..........................................................................................................14 TH

AGLAIA KORAS ....................................................................................................15 AMADOU KOUYATE...............................................................................................16 BARBARA MARTIN & MAC WALTER ............................................................................17 BARRY LOUIS POLISAR............................................................................................18 BOISTER, INC ......................................................................................................19 BOMANI ARMAH ..................................................................................................20 CARL GRUBBS .....................................................................................................21 CAROLYN BLACK-SOTIR ..........................................................................................22 CATHY FINK & MARCY MARXER .................................................................................23 CHARLES “RAHMAT” WOODS ...................................................................................24 CHEICK HAMALA DIABATE .......................................................................................25 CHRISTINA HARRISON ............................................................................................26

Maryland Touring Artists Roster Table of Contents Music, Con’t. DUENDE QUARTET ............................................................................................... 27 ERIC BYRD TRIO/BROTHER RAY BAND ......................................................................... 28 HEDGE BAND, THE ............................................................................................... 29 HOT SOUP ......................................................................................................... 30 IONA ............................................................................................................... 31 IRAIDA POBEREZHNAYA ......................................................................................... 32 KUZNIK DUO ...................................................................................................... 33 LAFAYETTE GILCHRIST ........................................................................................... 34 LARRY WILLIS ..................................................................................................... 35 MARK EDWARDS ................................................................................................. 36 MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CHOIR........................................................................... 37 OCEAN QUARTET ................................................................................................. 38 PEABODY RAGTIME ENSEMBLE ................................................................................ 39 PROJECT NATALE ................................................................................................. 40 ROB LEVIT ......................................................................................................... 41 ROSITA MATHEWS ............................................................................................... 42 SHODEKEH ........................................................................................................ 43 SLIM HARRISON .................................................................................................. 44 TAMARA WELLONS AND BAND................................................................................. 45 TODD MARCUS ................................................................................................... 46 WALT MICHAEL & COMPANY ................................................................................... 47 WASHINGTON MUSICA VIVA ................................................................................... 48 WHIT WILLIAMS ................................................................................................. 49 WIGGINS & FRIENDS ............................................................................................. 50

Theater ARIANA ROSS ..................................................................................................... 51 BILL GRIMMETTE ................................................................................................. 52 DEBRA MIMS...................................................................................................... 53 DIANE MACKLIN .................................................................................................. 54 IN-FLIGHT THEATER .............................................................................................. 55

Maryland Touring Artists Roster Table of Contents Theater Con’t. JON SPELMAN .................................................................................................... 56 MARYLAND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL .......................................................................... 57 NATIONAL PLAYERS, THE ........................................................................................ 58 QUEST VISUAL THEATRE......................................................................................... 59

Dance BALLET THEATRE OF MARYLAND, INC. ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Ballet BOOKING CONTACT Adrienne Westlake 801 Chase Street Annapolis, MD 81401 Telephone: 410-263-8289 or 410-224-5644 Email: adrienne.westlake@balletmaryland.org Website: www.balletmaryland.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 12 professional company plus up to 15 additional apprentices TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $6,500 Maximum: $40,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $800 Maximum: $1,200 AVAILABILITY January, March, April (last 2 weeks of the month), November AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 35’ x 30’ Stage Set: Full functioning front curtain – two additional legs on each side of stage and a white CYC across back of stage Stage Floor: Wood or marley Audio Support Equipment: Sound system with speakers and with back stage monitors ; CD system; a portable microphone Lighting: A basic blue wash, a warm or red wash, amber wash, basic morning, daylight, and evening lights and 1 to 5 specials plus at least one technician Other: Outreach stage dimensions can be as small as 24’ x 20’

ARTIST INFORMATION Full-length ballets: Alice in Wonderland – BTM captures the excitement and whimsy of Lewis Carroll‘s classic tale and all its unforgettable characters in this colorful ballet. Aladdin – Aladdin, helped by the Genie of the Lamp and the Sorceress of the Ring battles the evil wizard Jamal to save the beautiful Princess Samira and the Sultan‘s kingdom. Romeo & Juliet - Shakespeare‘s tragic tale of opposing households and star-crossed lovers captures the entire spectrum of great tragedy – humor, pathos, love, death, idealism and fate. Beauty & the Beast – Suffused with magic, humor, romance, metaphor and symbol, BTM‘s dancers bring these beloved fairytale characters to life. Celtic Christmas Suites – A journey through time from Hallow‘s Eve through the 12 Days of Christmas fusing Irish step dancing, ballet and modern dance to recreate holiday legends past and present. Excalibur—Award-winning ballet to the music of Maggie Sansone, where Morgan Le Fey pursues the path of darkness to destroy King Arthur‘s vision of the future. Repertory: Celtic Book of Days: where mainstream ―River Dance‖ meets classical dance in a celebration of Harvest Faire on the Wheel of Life. Gottschalk’s Grande Tarantella: a fusion of the energetic, passionate Italian tarantella with ballet. Songs of Life: A contemporary ballet to new-age jazz composer Rob Levit‘s music. Specters, Phantoms and Poe: an anthology of Poe through dance and the spoken word including his chilling, Masque of the Red Death, Poe‘s personal favorite of his stories, Ligeia, and the ever popular poems, The Raven and Annabel Lee. Educational/Residence Programs: BTM offers master classes, interactive outreaches, workshops and residencies with all of its touring programs. Most can be adapted to fit ages K-adult. BTM is certified by the Teaching Artist Institute (TAI). Additional ongoing educational programs available are: Dancing through Time and Culture, Medieval (Excalibur in a Nutshell), Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin and Romeo & Juliet.

Dance CLANCYWORKS DANCE COMPANY ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Contemporary/Modern BOOKING CONTACT Adrienne Clancy PO Box 3111 Silver Spring, MD 20918 Telephone: 301-717-9271 Email: adrenne@clancyworks.org Website: www.clancyworks.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3 – 6 dancers, often with 1– 4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: Not available Maximum: $20,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: Not available Maximum: $15,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage dimensions: Presentations can be tailored to the size and technical components of the theater—optimal stage size is 36’ x 40.’ Audio Support Equipment: Contact artist Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Contact artist Rehearsal Space: Contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION ClancyWorks shifts perceptions through performance! ClancyWorks presents original modern dance works created through an exploration of architecturally informed partnering techniques. The Washington Post has described Adrienne Clancy, Founder, as ―a wizard of invention‖ and her choreography as ―a tour de force of unpredictable partnering.‖ Over the past 20 years of choreographing, Clancy has earned numerous awards and honors for her work and has had her dances presented internationally in Japan, Poland, Paraguay, Mexico, Israel, and England. Recently ClancyWorks has presented performances on a national level in New York, New Mexico, California, Texas, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. ―The mercurial ease with which ClancyWorks not only performed, but opened and illuminated the artistic process, and actually incorporated audience reactions and suggestions into a dance piece, was arresting and informative. This was an elegant version of improvisation from audience suggestions. Brava! Bravo! The company was cordial, congenial, and a pleasure to work with offstage as well, which matters a lot to us as a presenter.‖ ---Dr. Donn Murphy, National Theater Presenter, DC, commenting on a ClancyWorks concert that was presented at the National on March 24, 2008. Current tour-ready programs include evening length performances of the company repertoire: Back to Wall, Taking Steps to Climbing Mountains, Light Armor, Mermaids and Other Tails of Truth, Temperance, and our School Assembly Program tailored for a K-12 audience. Details and descriptions of current tour ready programs for the Company are listed on www.clancyworks.org.

Dance DANCE EXCHANGE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Contemporary BOOKING CONTACT Ouida Maedel 7117 Maple Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912 Telephone: 301-270-6700 ext 19 Email: ouida@danceexchange.org Website: www.danceexchange.org

ARTIST INFORMATION

TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: up to $2,000 Maximum: up to $40,000 (depending on length of time in community)

Dance Exchange breaks boundaries between stage and audience, theater and community, movement and language, tradition and the unexplored. Founded in 1976 by Liz Lerman and now under the artistic direction of Cassie Meador, Dance Exchange stretches the range of contemporary dance through explosive dancing, personal stories, humor, and a company of performers whose ages span six decades. The work consists of concerts, interactive performances, community residencies, and professional training in community-based dance.

EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $2,000 Maximum: $40,000

Dance Exchange employs a collaborative approach to dance making and administration. Recent and current projects include explorations of coal mining, genetic research, human rights, particle physics, ecology, land use, and rest in a hyper-driven society.

SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3 to 15—varies from chamber to full

AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Negotiable depending on contract, minimum 30’ x 30’ for full ensemble Stage Set: Negotiable Stage floor: Marley preferred Audio Support Equipment: iPod in (1/8) and hand held microphones Visual Support Equipment: Negotiable Rehearsal Space: 20’ x 30’ warm up space for dancers Other: Rehearsal/warm up and performance space should be heated

Dance FOOTWORKS PERCUSSIVE DANCE ENSEMBLE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Traditional Music and Percussive Dance BOOKING CONTACT Eileen Carson or Harriet Yake PO Box 1761 Millersville, MD 21108 Telephone: 410-897-9299 Email: eileen@footworks.org or office@footworks.org Website: www.footworks.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1 –6 dancers, 1 –4 musicians, and 1 technical personnel TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $3,000 Maximum: $10,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $900 Maximum: $5,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage dimensions: 24’ X 16’ (full company); 6’ X 8’ (small scale productions) Audio Support Equipment: Small scale productions—one to two microphones; full company productions: sound set up of six-eight instrument and vocal microphones, three floor microphones, three-four monitors for the band, two side fill monitors for the dancers Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Can range from simple to in -depth, with a lighting plot provided Rehearsal Space: Access to stage on day of the performance for run-thru/ tech

ARTIST INFORMATION Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, founded in 1979, has toured nationally and internationally, including guest artists in the London production of Riverdance and a tour of Japan with the Smithsonian Institution. Footworks presents a dazzling array of multi-cultural traditional percussive dances as well as original choreography. Incredible Feets (full-scale productions to Arts-in-Education Performances): celebrates the world of percussive dance. This show introduces the audience to traditional percussive dances from Ireland, England, South Africa, Canada and the American South as well as hamboning, hoofin', and early jazz tap. The influences of these joyful traditions come together in original, innovative pieces choreographed by Footworks. With up to six dancers and three musicians, this production is scaled for large halls and festivals. Smaller versions of INCREDIBLE FEETS also take the audience on a whirlwind tour of percussive dance allowing you to tailor the production to fit your facility and budget. STEPS AND STRIPES (full-scale production) Footworks newest production was created to celebrate the 200 th anniversary of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner in 2014. With many special guest artists the show celebrates the multi-cultural history of our state and includes Irish and African music and dance to represent the many traditions that have come to these shores, leading to new traditions. Moving through history, the production includes American clogging, tap dance, modern dance, and Hip Hop, all performed to live music, including newly written music and songs referencing Baltimore‘s rich history and location. Workshops, Master Classes, and Residencies: Footworks‘ mission includes making dance accessible and enjoyable to anyone, whether you are a beginner or a highly trained dancer who has yet to experience tradition-based percussive dance forms. The company offer master classes to: dance studios; recreational or semi-professional groups; college dance departments; and professional companies. In addition to years of experience and first rate teaching skills, Footworks imparts the concept of dance as cultural expression, within a historical context.

Dance KALANIDHI DANCE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Classical Indian Dance (Kuchipudi ) BOOKING CONTACT Anuradha Nehru 6816 Bradley Blvd. Bethesda, MD 20817 Phone: 301-469-8529 Email: kalanidhi.dance@gmail.com Website: www.kalanidhi.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1 - 9 ensemble members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $2,000 Maximum: $18,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $5,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages

ARTIST INFORMATION Kalanidhi Dance navigates the ancient depths of the South Indian style of Kuchipudi, discovering its contemporary facets, while retaining its classical essence. The company‘s performances and educational programming connect with diverse audiences and raise the profile of Indian classical dance in the United States. Born out of the vision of founder and artistic director, Anuradha Nehru, Kalanidhi Dance continues to make strides in the realm of Kuchipudi performance and education. From full-length dance theater productions, to in-school residencies, the company extends the reach of classical Indian dance to audiences of all ages and experiences. Kalanidhi Dance has presented its work at several prestigious venues including Wolf Trap, National Geographic Society, and the Ananya Festival in New Delhi. Kalanidhi‘s work is recognized and funded by the Maryland State Arts Council and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 30’ x 25’ Stage Set: Empty stage-use of cyclorama if available Audio support equipment: high quality CD playback, one stand microphone and two feedback monitors Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Full lighting and other requirements in tech rider, depending on performance Rehearsal Space: Contact artist

Dance LAURA SCHANDELMEIER & STEPHEN CLAPP/ DANCE BOX THEATER, INC ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Dance/Theater BOOKING CONTACT Stephen Clapp & Laura Schandelmeier 3311 Rhode Island Avenue, #305 Mount Rainier, MD 20712 Phone: 415-779-6383 Email: production@danceboxtheater.org Website: www.danceboxtheater.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 2 - 5 artists, 1 lighting designer TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $2,000 Maximum: $15,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $250 Maximum: $15,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Minimum 25’ x 25’ and suitable for dance Audio Support Equipment: CD player Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Stage lighting Rehearsal space: Comparable to stage setting *Contact artist for full technical requirements

ARTIST INFORMATION “It is a rare and phenomenal treat to see two dancers who are so

beautifully in tune with each other, with their partnering carefully honed and developed through years of kinesthetic communication." (Ellen Chenoweth, Widening the I) Schandelmeier & Clapp have toured internationally and are renowned for their daring virtuosity, visual elegance and strong sense of social responsibility. Highly energized choreography includes ruminations on action and re-action, conflict, empathy, and transformation - creating motion narrative with a sensual luster and dynamic variety. A commitment to the intersection of art and social justice fused with an edgy exploration of dance and theater, Dance Box Theater forges a unique blend of artistry, cultural synthesis, community engagement and contemporary commentary. We Are Here marks the seventh collaboration between Dance Box Theater's Co-Artistic Directors, Stephen Clapp and Laura Schandelmeier. The work features an original score by Clapp, a dynamic ensemble of guest artists and potent images of the here and now. We Are Here will premier at Dance Place in Washington, DC on March 31 and April 1, 2012. (50-75 min.) Commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the 2010 Local Dance Commissioning Project, Affectations is a multi-media movement/theater performance created and performed by Dance Box Theater Co-Artistic Directors Laura Schandelmeier & Stephen Clapp with dance artist Ilana Faye Silverstein. Through dynamic choreography and intricate partnering developed over the course of a year and half, Affectations offers the human body as metaphor for contemporary culture. Performed by Clapp, Schandelmeier, and Silverstein, this full-evening work is the bravest, most innovative and original production that Dance Box Theater has created to date. (50 min.) The Loving Project: E-Race, a full-evening work for 4 dancers, examines interracial and non-traditional couples. Premiering at Dance Place in Washington, DC in 2009 the dance identifies and challenges aspects of racism and other forms of oppression that have systemically rejected the union of individuals from different backgrounds. This work is sign interpreted.

Dance NAOKO MAESHIBA ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Dance Theatre, Interdisciplinary BOOKING CONTACT Naoko Maeshiba 824 E. Lake Ave. Baltimore, MD 21212 Telephone: 202-320-5786 Email: nmkibi@gmail.com Website: www.naokibi.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 9 members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $3,000 Maximum: $15,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $5,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Minimum 36’ x 30’ Stage Floor Type: Wooden floor painted black or with marley laid on top Audio Support Equipment: 2 CD playback and sound system or computerprogrammed sound system Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Minimum 3 side booms on each side (6 total), 3 instruments on each boom plus general lighting plot Rehearsal Space: comparable to performance space Other: Grid or some other system at least 19 feet high to rig 3 ropes, 1 rope ladder, and 1 web tape on 5 different planes (Paraffin)

ARTIST INFORMATION Maeshiba‘s work has focused on revealing the body's true expression in the form of non-verbal dance/theatre. In this process, she attempts to reach the unveiled state of the body through its contact with the immediate environment. In 2002, She founded a performance unit/lab, Naoko Maeshiba/kibism in order to pursue her inquiry about the depth of the body, examine various forms of perception in search for the absolute essence in expression, and further the potential interaction between different disciplines and cultures. Known for their primal and refined physicality drawn from both Western and Eastern disciplines, Kibism works delve into the hidden and the obscured aspects of society, unearth the ephemeral moments in life, and seek out the strange beauty (KIBI) of our existence in the universe. Synthesizing kinetic, auditory, and sculptural elements, Kibism works push the boundary between body and environment, maximizing the imagination of the audience. Naoko Maeshiba/Kibism works have been experienced in both traditional and non-traditional venues in the North America, Europe, and Japan. Her most recent award-winning piece, ―Paraffin‖ was described as ‗intense and emotionally engaging (Baltimore City Paper)‖, ―strikingly beautiful‖ (Washington Post), evoking ―the raw passions of fear and desire as the body is stretched to its physical and expressive limits…‖(Baltimore Theatre Journal). Maeshiba is a recipient of Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in Solo Dance Performance and Choreography.

Dance SILK ROAD DANCE COMPANY ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Traditional women’s dance of Central Asia, Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, China, Silk Road Cultures and portions of the Islamic World BOOKING CONTACT Laurel Victoria Gray 8314 Greenwood Avenue Apt. A Takoma Park, MD 20912 Telephone: 301-585-1105 Email: silkroaddance@aol.com Website: www.silkroaddance.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 6 -12 members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $3,000 Maximum: $5,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $2,000 Maximum: $2,500 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 24’ x 20’ Stage Set: Backdrops supplied by company, but cyc or a black curtain is fine if back drops cannot be hung Stage Floor Type: Wood is preferred, but marley is acceptable Audio Support Equipment: CD player and adequate sound system for venue Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Adequate for venue Rehearsal Space: Dance studio with sprung floor or clean stage surface

ARTIST INFORMATION The award-winning Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC) presents women's dances from Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, China and the Caucasus. Founded by Artistic Director Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray in 1995, the ensemble's pioneering performances offer a unique glimpse of the life and culture of little known regions. SRDC has performed internationally in Uzbekistan, Qatar and Canada. They have been the subject of broadcasts on Uzbek, Tajik and Arabic television, BBC, and VOA. SRDC has performed nationally throughout the US and has appeared at some of the most prestigious festivals and venues in DC, including the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress. The ensemble has been featured at events for the Embassies of Egypt, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Russia; they are often engaged by cultural organizations in the Turkish, Iranian, Afghan, Arab and Central Asian communities. Artistic Director Gray has received many awards for her creative work with SRDC including the 2011 Arash Award for achievement in Iranian Arts; the 2006 Metro DC Dance Award for ―Excellence in Costume Design" and the 2003 Kennedy Center Local Dance Commissioning Project. She was selected to deliver the 2009 Fulbright International Dance Scholar Lecture which SRDC enhanced with performances of Uzbek dances. In 2003, SRDC won the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Award for Best Dance Company. SRDC has enchanted audiences with beautiful, authentic, and imaginative productions. Ethnically diverse, the ensemble's dancers have mastered a wide range of styles including rare dances from the company's 'Legacy Repertoire' – precious gifts from leading World Dance artists.

Dance SUTRADHAR INSTITUTE OF DANCE AND RELATED ARTS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Contemporary Classical Indian Dance (Kuchipudi) and Storytelling BOOKING CONTACT Nilimma Devi 1525 Forest Glen Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone: 301-593-2664 Email: nilimmadevi@gmail.com Website: www.dancesidra.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1—8 dancers TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $2,000 Maximum: $15,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $5,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 20’ by 20’ Stage Floor Type: Wood is preferred Audio Support Equipment: good sound system for storytelling and a cordless microphone Visual Support Equipment: contact artist Lighting: contact artist Rehearsal Space: contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION Nilimma Devi is an acclaimed artist, educator and choreographer whose career has crossed barriers and spanned the globe. She is founder and director of Sutradhar Institute of Dance and Related Arts (SIDRA). Under her direction (1989present) she has made the Silver Spring-based institute into a community touchstone of classical art and culture. Devi's work is classically rigorous yet it challenges cultural barriers. Ms. Devi is also the director of the Devi Dance Theater, which has performed at the Kennedy Center, Dance Place, Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, and for Voice of America. In 2002, the Choreographers Commissioning Project of the Kennedy Center awarded Devi a grant to create Walk the Sky. Devi's work is inspired by the 12th Century radical poetess, Mahadevi Akka, and has won international accolades. As a faculty member of the George Washington University, Ms. Devi teaches Gender and Classical Indian Dance. In 2006, Devi recorded a highly reviewed television lecture series—Ancient Dance and Contemporary Voices—for Osmania University in Hyderabad, India. Her thought-provoking course— In Pursuit of the Goddess—views at the thought of feminine divinity as expressed in Hindu philosophy, religion, art and aesthetics. In 2006, Ms. Devi was asked to join and become a member of the CID, International Dance UNESCO. She also teaches the course ― Contemporary Voices in Classical Indian Dance and Indian Classical Dance ―at George Mason University. Devi's own battle to master the secrets of gender and caste exclusivity in Kuchipudi dance inspires her idea of freedom, and transcending barriers. Devi is a recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award and Master Apprenticeship Award.

Dance UPDRAFT AERIAL DANCE THEATER ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Contemporary aerial dance BOOKING CONTACT Lizard Walker-Keegan 1233 Hoffmaster Road Knoxville, MD 21758 Telephone: 301-834-9291 Email: lizard.updraft@gmail.com Website: www.updraft.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3-6 members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $2,500 Maximum: $10,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $5,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 26’ x 26’, if using a portable rig Stage Set: If not using a portable rig, one or more attachment points 18’ or higher capable of bearing 1,500 pounds of dynamic, falling weight Stage Floor Type: Splinter-free resilient surface Audio Support Equipment: CD and digital playback system Visual Support Equipment: contact artist Lighting: Varies with each production Rehearsal Space: May also be performance space

ARTIST INFORMATION Updraft Aerial Dance Theater takes contemporary dance into the air—incorporating low-flying trapeze, suspended fabric, rope and harness, and invented aerial apparatus to create an energetic movement exposition that intrigues and delights its audiences. Updraft blurs the lines between performing arts genres, often collaborating with poets, musicians, and visual artists to dive deeply into humanity‗s songs and stories. The small, flexible company is able to provide presentations ranging from simple lecture/demonstrations and riveting entertainment to single concept full-length dance theater productions. Updraft offers companion workshops and master classes in aerial technique and community-based art making as a part of its residency activities. Updraft‗s creative work reflects vital issues in the lives of individuals and communities, giving voice to multiple perspectives. Its dynamic productions explore themes from the ridiculous to the sublime, including mountaintop removal, the trials of sibling rivalry, classism and stereotyping, and the humor and pathos of everyday life. Updraft‗s dramatic aerial dimension engages a wide range of audiences and offers an immediate metaphor for people‘s need and ability to find power, extend limits, and achieve balance. Descriptions of works and demonstration video are available at www.updraft.org.

Dance VTDANCE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Modern/Contemporary BOOKING CONTACT Vincent E. Thomas 610 Lennox Street, #3 Baltimore, MD 21217 Telephone: 443-983-5915 Email: vincent.thomas@vtdance.org Website: www.vtdance.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1 — 5 artists TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $5,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $3,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Presentations can be tailored to the venue, but ideally minimum 36’ x 24’ Stage Set: Marley dance floor Audio Support Equipment: CD playback and sound system Visual Support Equipment: projector and projection surface (scrim or back wall) Lighting: Six side booms (3 on each side) with 2-3 lighting instruments; general lighting plot Rehearsal Space: should be comparable to performance space if different Other: Microphones (floor or hanging) if presented in a large theatre

ARTIST INFORMATION Vincent E. Thomas founded VTDance as an outlet for performance projects including solo, group, and collaborative choreographic endeavors. VTDance is multi-dimensional. The work builds on the use of contemporary dance, improvisation, text/movement, a variety of sound sources, and collaborations with other artists, including dancers, musicians, poets, visual artists, and others [to be discovered]. These ideas coupled with witty, poignant, athletic and gestural movement are the rich palette for VTDance. For his newest solo work, "iWitness," the award-winning choreographer contemplates acts of humanity in this deeply moving, multi-layered work, exploring simple truths in human behaviors and implied truths in human documents from the Pledge of Allegiance to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "iWitness" studies the ideals we seek and the philosophers and humanitarians we attempt to follow. Pledge springs from the Pledge of Allegiance; Render and Proceed investigates the convolution of media and its effect on the human condition and society; Come Change considers the past and present for a hopeful tomorrow. Vincent E. Thomas is a 2008 Kennedy Center Local Dance Commission Award recipient.

Multidisciplinary NANA PROJECTS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Overhead Projector Shadow Puppetry BOOKING CONTACT Molly Ross 4504 Wilmslow Road Baltimore, MD 21210 Telephone: 443-919-6980 Email: molly@nanaprojects.com Website: www.nanaprojects.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 5 artists TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $725 Maximum: $3700 *performed with recorded music, plus travel expenses Minimum: $3,700 Maximum: $8,000 *performed with live music, plus travel expenses EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $750 Maximum: $3,700 * plus travel expenses AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 1550’ x 12-32’ Stage Set: projection tables provided by company Audio Support Equipment: Sound System for CD (for live band please contact company) Lighting: House lights/basic wash Other: Scrim, Projection Screen or grid to hang Nana Screen (*additional fees if we provide screen)

ARTIST INFORMATION Baltimore based Visual Alchemists, Nana Projects pioneer a groundbreaking blend of shadow puppetry and original music! Gorgeous hand manipulated cutouts bring to life stories on screens that mesmerize audiences. Performed by two to three puppeteers, 2-dimensional images made of plastic and acrylic gels are projected onto a screen with three overhead projectors. Inventive tricks including scrolls of plastic, masking illusions, and faders allow the puppeteers to manipulate the pieces of plastic with a fluidity that is often mistaken for animation. This is a unique form of puppetry that in spirit and technique blends the manipulation of objects with the tricks of Victorian Magic Lantern slide shows and brings a modern twist to pre-cinema. Alonzo’s Lullaby: Tells the tale of madness, passion and intrigue. Inspired by the Hagenback-Wallace circus train wreck of 1918, With an original score composed and performed by Ellen Cherry and Nicholas Sjostrom. More show descriptions available upon request. Audiences Say: ―Just when I thought I had seen all their techniques, they would pull out a trick that had me scratching my head.‖ ―The cheering went on, until the audience was completely spent.‖ Site-Specific, Community-Specific Events, Workshops and Residencies: Nana Projects brings people from varied backgrounds together to make collaborative artwork drawing ―audiences‖ into the creation of events, and crafting stories and images that give voice to their history and the history of shared public spaces. From Shadow Puppetry workshops to hand made lantern parades to Stilt walking workshops Nana Projects shares a variety of skills with communities throughout Baltimore and beyond. Partnerships with national, regional and local organizations are a keystone of all our projects. Our site specific and community centric work relies on the collaborative involvement of organizational partners. Nana Projects has received funding from the Jim Henson Foundation, The Puppeteers of America as well as the National Endowment for the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council and the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.

Multidisciplinary WORD DANCE THEATER ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Live Music, Original Theater, Choreography of Isadora Duncan BOOKING CONTACT Stacy Yu 12900 Stallion Court Potomac, MD 20854 Telephone: 301-461-6770 Email: stacy.yu@hearthstoneplanners.com Website: www.nanaprojects.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3 artists TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $9,000 Maximum: $10,000 Minimum: $5,000 Maximum: $10,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $750 Maximum: $3,700 * plus travel expenses AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 30’ x 28’ Stage Set: Piano, desk and chair Stage Floor: Marley, linoleum/vinyl or wood Audio Support Equipment: Basic sound system, side monitors and one wireless body microphone Lighting: Basic light plot with side lights Rehearsal Space: Yes Other: Concert grand, baby grand or good upright

ARTIST INFORMATION With inspired and innovative original dance/theater productions, Word Dance Theater‘s sophisticated integration of dance, theater, and music has repeatedly created new and exciting viewing experiences for the public, all while paying tribute to the choreography and philosophy of Isadora Duncan. National Public Radio says that Word Dance Theater is ―equally as innovative as modern dance's firebrand, Isadora Duncan.‖ Word Dance Theater is the premiere modern dance company in Maryland offering authentic reconstructions of Duncan‘s masterpieces within a theatrical context and with concert-quality live music. Preludes: Duncan, Sand & Chopin Word Dance Theater‘s bold artistic exploration features the masterworks of musical genius Frederic Chopin, his lover, literary great, George Sand and revolutionary choreographer, Isadora Duncan—a unique and sophisticated integration of dance, theater, and live music. ―Carlos Cesar Rodriguez plays the preludes with great skill and sensitivity as three dancers (Cynthia Word, Ingrid Zimmer, and Jeanne Bresciani) perform Duncan‘s solo dance in a dreamlike way that gives another dimension to the story and illuminates the characters with joy, pain, loss, and soul stirring artistry, Kudos to the creators of this original and heart-wrenching theatrical experience.‖ Eliza Engle, Charleston Today, June 2011 Revolutionary! Isadora Duncan Join Word Dance Theater in their multi-media production of the life and times of Isadora Duncan, the great American artist and revolutionary. Using Duncan‘s own words as a script, actress Sarah Pleydell embodies Isadora. WDT dancers provide brilliant reconstructions of Isadora Duncan‘s choreography, using the beautiful music that was the thru-line of Duncan‘s life and work. Don‘t miss this rare opportunity to experience one of America‘s greatest geniuses!

Music THE 5TH L ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Performance Poetry BOOKING CONTACT David Ross Telephone: 443-506-7479 Email: nativeson@5thl.com Website: www.5thl.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 6 ensemble members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,850 Maximum: Negotiable EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $950 Maximum: Negotiable AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE Secondary and up TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 20’ x 30’ Stage Set: contact artist Audio Support Equipment: 3 monitors, 3 microphones, and keyboard amplifier Visual Support Equipment: contact artist Lighting: contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION The 5th L is a band comprised of lead vocalists and musicians – David ―Native Son‖ Ross and Femi ―The Dri Fish‖ Lawal, Danny Shields on bass guitar, ―Mo-Rece‖ on keyboards and Chuck Maddox on beat box. The 5th L fuses hip hop, performance poetry and soulful melodies together to create an unmatched entertaining, thought-provoking experience. The 5th L has released three full-length CDs – ―Circle Circle Dot Dot,‖ ―The Water Margin,‖ and ―Reset.‖ Each project marks a distinct period in the group‘s evolution, and all three were very well received by fans of spoken word, hip hop and soul music alike. The 5th L has performed at numerous conferences, festivals, clubs, concerts, and collegiate universities throughout the United States. The 5th L appeared on BET‘s ―Lyric Café,‖ and they have shared stages with Musiq Soulchild, Raheem DeVaughn, The Last Poets, Bill Cosby, Crisette Michelle and KRS-One to name a few. Despite the rigors of being full-time performers, The 5th L continues to strengthen ties to their community as activists, particularly in the Maryland/D.C./Virginia area they call home. In response to The 5th L‘s continuous work in the Baltimore community, The Reginald F. Lewis Museum has featured their works as a permanent exhibit in the museum. Ross and Lawal also facilitate a violence prevention program at The University of Maryland Shock Trauma Medical Center. The 5th L is currently part of Stinkiface Music, a Baltimorebased independent multi-genre music label. Learn more about The 5th L and hear their music at www.myspace.com/the5thl.

Music AGLAIA KORAS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Classical Piano BOOKING CONTACT Jake Price Price, Rubin and Associates PO Box 174 Cabin John, MD 20818 Telephone: 301-254-7149 Email: jp@pricerubin.com Website: www.aglaiakoras.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo musician TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: Negotiable Maximum: Negotiable EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: Negotiable Maximum: Negotiable AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE Not available TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: contact artist Stage Set: 7’ or 9’ grand piano; 9’ grand piano preferred Audio Support Equipment: contact artist Visual Support Equipment: contact artist Lighting: stage lighting

ARTIST INFORMATION Ms. Koras is currently performing an ongoing series in Carnegie Hall entitled "Beethoven and Chopin Plus," giving testimony to her background of mentors Rudolf Serkin, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, and Gina Bachauer, whose musical lineage can be traced to Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Cortot. The Carnegie series repertoire includes, in addition to the Beethoven and Chopin cycle, world premieres, works by lesser known composers, both American composers, and composers from other countries as well as an expansive range of styles by a wide variety of well-known composers from Bach through contemporary. Ms. Koras has an exceptionally broad range of repertoire and performing capability. She also has performed all-Mozart programs exceptionally. She learns instantly and assimilates unusually well and rapidly. An award-winning graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and international competition winner, including the Chopin Competition among many others, she is a veteran performer at Carnegie Hall and has performed in Lincoln Center, at the Kennedy Center, and in seven countries as well as throughout the United States.

Music AMADOU KOUYATE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Traditional West African, Rock, Hip-Hop BOOKING CONTACT Amadou Kouyate 2226 Braddish Avenue Baltimore, MD 21216 Telephone: 443-813-3695 Email: soulsrcher@gmail.com Website: www.amadoukouyate.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo musician TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $1,200 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $350 Maximum: $850 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: contact artist Stage Set: drum throne or armless chair Audio Support Equipment: 1 vocal microphone, 1 instrument microphone, and 1 direct box Visual Support Equipment: contact artist Lighting: contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION Amadou Kouyate is the 150th generation of the Kouyate lineage and has studied and performed Manding music since the age of three years old. Amadou is a dynamic djembe and koutiro drummer. He also plays the 21-string kora, which he learned first with his father, Djimo Kouyate and other master griots of West Africa. Amadou has dedicated his life to become an ambassador of African culture to the world. The catalyst for such a responsibility is the passion he has for reconnecting those of the African Diasporas to one another. He has performed with Mamaya African Jazz and the African American Dance Ensemble. Currently, Amadou performs as a solo artist and as a member of Proper SKANKS, Farafina Kan, the Manding Griot Ensemble, the Kouyate Family, Urban AfriKan, Memory of African Culture Performing Company and Dono Percussion Ensemble. His credits include performances at The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institution, Lowell, East-Lansing and Dayton National Folk Festivals, DanceAfrica DC and Chicago as well as with The National Symphony Orchestra, Images of Cultural Artistry Performing Company, the production "Soul Possessed" directed by Debbie Allen and in Sweet Honey in The Rock's premiere performance of "INDABA" with the WPAS Men and Women of the Gospel. Mr. Kouyate has also worked in collaboration to create an original symphony called "The Hera Suite" which brought together a fusion of the western symphonic orchestra and the Djembe orchestra. This original work utilized over fifty musicians and artists from University of Maryland and Montgomery College of Rockville. His musical talents have earned him many accolades that include artists-in-residence awards from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, a DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities grant award, a Special Talents Scholarship at Howard University, and a Musical Theatre scholarship at the Levine School of the Arts. Amadou has studied in Mali, Guinea and Senegal, West Africa with master musicians of the Diali tradition including Toumani Diabate.

Music BARBARA MARTIN & MAC WALTER ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Traditional Blues and Jazz BOOKING CONTACT Barbara Martin 908 Baylor Street Staunton, VA 24401 Telephone: 540-886-2966 Email: Barbara@barbaramartinmusic .com Website: barbaramartinmusic.com Mac Walter 6620 Kilmarnoch Dr. Catonsville, MD 21228 Telephone: 410-719-0607 Email: macwalter@comcast.net Website: macwalter.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 2-4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $800, Maximum: $2,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $2,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 15’ x 15’ Stage Set: minimal Stage floor type: wood preferably, but not necessary Audio Support Equipment: will bring own equipment Lighting: general stage lighting Rehearsal Space: green room

ARTIST INFORMATION Barbara Martin and Mac Walter‘s music is a rich stew of earthy blues peppered with sassy, swinging jazz. Their performances are rooted in a healthy respect for the traditions of American music from Josh White to Bessie Smith to Billie Holiday. Martin‘s sultry, soulful voice combined with the bending, sliding strings of guitar wizard Mac Walter captivate audiences. They have performed at numerous festivals and concerts in the United States and Europe, including The Kennedy Center and Fleet Blues Festival, Albany, NY. ―Virtuoso guitar playing and stellar vocals are only the beginning of the prize with this duo.‖ Steve McWilliams, Talent Coordinator, Columbia Pikes Blues Festival "A simply amazing duo.‖ Jim Taggart, Blue Rose Acoustic Society Repertory: An Evening with Barbara Martin and Mac Walter This relaxed and intimate concert combines blues and jazz of the 20‘s and 30‘s with heartfelt and humorous original songs. The songs of Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, among others, bring the traditional roots of blues and jazz alive. Earthy to Elegant: Great Ladies of Blues and Jazz The lives, times and musical influences of American women blues and jazz artists from the 1920's through the '50's. From Ragtime to Rock and Roll Family Concert or K-5 School Assembly This toe-tapping, sing-a-long program explores the American musical journey from the infectious rhythms brought over by the enslaved Africans that were incorporated into spirituals, gospel, blues and jazz to the European folk music brought by Irish, English and Scottish immigrants that was incorporated into bluegrass and old time music and the combination of both of these cultures into popular American rock and country music.

Music BARRY LOUIS POLISAR ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Acoustic music for families and children BOOKING CONTACT Barry Louis Polisar 3605 Dustin Road Burtonsville, MD 20866 Telephone: 301-384-9207 Email: barrylou@barrylou.com Website: www.barrylou.com ARTIST INFORMATION SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo musician TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $2,500 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 for single school session Maximum: $1,500 for three sessions AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE Families and children TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 10’ x 12’ Stage Set: Performer can work with any space Audio Support Equipment: Needed if available; performer also has his own system for smaller venues Visual Support Equipment: contact artist Lighting: Basic lighting; performer can work with any technical limits

Author, songwriter and poet, Barry Louis Polisar is a pioneer in the world of books and music for children. He began writing and recording in 1975; thirty years later, his unique songs and stories are now heard all around the world. You've probably heard many of Barry's songs and stories already. A four-time Parents' Choice Award winner, Barry has written songs for Sesame Street and The Weekly Reader. He has been a regular musical performer on The Learning Channel and the star of an Emmy Award-winning television show for children. Barry‘s song, All I Want is You, is also heard in the opening credits of the film Juno and on the Grammy Award-winning Juno Soundtrack. Barry writes books and poems, visits schools, libraries and performing arts centers throughout the United States and Europe, and has performed at The White House, The Smithsonian and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He was given a Special Library Recognition Award for his "ability to communicate with and excite children to read." "Barry Louis Polisar is a one-man symphony of comic anarchy. At a time when vast numbers of our kids see school as endless drudgery, Polisar says otherwise. He says, isn't the English language fun?" The Baltimore Sun "Polisar gives kids the giggles. Tons of giggles. And the children might be joined by chuckling parents that Polisar entertained 30 years ago." The Washington Post

Music BOISTER, INC ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Music performance and composition; music for silent film; and interpretation of French cabaret music BOOKING CONTACT Anne Watts 116 Vue de Leau St. Cambridge, MD 21613 Telephone: 410-228-2818 Email: awatts@boister.net Website: www.boister.net SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 6 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $3,500 Maximum: $6,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: contact artist Maximum: contact artist AVAILABILITY Call for availability AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Technical requirements vary, depending on whether Boister is accompanying a film or not. A basic sound system to accommodate drums, vocals, guitar, accordion, trombone, bass, and bass clarinet will generally suffice. Contact artist for more information.

ARTIST INFORMATION Anne Watts and Boister‗s performances of original scores for classic Buster Keaton films have won widespread praise from critics including Roger Ebert. They have been performed to sold-out houses at The Maryland and Virginia Film Festivals, Radford University, Evergreen House at Johns Hopkins University, the Charles Theatre, The Smithsonian, and the Creative Alliance at the Patterson Theatre in Baltimore. In 2011, Boister was commissioned by the Maryland Institute College of Art to compose a score for D.W. Griffith‘s masterpiece, ―Intolerance.‖ Of the sold-out premiere, David Warfield, writing for Baltimore‘s What Weekly, noted: ―The film alone is enough to inspire wonder, but Anne Watts and Boister provided a hip and hypnotic live musical experience that made magic in MICA‘S Falvey Hall.‖ Tom Gunning of the University of Chicago says: ―Boister‘s Intolerance is thrilling… The band so profoundly understands that the film is about how rhythm propels us through time and space, and makes that rhythm tangible for everyone.‖ Boister‘s score for ―Intolerance‖ quotes Bach, Led Zeppelin, traditional French madrigal, the Clash, Steppenwolf, and the Pogues.

Music BOMANI ARMAH ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Poetry, Hip-Hop BOOKING CONTACT

Bomani Armah 11020 Lake Arbor Way Mitchellville MD 20721 Telephone: (202) 702-6478 Email: bomani@notarapper.com Website: www.notarapper.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1 – 7 members depending on the venue TOURING FEERANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $3,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEERANGE Ages 11 - 25 Minimum: $600 Maximum: $2,000

ARTIST INFORMATION Bomani Darel Armah is a poet, songwriter, producer, performer, and educator. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Bomani‘s work focuses on using poetry, hip-hop, music, and video to ―edu-tain‖ audiences of all ages and backgrounds. He prides himself on his ability to perform at a high school, church, and nightclub in the same day – using the exact same material – and moving all three crowds with an inspirational and energetic performance. Whether performing with his six piece band ―Project Mahem‖, a DJ and a hypeman, or A capella, Bomani can truly rock a crowd.

AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Contact artist Audio Support Equipment: Varies depending on type of performance. A capella performances: microphone, boom stand, and monitor. DJ: 3 microphones, 3 boom stands and a table for the turntables; a sound system for CDJ’s. Band: 4 microphones, 4 boom stands, a bass amp, guitar amp, keyboard amp, drum set, microphones for drum set and percussionist, 3 monitors. Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Contact artist

Music CARL GRUBBS ARTSTIC DISCIPLINE Classical Jazz BOOKING CONTACT Barbara Harrell Grubbs 7221 Croydon Road Baltimore, MD 21207 Telephone: 410-944-2909 or 410913-5782 Email: bhgrubbs@verizon.net or carlgrubbs@verizon.net Website: www.carlgrubbs.com www.contemporaryartsinc.org.

ARTIST INFORMATION

SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 2-9 musicians

Carl Gordon Grubbs, alto, soprano and tenor saxophonist and clarinetist, composer, is a native of Philadelphia. He received early extensive training from John Coltrane. Through his family he was close to many of the history-making jazz musicians of the 1950‘s and 1960‘s.

TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $3,500

With his brother Earl Grubbs, he formed The Visitors, a quintet that recorded four albums for the Muse record label company in the early 1970‘s.

EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $200 Maximum: $500 (per day rates, excluding travel/ lodging) AVAILABILITY Call for availability AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 30’ x 25’ Stage Set: Rug for drums, Music stands Audio Support Equipment: Standard sound system, Microphones for saxophones, piano, bass, guitar, vocals, strings, Monitors for all instruments Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Blue, orange, and red lighting *Contact artist for complete list of technical requirements

Carl Grubbs is a former member of the Julius Hemphill Saxophone Sextet. This group toured the United States and Europe performing two productions: Hemphill‘s Long Tongues: A Saxophone Opera and Bill T. Jones/Arne Zane Production: Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin: The Promised Land. Mr. Grubbs was a guest soloist at the Philadelphia performance of Reggie Workman‘s current project, African Brass, a tribute to John Coltrane. The Carl Grubbs Quintet performs in major cities in the United States. They have performed in Bogota‘ and Medellin, Columbia, South America, and most recently completed a successful eight-city tour of Brazil. Carl Grubbs is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Contemporary Arts Inc. a nonprofit arts organization. The organization‘s programs Summer Activity Extraordinaire (SAX): Music and Dance Camp, Jazz Arts Academy and Workshops in Jazz Performance and Jazz improvisation at Randallstown High School provide music and dance education to youth ages 4 – 17 in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Carl Grubbs is a member of the MSAC Arts in Education – Artist roster. He has twice been the recipient of the MSAC Traditions award as a jazz master, working with apprentices to pass on the traditions of improvised jazz music. Currently Carl Grubbs is arranging for saxophone and strings, the music previously recorded on the cd Live at the BMA: Inner Harbor Suite.

Music CAROLYN BLACK-SOTIR ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Light classical, musical theatre, and opera BOOKING CONTACT Carolyn Black-Sotir 709 Cliveden Road Baltimore, MD 21208 Telephone: 443-629-5037 Email: cblacksotir@comcast.net Website: carolynblack.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 2-5 musicians ARTIST INFORMATION TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $7,500 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $950 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE Secondary and up TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Contact artist Stage Set: Tuned grand piano, two backless stools 36”, one black Manhasset-type music stand Audio Support Equipment: Professional quality sound system with three (3) microphones and monitor Visual Support Equipment: If available, but not essential: LCD projector and screen or cyc no smaller than 10’ X 12’ on which to project images Lighting: Standard stage lighting; specials and washes if available *Contact artist for a complete list of technical requirements

From the concert halls of Europe, “With a standing ovation from the inspired audience, the concert was a smashing success” --Nordwest Zeitung, to the musical stages here at home, “brilliant, shining, expressive, and confident”-Philadelphia Inquirer, Carolyn Black-Sotir & Company, an eclectic ensemble of classical, jazz, and theatre musicians, dazzle audiences with their unique programs celebrating the American theatre song. Forgoing the stuffy conventions of the recital format, these performances combine meticulous research, theatrical production elements, and exceptional musical interpretation to create a multi-dimensional concert experience for today‘s audience. “Black-Sotir is a wonderful singer, with beautiful tone, and excellent diction, and her portrayal is spontaneous and superbly characterized.” -- Baltimore Sun. Carolyn & Company‘s repertoire of programs include: By George! By Ira! By Gershwin!; On the Weill Side—Life with Kurt; A Woman Is A Sondheim Thing; The Sweetest Sounds— a Richard Rodgers Tribute; Bravo Bernstein!; What Is This Thing Called Love?—a Musical Valentine; On Broadway—a Retrospective; Lights, Camera, Opera!—the Met goes to Hollywood; Just A Song At Twilight—from Victorian Music Parlor to Vaudeville Stage, and La Canción Española—songs for Voice and Guitar. These concerts are flexible in design and adapt to various size venues—from cabaret room to symphony hall. In conjunction with their live concerts, Carolyn & Company offer master classes, demonstration lectures, workshops, student concerts, and collaborative performance opportunities to enrich the concert experience. ―We could not have asked for more time, dedication, and residency success than Carolyn provided and achieved.”—Lee Streby, Former President,

Music CATHY FINK & MARCY MARXER ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Folk, Traditional, Roots & More Children’s/Family BOOKING CONTACT: Alisa Kaeser dc artists Management, LLC 8639-B 16th Street, #174 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone: 202-667-1076 Email: alisa@dcartistsmanagement.com Website: www.cathymary.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 2-3 piece band TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,800 Maximum: $7,500 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $2,500 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Flexible Stage Set: 2 chairs, microphones, monitors—for more information, please inquire Audio Support Equipment: 12channel mixing board with separate house and monitor gains and separate equalization; Minimum 3band equalization on each channel with a separate graphic equalizer and adequate amplifiers; Two high quality speakers adequate for size of hall; Two high quality monitors, Six Microphones (AKG 535 preferred, Shure SM 58 acceptable for vocals and SM57 acceptable for instruments); Total includes three vocal, three instrument microphones (all on booms please) Lighting: For family/kids shows, house lights at 50% general wash

ARTIST INFORMATION Grammy®-Award Winning Artists Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer present three fantastic offerings: Cathy & Marcy Kids/Family Performances An entertaining and engaging interactive show, Cathy & Marcy perform on a variety of instruments including electric and acoustic guitars, banjos, mandolin, ukulele, percussion and homemade instruments. They sing, yodel, chicken cluck in harmony and inspire effortless participation from every audience. Drawing on their repertoire of over 250 songs and 25+ years of performing, their shows bring families together and allow kids to have fun and learn at the same time. Folk, Roots & More Musical Traditions Rockin’ The Uke Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer ROCK THE UKE as they travel through blues, swing, old time country, folk and original songs - all in virtuoso style. From Django inspired solos to lush harmony singing, the duo‘s consummate musicianship is matched by their enthusiasm for group singing and inspiring people of all ages to get in on the fun! Also available for a higher fee, Ukulele Festival (2 additional players, also engage local ukulele clubs and players from beginners on up for a pre-show strum-along, workshops and more. ) An evening with Cathy & Marcy Enjoy an eclectic mix of the duo‘s favorite original and traditional folk, old time country and swing tunes featuring superb vocal harmonies and dazzling instrumentals. Cathy & Marcy intersperse stories of the places they‘ve visited and the incredible people they‘ve met along the way such as Ola Belle Reed, Patsy Montana (first woman in country music to sell one million records), Lily Mae Ledford, Roy Smeck and many more musical mentors.

Music CHARLES “RAHMAT” WOODS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Jazz, World Music BOOKING CONTACT Charles Rahmat Woods 2521 Sutcliff Terrace Brookeville, MD 20833 Telephone: 301-924-5210 or 240498-0679 Email: rahmatshbazz@hotmail.com Website: www.rahmatshabazz.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1-4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $600 Maximum: $5,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $600 Maximum: $5,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 18’ x 12’ Audio support Equipment: Varies with event—please contact artist Visual Support Equipment: Varies with event—please contact artist Rehearsal Space: Varies with event—please contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION Flute/saxophonist and recording artist Charles Rahmat Woods has provided exciting and interesting performances in the Jazz idiom throughout the Maryland, Virginia, and DC areas for over thirty years. He has performed with an array of Jazz artist including Roy Haynes, Helen Humes, Don Cherry, and Tarika Blue. He has also performed with world music purveyors Conjunto Peligro , Bantu, Ron Warren (native American flute), and Dawn Avery and Larry Mitchell. In addition he has performed avant garde solo performances for the DC Jazz Festival and his own ―Badi and Soul‖ series. The current touring program not only offers insightful presentations of original compositions but also moving arrangements of works by Jazz masters, with a special emphasis on works contributed by musicians who have a Native American Indian heritage, such as bassist Oscar Pettiford, trumpeter Don Cherry, pianist Larry Redhouse, saxophonist Jim Pepper, and guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

Music CHEICK HAMALA DIABATÉ ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Folk/Traditional Arts BOOKING CONTACT Pamela Slaughter 503 Blanford Street, #5 Rockville, MD 20850 Telephone: 240-593-1025 Email: grantprose@gmail.com Website: www.cheickhamala.com www.facebook.com/cheickhamala http://www.myspace.com/ cheickhamaladiabate SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3 or more artists depending on program/venue TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $6,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $6,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages

ARTIST INFORMATION Cheick Hamala Diabaté, a modern-day griot as counselor, mediator, and advisor connects to people through music—playing and singing about culture and life in the 800-year-old tradition of the griot. His repertoire of music can be presented solo and ensemble. There are several programs available that fuse traditional and modern musical art forms to create an exciting and freshly unique experience for the audience/participant. Programs offered include: full performances/concerts, workshops/concerts, lectures/demonstrations, Banjo/Ngoni/guitar lessons, drum lessons, Bambara/French lessons, cultural residency in Mali, and much more! These programs will educate, entertain, and inform people with an eye-opening perspective. As people are engaged through listening to or playing with Cheick Hamala Diabaté, they evolve and learn more about themselves. An amazing experience!

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: approximately 20’ x 12’ (minimum) Stage Set: Varies according to show (please see technical rider) Audio Support Equipment: varies according to show (please see technical rider) Visual Support Equipment: varies according to show (please see technical rider) Lighting: varies according to show (please see technical rider) Rehearsal Space: actual performance space or a quiet, secluded room

Music CHRISTINA HARRISON ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Celtic Folk Songs—traditional, contemporary and original—selfaccompanied by guitar BOOKING CONTACT Christina Harrison 143 Clemencia Road Earleville, MD, 21919 Telephone: 410-275-2133 Email: chrisharrison@baybroadband.net Website: www.christinaharrison.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1 – primarily solo - (Can provide 1 to 3 additional accompanying musicians if required and budget allows) TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $800 – solo fee Maximum: $2,000 – solo fee EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE: Minimum: $650 Maximum: $900 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All audiences TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Contact artist Stage Set: small stage stool and table and chair for CD display and sales Audio Support Equipment: Two speakers, one monitor, one amplifier/mixer, one vocal microphone/microphone stand, guitar and microphone lines, direct box for guitar line (can be provided by musician) Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Can be used if available at site Rehearsal Space: one room if available

ARTIST INFORMATION Christina‘s program is inclusive of an eclectic blend of Celtic traditional and contemporary ballads and sing-alongs as well as her own folk-style originals. She mixes well known love songs with new materials so that her listeners can participate and also savor the music in a curious but relaxed fashion. She uses many of the songs from her recordings. An example from each category would be: “The Broom of the Cowdenknowes” (traditional), “Lassie Wi’ the Lint-white Locks” (Robert Burns), “Caledonia” (Dougie McClean), “Housewife’s Life’s Sae Boring” (Christina Harrison), “Kippers and Herring” (Christina Harrison), “Carrickfergus” (traditional), “Lowlands of Holland” (traditional), and as a luxury will on occasion sing some Sandy Denny songs (traditional folk rock singer form Fairport Convention). Her repertoire for children is also vast, including Celtic and American standards and originals that evoke audience participation, such as: “My Pal Nessie,” “Tune of the Garden Fairies,” “The Unicorn Song,” “My Hamburger Mooed at Me,” “Coulter’s Candy,” “Mairzy Dotes,” “This Land is Your Land,” and “Skyscraper Wean.” Christina also offers a Christmas program with Celtic and Traditional standards.

Music DUENDE QUARTET ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Latin Jazz BOOKING CONTACT Mark Merella 8019 Glenside Dr. Takoma Park, MD 20912 Telephone: 301-792-8007 Email: merella@starpower.net Website: www.myspace.com/ duendequartet SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $800 Maximum: $2,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $800 (1 day) Maximum: $4,000 (5 days) AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE Elementary and up TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 20’ x 10’ Stage Set: Standard, piano preferred-can bring keyboard Stage Floor: Wood floor preferred Audio Support Equipment: Basic sound system with 4 percussion microphones and microphone for piano Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: General stage lighting Rehearsal Space: At venue location

ARTIST INFORMATION The Duende Quartet is devoted to playing Latin jazz with a respect for the tradition while looking toward the future. In a unique small group setting (piano, bass and two hand percussionists) Duende Quartet captures the vibe of a jazz combo while using the rhythms of a Cuban conjunto. Duende has a vast repertoire ranging from traditional Cuban songs to modern jazz compositions. Duende Quartet has shared their music through concerts and workshops both at home and abroad. The quartet participated in two tours as part of Jazz at Lincoln Center's "Rhythm Road" project and performed in a variety of countries including India, Turkey, Bangladesh, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Music THE ERIC BYRD TRIO/ BROTHER RAY BAND ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Jazz, Blues and Soul BOOKING CONTACT Eric B. Byrd 264 Montpelier Court Westminster, MD 20912 Telephone: 410-848-0509 Email: eric@ericbyrd.com Website: www.ericbyrd.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 8 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: Negotiable Maximum: Negotiable EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: Negotiable Maximum: Negotiable AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE Elementary and up TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 30’ x 25’ Stage Set: Piano- stage right, guitar, bass, drums-center, hornsstage left Stage Floor: Carpet or mat under the drum kit Audio Support Equipment: 2 overhead microphones over the drums, direct out on bass amp, 1-2 microphones on acoustic piano, vocal microphone on boom stand near piano, and microphone for each horn Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: General stage lighting Rehearsal Space: At venue location Other: sound check necessary

ARTIST INFORMATION The Eric Byrd Trio is comprised of musicians whose vision is to glorify the age of traditional jazz while providing an energetic and modern approach to standards and original compositions at the same time. As true ambassadors of jazz, the Eric Byrd Trio have performed internationally for crowds of all ages and backgrounds. With three studio albums released, the trio has enjoyed immense popularity and recognition from fans and government officials alike. In 2001, they were announced as Kennedy Center/United States State Department Jazz Ambassadors, providing them the opportunity to tour countries like Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Honduras and Trinidad, among others. In 2008, Eric Byrd and his trio created a 4-piece horn section plus blues guitar to record ―Brother Ray‖, a tribute to the late Ray Charles. With songs that may be unknown to the average person, Eric arranged them in his own way to remain a unique artist. The ERIC BYRD TRIO: BROTHER RAY BAND is currently touring in support of this album. In addition to ―Brother Ray‖, the trio has also released ―Triunity‖ and their self-titled debut ―The Eric Byrd Trio‖. The trio performs regularly at jazz venues in and around Washington, DC. Live performances have included appearances at Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Twins and Bohemian Caverns. The Eric Byrd Trio has played at numerous festivals throughout the United States headlining the East Coast Jazz Festival, the ARTScape Festival in Baltimore and The Westminster Flower and Jazz Festival. They also appeared weekly at the Café Milano in Georgetown, playing to guests that included Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie. Their international touring includes concerts at the Montreux Switzerland Jazz Festival, multiple tours of La Paz, Bolivia and Lima, Peru, an appearance at a world music festival in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the country of Estonia and a 2 week Fall 2009 tour of Italy has just been completed. In November 2009 the EBT released their very first holiday CD, ―A Charlie Brown Christmas‖, playing music from the PEANUTS Christmas TV show formerly played by the Vince Guarldi Trio.

Music HEDGE BAND, THE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Irish Traditional Music and Songs BOOKING CONTACT Laura Byrne Egan 2905 Louise Avenue Baltimore, MD 21214 Telephone: 443-629-8699 Email: lauraeganflute@gmail.com Website: www.myspace.com/ thehedgeband SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,200 Maximum: $2,500 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $400 Maximum: $8,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCES All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: min. 8’ x 10’ Stage Set: Four chairs Audio Support Equipment: four instrumental microphones, three DI’s three vocal microphones and three monitors Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Contact artist Rehearsal Space: Contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION Formed in 2005 by four of Maryland‘s pre-eminent Irish traditional musicians, The Hedge Band consists of Billy McComiskey, Laura Byrne Egan, Donna Long, and Pat Egan. All perform, teach, and are recognized and respected in Maryland, nationally and worldwide. Donna Long has traveled the world playing the piano and fiddle and entertaining audiences with Cherish the Ladies. She continues to foster an impressive music studio in Baltimore, where she teaches both fiddle and piano. Regarded as one of the world‘s greatest button accordion players, Billy McComiskey is one of only two American born musicians to win the senior All Ireland Championship. Billy is credited along with Brendan Mulvihill and Andy O‘Brien for bringing Irish traditional music to the Maryland/ Virginia area by way of their trio The Irish Tradition. He also recorded and toured with fiddler Liz Carroll and guitarist Daithi Sproule in their group Trian. Pat Egan is from County Tipperary, Ireland. He spent years performing in Westport, County. Mayo before moving to the U.S. to join the band Chulrua. Also known for his work on the great recording — Music at Matt Molloys, Pat still tours internationally with Chulrua. Laura Byrne Egan is one of only a handful of musicians to successfully cross over to Irish traditional music from another discipline. She graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in 1995 and is highly regarded on both sides of the Atlantic for her proficiency in the Irish traditional style. She founded and directs the Baltimore Irish Arts Center. Laura, Billy, and Pat are recipients of Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards.

Music HOT SOUP ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Original and Contemporary Folk Concerts and Family Programs BOOKING CONTACT Sue Trainor PO Box 412 Columbia, MD 21045 Telephone: 410-381-2834 Email: booking@hotsouptrio.com or SueTrainor@aol.com Website: www.HotSoupTrio.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $600 plus travel Maximum: $1800 plus travel EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: Not available Maximum: $600 plus concert booking AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE Secondary and up TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 12’ x 10’ Audio Support Equipment: 8 channels minimum, 5 boom microphone stands, 2 instrument microphones, 2 monitors Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: General stage lighting Rehearsal Space: Private room for dressing and vocal/instrument warm-up Other: 60 minutes for sound check

ARTIST INFORMATION A Feast of Harmony Sometimes called ―the Andrews Sisters of the 21st Century,‖ Hot Soup concocts rich, intricate vocal arrangements that bring out the best in every melody and lyric. Audiences love the variety in Hot Soup‘s repertoire, too - from ballads to blues and swing, from retro to funny songs – no two are alike. Add three zingy personalities plus delicious licks on guitars, harp, conga, udu and other hand percussion, and you‘ve got a blue-ribbon recipe for a spirited and SOUPerbly engaging concert performance! Mmm Mmm… Sing! It‘s Hot Soup served Family Style! The harmonious Hot Soup trio concocts rich, intricate musical arrangements that bring out the best in original songs, collected songs and old family favorites. (Shh! Don‘t tell the kids, but the Hot Soup musicians have many years‘ experience working in education with young people. This Soup is not only yummy, it‘s nutritious!). There‘s plenty for everyone, so grab your spoons and gather ‗round for some heart-warming, rib-tickling sing-along fun. An Exploration Of Harmony Singing This is a chance to do some dynamic group singing led by members of Hot Soup – Sue Trainor, Christina Muir, and Jennie Avila. Learn how the trio uses harmony to underline meaning and convey emotion in a song. Workshop activities will include: tuning our vocal instruments, ear training, finding and learning harmony parts, and playful experimentation with a variety of arrangement choices. Prerequisite: Participants must be able to carry a tune independently.

Music IONA ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Traditional Celtic music and dance BOOKING CONTACT Barbara T. Ryan P.O. Box 11160, Burke, VA 22009-1160 Telephone: 703-426-1450/2516 Email: ionavoice@pobox.com Website: www.IonaMusic.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 4-5 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,200 Maximum: $2,200 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,200 Maximum: $1,400 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: minimum 8’ x 16’ Audio Support Equipment: Full sound support system w/minimum 12 channels, 5 microphones Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: As necessary for venue Rehearsal Space: Contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION IONA presents polished, educational, high energy concerts of pan Celtic music and dance from the 8 European Celtic nations as well as our own, New World traditions: Appalachian, Cajun, Canadian, et al. In existence since 1986, the band has toured internationally and studied throughout the Celtic lands. With well researched explanations and opportunities for audience participation, an IONA concert is an entertaining, whirlwind tour of the music, instruments and dance that have informed so many of our own American traditions. The singularity of IONA‘s focus translates to events that are fun and unique, particularly in demand during the Holidays and ―Celtic month‖ (March), at art centers, outdoor concerts and festivals. IONA‘s workshops and educational programs provide instruction in an overview of the history of Celtic culture from Hallstatt to Appalachia and beyond, and/or explanations of and instruction in the disciplines of individual band members: singing styles of the diverse Celtic languages and vocal technique; flute and/or tin whistle; bodhrán (Irish drum); fiddle; dance and foot percussion. Students are encouraged to participate, with or without instruments, and emerge with an understanding of the Celtic cultures that contributes to their sense of history and the origins of their own heritages.

Music IRAIDA POBEREZHNAYA ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Classical, some Jazz on Harp BOOKING CONTACT Iraida Poberezhnaya 110 W. 39th St. #503 Baltimore, MD 21210 Telephone: 410-818-6784 Email: kuzenka@msn.com Website: http://a1harpist.net SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo musician TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,100 Maximum: no limits EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: no limits AVAILABILITY Year-round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 4’ x 4’ Stage Set: preferably no stairs Stage Floor Type: Contact artist Lighting: No specific preferences Audio Support Equipment: Contact artist Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Rehearsal Space: 4’ wide x 4’deep

ARTIST INFORMATION Iraida Poberezhnaya is a professional harpist with over two decades of stage experience. As an International Harp and Music Competitions participant and winner she continues to impress audiences with her brilliant technique, uniquely deep sound and expressivity of every single presentation. Her repertoire ranges from classical pieces to jazz, specially selected and arranged, many of which can only be heard during her live performances, not available elsewhere. A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory and the Peabody Conservatory, Iraida embraces a worldwide repertoire of music.

Music KUZNIK DUO ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Classical BOOKING CONTACT Swiatoslaw Kuznik 18 Beyda Ct Nottingham, MD 21236 Telephone: 443-854-1107 Email: swiatoslawkuznik@hotmail.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 2-4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $600 Maximum: $2,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: Contact artist Maximum: Contact artist AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Contact artist for technical requirements.

ARTIST INFORMATION The Kuźnik duo performs solo concerts and chamber music recitals. They collaborate with other musicians to perform in a piano trio and a string quartet. Their repertoire includes such composers as: Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Debussy, Ravel, Honegger, Kodaly, Gershwin, Joplin, Bacewicz and Kuźnik. Aneta Otręba-Kuźnik received her doctorate degree in cello performance from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied with Professors Evelyn Elsing and Peter Wiley. Dr. Otreba won first place in the Baltimore Music Club Competition and the Liberman Music Competition in Baltimore, and has performed as a soloist with the Towson University Orchestra. Her additional performances include the New World Symphony (Florida), the Concert Artists of Baltimore and the Washington Summer Opera. She was also accepted by the Hyogo Performing Orchestra in Japan. Since 2002, Aneta is a member of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Światosław Kuźnik is currently pursuing his doctorate degree at University of Maryland, College Park, where he studies with Professor Elisabeth Adkins. He earned his Master of Music in violin performance at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw and the Graduate Performer Diploma at the Indiana School of Music in Bloomington. In 2007, he received first prize in the Baltimore Music Club Competition. Kuźnik has performed with the New World Symphony Orchestra (Florida), the Philharmonic of the Nations (Germany), and the Concert Artists of Baltimore.

Music LAFAYETTE GILCHRIST ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Jazz BOOKING CONTACT: Bernard Lyons Creative Differences 2600 Ailsa Ave #1 Baltimore, MD 21214 Telephone: 443-762-3904 Email: bernard@ creative differences.us Website: www.creativedifferences.us

SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1-10 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: Varies depending on project Maximum: Varies depending on project EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: Upon request Maximum: Upon request AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Varies depending on project

ARTIST INFORMATION There‘s good reason why jazz fans and critics alike are so excited about Lafayette Gilchrist. The Baltimore-based pianist hit the scene hard with his debut, The Music According To Lafayette Gilchrist, and went straight to earning raves for his sophomore release, Towards The Shining Path. Emerging from jazz legend David Murray‘s Black Saint Quartet, a group in which he still plays to this day, Gilchrist has an approach and presence that‘s drawn comparisons to royalty such as Andrew Hill and Sun Ra. With his own band The New Volcanoes, Gilchrist leads an octet that‘s equally inspired by D.C. go-go, old school soul, hard funk and progressive hip-hop. Introduced to Hyena Records by the iconic guitarist Vernon Reid, Gilchrist released his fourth album, Soul Progressin‘, in 2009The pianist has this to say about his latest recording: ―Soul Progressin‘‖ is a rediscovery in the sense of what was and is still the most essential part of my offering. Soul Power. Its roots are endless and wondrous. Its future is undeniable. So we just want to celebrate about it a bit.‖ Soul Progressin‘ is ultimately a record that will further heighten Gilchrist‘s reputation as new modern visionary in jazz and, for that matter, progressive American music in the broader scope. Of late Gilchrist has returned to his exploration of small group concepts, notably with his acclaimed trio INSIDE OUT (featuring Michael Formanek and Eric Kennedy), plus performances with South African drum legend Louis Moholo Moholo, Gerald Cleaver, Sabir Mateen and William Parker. Recordings with a number of these artists are currently in the works. His next recording, "It came from Baltimore" a live double CD with New Volcanoes, will be released on the Creative Differences label in May 2012.

Music LARRY WILLIS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Jazz BOOKING CONTACT: Michael Binsky 8006 Shelley Drive Baltimore, MD 21244 Telephone: 410-922-0752 Email: mikebinskyjazz@mindspring.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1 -10 artists TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $7,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: Negotiable AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 15’ x 15’ Lighting: Basic Stage Lighting System Audio Support Equipment: Professional sound system—must include microphones, monitors, and mixing board Rehearsal Space: Optional Other: Piano and music stands

ARTIST INFORMATION Larry has played on more than 300 records. He‘s played or recorded with almost every great jazz musician of the modern era, stars like Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Hugh Masakela, Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Stan Getz, Art Blakey, Art Taylor, Clifford Jordan, Carmen McRae, and Shirley Horn. His most recent CDs include two recordings with New York-based HighNote Records. ―The Big Push‖ (HCD 7144) was cited as ―expertly played‖ by All About Jazz New York, and noted that throughout the sessions, Larry was ―displaying a warm, lyrical touch, never playing too much or too fast, while exploring each tune to its depths.‖ AAJNY said of Larry‘s second HighNote release, ―Blue Fable‖ (HCD 7163): ―[it is] rich with a blues feeling and a sense of tradition, but also stays in the present with smart harmonies and deft rhythmic interplay.‖ Larry‘s third release ―The Offering‖ (HCD 7178) has Eric Alexander as guest along with Eddie Gomez and Billy Drummond. Larry‘s extraordinary versatility as a pianist ranges from rock and pop—he spent 7 years as keyboardist for Blood, Sweat and Tears—to African, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music. He‘s one of the only non-Hispanic players who ever impressed Mario Bauza as a Latin pianist—I was there the night it happened. Another facet of Larry‘s genius that has been flowering is his composing and arranging for orchestras and big bands. He‘s always had a very special gift for arranging strings, strings that form a gorgeous, open framework for jazz improvisation. His first major string works were symphonic arrangements for a Brooklyn Symphony concert with the Fort Apache Band in 1994. Since then he‘s done gem-like string quartet and quintet arrangements. He has also written large-scale arrangements for albums by Roy Hargrove, Vanessa Rubin and Joe Ford, among others. Most recently, Larry composed an orchestral suite in four movements for the Florida Southern College Symphony Orchestra and then performed it in concert. He was also featured soloist with an Italian chamber orchestra, performing his own compositions.

Music MARK EDWARDS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Classical guitar and chamber music BOOKING CONTACT: Heather Morand Clark Artist Management 49 Matson Drive Caledon, Ontario, Canada L7E 0B1 Telephone: 647-654-2201 Email: HMorandClark@Rogers.com Mark Edwards 2519 Linden Ave, Apt 7 Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Telephone: 334-538-0254 Email: Mark.Edwards.guitarist@hotmail .com Website: www.MarkEdwardsguitar.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1-2 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $750 Maximum: $1,500 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $400 Maximum: $1,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Contact artist Stage Set: artist bench or chair without arms Audio Support Equipment: Amplification if seats hall larger than 1,000 Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Spotlight if possible, not required Rehearsal Space: Contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION Mark Edwards began his life dedication to the classical guitar after seeing guitarist Benjamin Verdery play a concert in Boaz, Alabama. For further inspiration, he looked to the great masters of the guitar, such as Andres Segovia, Julian Bream, and David Russell. Mark has been performing concerts since the young age of 14 and competing since 13. He has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, and Russia. Recent engagements include Trinity Church in New York City, ArtScape in Baltimore, and the Toronto Guitar Symposium. From 1998 to present, Mark has earned 32 top prizes in Thailand, Canada, and the United States. These prizes include the 2010 Asia International Guitar Competition, the 2009 Montreal International Guitar Competition, the 2008 National Guitar Workshop/National Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Addario Solo Competition, and Le Concours International de Guitare de Lachine in Montreal, Canada. Program: The Segovia Tradition Keeping the tradition of the virtuoso guitarist alive, Mark Edwards performs a collection of works representing highlights of the guitar music. Ranging from powerful flamenco rhythms of Joaquin Turina to the poetic bel canto melodies of Italian virtuoso Guilio Regondi, the drama and range of emotion of guitar repertoire can not be overstated. This solo guitar program explores the guitarâ&#x20AC;&#x2014;s ability to cross international borders, with each of these composers struggling to bring the traditional music of their people to the same level of prestige as the classical symphony. Celebrated Spanish composers included on this program are Joaquin Turina, Federico Moreno Torroba, and Vicente Asencio.

Music MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CHOIR ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Choral ensemble BOOKING CONTACT Dr. Eric Conway Carl Murphy Fine Arts Center, Room 329C 1700 East Cold Spring Lane Baltimore, MD 21251 Telephone: 443-885-3598 Email: Eric.Conway@morgan.edu Website: www.msuchoir.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 120 members, but travel with 40-50 TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $4,000 Maximum: $8,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: Contact artist Maximum: Contact artist AVAILABILITY September– May AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: Contact artist Stage Set: Choral riser for 50 Singers Audio Support Equipment: Appropriate microphones for choir and 3 soloists Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION The Morgan State University (MSU) Choir is one of the nation‘s most prestigious university choral ensembles. While classical, gospel and contemporary popular music comprise the choir‘s repertoire; the choir is noted for its emphasis on preserving the heritage of the spiritual, especially in the historic practices of performance. The MSU Choir has performed for audiences throughout the United States and all over the world–including the Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Canada, Africa, Asia and Europe. They have appeared at the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall on numerous occasions and have performed with the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Buffalo, Baltimore, Knoxville and National Symphony Orchestras, among others. The Choir has experienced many historic moments. The Choir performed with Jessye Norman under the baton of Robert Shaw, conducting the Orchestra of St. Lukes in Carnegie Hall‘s 100th Birthday Tribute to Marian Anderson. At the personal invitation of Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice, the choir performed for the State Department for their annual African American History Month Celebration. In October 2005, the Morgan State University Choir sang for the service honoring Rosa Parks, who became the first woman to lie in honor at our nation‘s Capitol Rotunda. In August 2007, the Choir completed a tour of Ghana and performed at the invitation of the US Ambassador to Ghana to celebrate its 50th year of Independence. In May 2004, Reader’s Digest named the MSU Choir ―the Best College Choir in the U.S.‖ in its list of ―America‘s 100 Best.‖ .

Music OCEAN Quartet ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Traditional and Contemporary Celtic BOOKING CONTACT Jennifer Cutting 34 Hickory Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912 Telephone: 240-582-6182 Email: jcut@comcast.net Website: www.oceanorchestra.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $600 Maximum: $ negotiable EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $600 Maximum: negotiable AVAILABILITY Year round

ARTIST INFORMATION The OCEAN Quartet (Jennifer Cutting on button accordion, Lisa Moscatiello on vocals, whistles and guitars, Jim Eagan on fiddle and Steve Winick on vocals) play music packed with pure pan-Celtic pizzazz, putting their unique spin on traditional songs and Cutting‘s original compositions, from soaring ballads and stirring sea chanteys to blazing fiddle and accordion tunes. Folk instruments such as accordion, bouzouki, and fiddle join forces with electronic keyboards for a sizzling synergy that will appeal to fans of folk, classical, and pop music alike. As much at home in the concert has as on the festival stage, OCEAN can tailor its performances to each kind of audience and venue. Audiences can lose themselves in dreamy reverie, or cut loose and dance to the propulsive beat of electrifying jigs and reels. It‘s a marriage of otherworldly Celtic beauty and World-Beat energy. There‘s nothing else like it...OCEAN is Celtic Music for Ancient Moderns!

AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 12’ x 18’ Audio Support Equipment: Minimum 8-channel mixing board, 4 microphones with boom stands, 2 Dls, P.A. speakers, 2 stage monitors

Music PEABODY RAGTIME ENSEMBLE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Jazz BOOKING CONTACT Ruth Goldstein 3226 Midfield Rd. Baltimore, MD 21208-4420 Telephone: 410-484-5200 Email: music@comcast.net Website: www.peabodyonline.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 8 members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $4,000 Maximum: $7,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: N/A Maximum: N/A AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 20’ x 16’ Stage Set: Contact artist Audio Support Equipment: For smaller halls: One microphone for vocals and announcements. For larger venues: microphones for each instrument and monitors if available. Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Full stage lighting when possible Rehearsal Space: Contact artist

ARTIST INFORMATION Sharon Ann Holt, Sandy Spring Museum’s executive director, was excited to bring the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble to the Masters of Music Concert series . . . “They are real performers. They are witty. They engage the audience,” she says. “It’s much more interactive.” “There is a real popularity for what they do.” (Gazette.net) ―Most of the band could read an ink blot test if it was put in front of them,‖ says bandleader and tubist Ed Goldstein. Conversely, flute, tenor sax player and vocalist Maureen McCusker refers to the band‘s ability to improvise and ―create something that sounds like magic to the audience.‖ It‘s that blend of impeccable conservatory technique, combined with their swinging jazz chops, that gives Peabody Ragtime Ensemble their unique sound. Entering their 38th season, this 8-piece acoustic band preserves the roots of American Jazz as a living art form. Maureen says she appreciates that the ensemble ―plays pieces of a historical significance while continuing to entertain.‖ In a typical concert you might ―Take the A Train‖ with the Duke up to Harlem‗s Cotton Club, stroll through the French Quarter of New Orleans to a Dixieland beat, listen to a scat scale à la Ella Fitzgerald, and take in a white hanky tribute to Louis ―Satchmo‖ Armstrong. The band has performed with and opened for stars such as Roberta Flack, Louie Bellson, the Smothers Brothers, Eubie Blake, Aaron Copland, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The Peabody Ragtime Ensemble “presented a polished and lively program—and blew up a hurricane.” (Washington Post)

Music PROJECT NATALE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Real Jazz, with Bass, Drums, Piano and Tenor Sax BOOKING CONTACT Lou Natale 3716 Angelton Court Burtonsville, MD 20866 Telephone: 301-890-3373 Email: projectnatale@hotmail.com Website: www.projectnatale.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 4 members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,200 Maximum: N/A EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: N/A Maximum: N/A

ARTIST INFORMATION Project Natale is a band of brothers playing brotherly music that has gained world respect as jazz players infusing the old and new, creating a sonification of their own. Joe and Lou Natale formed the group upon arriving to the D.C. area in 1998. Over the subsequent decade a unison was struck when legends Carl Cornwell, tenor saxophone and Bob Butta, piano found a home as regular performers with The Project.

AUDIENCE All ages

Carl is one of the few remaining soloists who is constantly defining melody as he solos. Butta adds his harmonic voicing and rhythms as he colors and rocks. Joe is a constant with his bass patterns and choice of notes. Lou jeeps the time on his drums as he energizes and excites the music.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 12’ x 16’ Stage Set: Self-contained Stage Floor Type: Hard surface Audio Support Equipment: PA System (Optional) Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Room lighting Rehearsal Space: Contact artist Other: 110 Volt Electrical Outlets

The group has currently released their new CD, ―Links‖ that displays hard-hitting passionate players that can create, converse and swing in, out and around the quintessential compositions and arrangements written by Joe Natale. The CD is receiving airplay over WPFW, Washington D.C. , WEAA , Baltimore, and internet radio stations, Jazz Break NC, KEW-Jazz 89.5 WA, universidadefm Brazil, Chill‘N Groove Vancouver, Magazine Radio, Programming London, and Bluzz Radio Paris. Their performances captivate and please listeners as they continue to astonish the crowds wherever they perform.

AVAILABILITY Year-round

Past performance venues include: Twins Jazz Lounge, Blue Alley, art galleries in Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Wine Festivals, Jazz Concerts, Private Affairs, along with many other lounges and restaurant venues. ―Straight ahead jazz group with a modern sound incorporating all the flavors of jazz.‖ -Creative Moco ―This group incorporates all the styles of jazz with a fresh and exciting concept.‖ -Brian Boppets, Montgomery County Maryland Government

Music ROB LEVIT ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Jazz, World and Improvised Music BOOKING CONTACT Robert Levit 139 Jefferson St. Annapolis, MD 21403 Telephone: 410-279-3809 Email: roblevit@roblevit.com Website: www.roblevit.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3 members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $750 Maximum: $3500 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $2500 AVAILABILITY Year-round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: approx. 17’ x 14’ Stage Set: Electric and acoustic guitar with amp, acoustic bass with amp, small drum set with carpet, talk microphone Stage Floor Type: No requirement— wood, tile, standard for jazz trio, small carpet desirable Audio Support Equipment: Small PA for concerts, non required for smaller venues 100 or less Visual Support Equipment: JPEG projector for residencies and lectures, but not necessary for concerts Lighting: Basic, none really required Rehearsal Space: None required unless in residency, which needs a basic multi-purpose room.

ARTIST INFORMATION Rob Levit is a multi-directional artist and has been hailed by the Ottawa International Jazz Festival as ―one of the finest young guitarists on today‘s jazz scene.‖ While principally known as leader of the Rob Levit Trio renowned for its jazz renditions and improvisations, he also paints, writes poetry and is active in infusing creativity and leadership into schools and communities. In 2006 Levit served as a fellow at UCLA‘s Center for Intercultural Performance where he collaborated with creative artists from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Germany. He was a featured performer with Indonesian vocalist Emiko Susilo on the opening concert of the 2008 World Festival of Sacred Music at UCLA‘s Royce Hall. In September 2006, Levit received the Annie Award for performing arts given to artists ―who have made a lasting, significant and inspiring contribution to an art form, an arts organization, and to the wider community of Anne Arundel County.‖ He founded Creating Communities to foster the arts for at-risk youth, drug addicts and adults with mental illness. A multiple recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award, Levit released Songs of Healing, an album of original guitar pieces designed for friend, families, and patients of Hospice of the Chesapeake. The Washington Post writes: ―Last night in a small Annapolis restaurant, I came face to face with musical greatness. Levit seemed unconstrained, both technically and imaginatively, launching into passages that recalled Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Wes Montgomery, Danny Gatton, and most especially John McLaughlin."

Music ROSITA MATHEWS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Gospel, Historical African American BOOKING CONTACT Rosita Mathews 175 Gambrills Rd. Box 435 Gambrils, MD 21054-0435 Telephone: 888-542-3121 Email: singgospel@earthlink.net Website: www.letssinggospel.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo musician TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $3000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $5,000 AVAILABILITY Year-round TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Size of Performing Area: 10’ x 10’ Stage Set: Piano Stage Floor Type: A black box type stage is best Audio Support Equipment: Sound system with monitors, microphones Visual Support Equipment: Ability to play DVD clips and project

ARTIST INFORMATION Let‘s Sing Gospel 101! is an interactive musical performance in which the audience becomes the cast and choir as they learn to sing gospel music. Everyone sings, claps and moves to the music of Rosita‘s gospel piano while she weaves traditional and new gospel music with stories, humor and infectious enthusiasm. National Public Radio described Rosita as ―a classically trained pianist with a mean gospel beat.‖ She teaches people of all ages, races, religious backgrounds and singing abilities to move to that beat as they learn to sing this great American music. Whether in a residency or a performance, Rosita transforms the audience into a gospel choir as they lift their spirits in song. Let‘s Sing Gospel 101! is the opportunity for your audience to sing and soar!

Music SHODEKEH ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Beatboxing, vocal percussion BOOKING CONTACT Shodekeh Baltimore, MD Email: shodekeh@hotmail.com Website: myspace.com/shodekeh SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo musician TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $4,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $2,500 AVAILABILITY Year-round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Size of Performing Area: N/A Stage Set: One microphone, empty stage Stage Floor Type: N/A Lighting: Dimmed lighting, house lights down Audio Support Equipment: Standard vocal or instrumental microphone, compression unit Visual Support Equipment: N/A

ARTIST INFORMATION Self taught with no formal musical education, Shodekeh has been capable of executing the fine art of beatboxing since the age of nine and has been presenting the vocal form as a serious practitioner since the age of 19. By channeling the various concepts of instruments and sounds through the human voice, he can vocally embody many musical tools or emulation including drum kits, didgeridoos, ocean waves, turntables, woodblocks, synthesizers, helicopters, congas, wind, sleigh bells, crickets, horns, bass guitars, to well, you get the idea. With his rhythms, he is always seeking to interface with many varying genres from Avante Garde, to Blues, and Classical, with or without an apparatus and has also enjoyed completing musical interpretations of visual works/gallery exhibits at Towson University, Oberlin College, and The American Visionary Arts Museum. Working as a musical accompanist in residence within dance programs for such places as Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts and The American Dance Festival at Duke University has also brought a vast amount of inspiration into his career, as well conducting his non-formal vocal learning experiences in and out of classrooms known as "Voice Circles". Artistic commissions and travels from CBGB's in New York City, Virginia Tech, The Conference On World Affairs at The University of Colorado, and Vilinius, Lithuania for The U.S. Embassy of Lithuania have kept moments increasingly challenging and stimulating for this young artist, and as long as there's an eardrum, microphone, or speaker system to be altered by yours truly, Shodekeh will be there to rock in the soundscape of the flesh.

Music SLIM HARRISON ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Music and Dance: Americana BOOKING CONTACT Slim Harrison 16530 Eyler Valley Road Emmitsburg, MD 21727 Telephone: 301-271-7928 Email: sunnyland@erols.com Website: www.sunnylandmusic.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1 – 4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $800 duo Maximum: $2,400 band, caller & cloggers EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 (solo) and $800 duo and $1,600 with cloggers Maximum: $1,000 -$4,200 three days to two weeks (solo) or $3,400 to $12,800 with band and cloggers AVAILABLITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: min 12’ x 8’ Stage Set: table with 1-4 chairs Audio Support Equipment: 2 microphones per performer (We provide sound system if needed) Lighting: Full lighting on stage, 1/2 audience lighting Rehearsal Space: a small room if available Other: Outdoor venues must provide shaded stage area

ARTIST INFORMATION Slim Harrison, The Barnstormers and The Rock Candy Cloggers are seasoned professionals, touring regionally, nationally and internationally. They perform traditional American Folk Music on fiddles, hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, banjo, upright bass, mandolin, guitar, concertina, jaw harp, fiddlesticks and spoons. Slim Harrison‘s solo performances include: ―Exploring the Multicultural Roots of American Folk Music‖ and ―Exploring the Roots of American Folk Dances‖ as well as residency programs combining folk music and dances. He works with both MSAC and Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts (Master Artist). He is also an accomplished barn dance caller, storyteller and instrument builder. The Barnstormers (Slim Harrison and Tom Jolin) perform concerts and residencies through the MD State Arts Council and PA Council on the Arts. They performed recently at the Viljandi World Folk Fest in Estonia through grants from Mid-Atlantic/Baltic Education and Commerce Organization, PA Council on the Arts and the U.S. Embassy in Estonia. During residencies, Tom leads the students in making hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, banjo and/or psaltery for the school while Slim teaches the music and dances for a final hoedown/fiesta celebration. The Rock Candy Cloggers, (Rock Howland & Candy Ranlet), often join the Barnstormers for festivals & school residencies, providing exciting clogging routines and teaching traditional clogging workshops. They are both experienced clogging instructors and sought after performers. When not dancing, they join the band, adding a fullness that is perfect for concerts and dances. They recently joined the Barnstormers on a tour of schools, concerts and festivals in Germany.

Music TAMARA WELLONS AND BAND ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE R&B/Jazz/Global Soul BOOKING CONTACT Tamara Wellons Telephone: 301-240-0307 Email: Tamarawellons@hotmail.com Website: www.tamarawellonsmusic.com

SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3-piece acoustic ensemble to 8-piece full band/ensemble TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $7,500 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $3,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Technical requirements vary depending on venue. For non-traditional live music venue: 4 vocal microphones, 2 wedges/monitors -lead and background vocals, and a staging area which allows for a 5-piece and 3 vocalists band. Contact artist for more technical specifications.

ARTIST INFORMATION Folks knew Tamara's homegrown gift of voice would take her places—D.C. New York, London, South Africa. As the 2006 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award Recipient and an artist on the new Ocha Records Label (a joint venture between House Music Producer Osunlade and DJ/Producer Carlos Mena), Tamara knows she will go places beyond what she could have ever imagined, both vocally and spiritually. As Tamara hits the studio to whittle away on her upcoming debut soul, jazz and dance music project, one can't help but attribute the story of that "little country girl with the big voice" to her. Residents of her hometown, Ivor, VA, praise her accomplishments. Tamara is an artist who loves experimenting with other genres of music. This compelled her to take on the Nirvana anthem of teen angst, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The result is a jazzinspired orchestration of the definitive rock classic. The song combines Tamara's fluid vocals, Elise Perry's (Kindred) soulful arrangement and hypnotic instrumentation by Raleigh Neal (Spearhead). The song also features musical instrumentation by bassist Walt Cosby and drummer Jay Nichols (Citizen Cope, Alice Smith). In addition to the production talents of Osunlade and Carlos Mena, Tamara's anticipated full-length album, ―Life is…‖ will also feature music by Kokayi (Wayna, Opus Akoben), the Unknown, and Rhome Anderson aka DJ Stylus .

Music TODD MARCUS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Jazz BOOKING CONTACT Todd Marcus 1210 N. Stricker Street Baltimore, MD Telephone: 443-415-7386 Email: toddrmarcus@gmail.com Website: www.toddmarcusjazz.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 2-9 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $750 Maximum: $6,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $750 Maximum: $6,000 AVAILABILITY Year round

ARTIST INFORMATION Bass clarinetist and composer Todd Marcus is one of the few jazz artists worldwide to focus exclusively on use of the bass clarinet as a primary soloing instrument. Jazz Times writes, “With his melodic imagination and technical aptitude on an unorthodox horn, Marcus has something truly new and personal to offer.” Marcus offers several ensembles that range in size and budget. The groups perform jazz standards as well as Marcus’ original compositions that increasingly feature Middle-Eastern influences of his Egyptian heritage. Ensembles include:  Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra – a nine piece ensemble (bass clarinet/ clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, alto sax/flute, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, & drums)  Todd Marcus Quartet (bass clarinet/clarinet, piano, bass, & drums)  Todd Marcus Trio (bass clarinet/clarinet, bass, & drums)  Todd Marcus Duo (bass clarinet/clarinet & piano)

AUDIENCE Secondary and up

Each ensemble is also able to provide interactive educational clinics and workshops for students and adults in addition to feature performances.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Minimum Stage Dimensions: 15’ x 15’. Audio Support Equipment: professional sound system (microphones, monitors, mixing board). Lighting: basic stage lighting system with assortment of colored gels. Rehearsal Space: optional Other: piano, drum set, music stands.

Based in Baltimore, Marcus's work includes regular east coast performances as well as international shows, clinics, and radio play. He has worked with other jazz artists such as Larry Willis, Don Byron, Odean Pope, Tim Warfield, Sean Jones, George Colligan, Orrin Evans, Joel Frahm, Xavier Davis, and Gary Thomas. “The bass clarinetist’s original tunes and the top-notch, lively musicians in the orchestra deliver one of the most satisfying big-band sounds in the region.” --- Baltimore City Paper, January 5, 2011 “Marcus has deftly helmed [a] nine-piece orchestra, which features some of the region’s more notable players.” --- Baltimore Sun, October 20, 2011 “…masterfully performed solos…If you need to get your blood pumping, this [music] will fit the bill.” --- Examiner.com, November 26, 2010 “One of the area’s finest jazz musicians.” --- The Baltimore Times, September 2008 "[T]he Baltimore-based Marcus has fashioned a career on the bass clarinet of blending traditional bebop and swing with some world music touches that make him deserving of wider recognition. --- Jazzreview.com, October 2005

Music WALT MICHAEL & COMPANY ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Roots-Based Traditional Music BOOKING CONTACT Walt Michael c/o Common Ground on the Hill 2 College Hill, McDaniel College Westminster, MD 21157 Telephone: 410-857-2771 410-967-9111 (cell) Email: wmichael@mcdaniel.edu Website: www.waltmichael.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1-4 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $5,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $600 Maximum: $5,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Minimum Stage Dimensions: 10’ x 18’ Audio Support Equipment: PA w/monitors, minimum 8 microphones on boom stands Lighting: General wash

ARTIST INFORMATION Walt Michael & Company present concerts of roots-based acoustic string band music of the highest caliber. Considered to be a virtuoso of tremendous influence in the revival of the hammered dulcimer, Walt‘s wide repertoire ranges from old-time Southern Appalachian, to Celtic, to folk, to breath-taking original compositions. His various musical incarnations, including Bottle Hill, Michael, McCreesh & Campbell and Walt Michael & Co., have spanned over 35 years and taken him from the coal camps of Appalachia to the Closing Ceremonies of the 13th Olympic Winter Games in 1980, when 900 million world viewers heard his signature composition, Snowblind. As a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist he has recorded sixteen albums and instructional videos, appeared at the White House, the Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center and toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, Europe and the UK. His music has been heard on ABC-TV, NBC's Tonight Show, Broadway, BBC, TNN, CBC, OLN and PBS. Walt is joined by highly acclaimed musicians including Ralph Gordon (cello), Alexander Mitchell (fiddle, mandolin, guitar) Rob Caswell (banjo, guitar) and Tom Wetmore (bass). Walt Michael & Company are available to complement their concerts with instrumental workshops as well as school assembly programs and residencies at all educational levels.

Music WASHINGTON MUSICA VIVA ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Chamber Music: Classical, Contemporary, and Jazz BOOKING CONTACT Carl Banner 7502 Flower Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912 Telephone: 301-891-6844 240-479-0077 Email: DCMusicaViva@verizon.net Website: www.dcmusicaviva.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3-7 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $3,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Minimum Stage Dimensions: 20’ x 15’ Stage Set: piano, music stands, and chairs Audio Support Equipment: PA system

ARTIST INFORMATION Washington Musica Viva (WMV) performs a broad range of classical, jazz-based, and contemporary chamber music. Formed in 1998 as the vision of pianist/director Carl Banner, WMV blends a variety of musical voices and genres in its chamber music performances. Though grounded in classical traditions, their performances owe much to contemporary sensibility and the influences of jazz, blues, and rock n roll. In addition to classical chamber music masterpieces, WMV has a special focus on Washington area composers, women composers, AfricanAmerican composers, and composers suffering under political oppression. Repertoire: ―Dvorak Jazz Dances" Jazz version of Dvorak Slavonic Dances by Charley Gerard, commissioned by the Embassy of the Czech Republic and Washington Musica Viva. Charley Gerard, alto saxophone, Syberen van Munster, guitar, Carl Banner, piano, James King, bass, Lenny Robinson, drums. 60 minutes, no intermission. 1. Slap on it! 2. Divorce Shack 3. Slavonic Shuffle 4. Minuet for Antonin 5. Petka 6. Calypslovonic 7. Hobbling Toward Seven 8. Afrolantonin 9. Blue Shack 10. A New World 11. Like Sonny, Like Coltrane, Like Dvorak Bukowski Liked Mozart Claude Bolling Suite for violin plus jazz trio, and "Bukowski Liked Mozart" by Charley Gerard (after the Mozart Sonata #9 in F, K. 377), for violin plus jazz trio. Kathy Judd, violin, Carl Banner, piano, Jon Nazdin, bass, Lenny Robinson, drums. 60 minutes, no intermission. Romantic Piano Trios Piano trios of Brahms, Dvorak, and Beach. Violin, cello, and piano. 75 minutes, including intermission. Kathy Judd, violin, Adam Gonzalez, cello, Carl Banner, piano.

Music Whit Williams ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Jazz, Blues, Popular BOOKING CONTACT David Lowe Lobolowemusic, LLC 5450 Fall River Row Court Columbia, MD 21044 Telephone: 410-964-4373 Email: lobolowemusic@gmail.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 4—22musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $7,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $7,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCES All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Stage Dimensions: 30’ x 30’ Audio Support Equipment: Professional audio equipment—must include microphones, monitors and mixing board Visual Support Equipment: Contact artist Lighting: Basic lighting system with colored gels Rehearsal Space: Optional Other: Piano and music stands

ARTIST INFORMATION Thomas ―Whit‖ Williams has been an influential figure for musicians from the Baltimore-Washington area since the early 1950‘s. During the time he has been teaching here he has been of more sought after side men for many major artists playing in the BaltimoreWashington metropolitan area. He has touring all over the United States and Europe but has always chosen to remain close to home and family rather than staying on the road. Over the years he has performed with many Jazz greats such as: Lionel Hampton, Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson, Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Clark Terry, Stanley Cowell, Albert Dailey, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, Hank Crawford and many more. He has also performed with many famous poplar artists such as: Barry With, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Flip Wilson, Sammy Davis Jr., Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, The Del-phonics, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Rick Henderson band, Lena Horn, Dionne Warwick and many more. In 1981Whit Williams started and is the sole proprietor of the ―Now‘s The Time Music‖ Big Band. The artistic mission of ―Now‘s The Time Music‖ is to promote an appreciation for Jazz and other Afro-American styles of music through education programs and concert performances.

Music WIGGINS & FRIENDS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Blues (Piedmont) BOOKING CONTACT Tina Terry, Agent Piedmont Talent PO Box 680006 Charlotte, NC 28216 Telephone: 704-399-2210 (Main) 336-273-0446 (Direct) Email: tina@piedmonttalent.com Website: www.piedmonttalent.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 3-5 musicians TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $4,000 Educational/Residency Fee Range Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $2,000

ARTIST INFORMATION The American masterpiece of Cephas & Wiggins may tour no more, but the heartfelt calling of their story and music continues under the helm of Phil Wiggins himself. Wiggins & Friends is a showcase of all that is Piedmont Blues and unfolds the history of the music as it has been defined by Cephas & Wiggins‘ 25+ year career. The torch of this history and style of music is carried forward with Phil and the friends that have studied under or played with Cephas & Wiggins throughout their prosperous career . It‘s a masterpiece performance that honors our American musical history.

AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Two folding chairs and a PA system

Theater ARIANNA ROSS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Storytelling BOOKING CONTACT Lorienne Beals 13641 Winterspoon Lane Germantown, MD 20874 Telephone: 301-916-6328 Email: loriennetapestries@gmail.com Website: www.storytapestries.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo artist

ARTIST INFORMATION

TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $8,000

Story Tapestries: Arianna Ross creates entertaining, international, dynamic programs that weave the power of dance, theatre, music and storytelling together. Arianna entertains and educates children and adults through performances, hands-on workshops, professional development sessions and long-term residencies.

EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,000 Maximum: $3,000 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 18’ x 12’ playing area, adequate lighting for performance space, 1-2 CD playback, small table and wireless Lavaliere microphone

For over 12 years, Arianna has performed in the US, India, Vietnam, Brazil and Canada on stage, television, and radio, in preschools through high schools, colleges, concert halls, libraries, museums, and hospitals. She has taught for critically acclaimed organizations such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Smithsonian, and Towson University. Arianna Ross was one of the featured performers at 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival, The Faberge Egg Festival in Washington DC, The Just Stories Festival in Chicago and at the Vancouver, BC International Storytelling Festival. She creates her tapestry from the threads of her experiences as an Ethnographer, Storyteller, Writer, Teaching Artist, Dancer, Musician, and Photographer. Ms. Ross has received several prestigious grants such as the Solo Theatre Fellowship Award from the Montgomery County Arts and Humanities Council and the Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council. "Thank you for inspiring me to remember how I used to teach." –Jen Flores, 1st Grade Teacher While a wide range of programs are available to select from, Arianna's signature is to customize every experience to your needs. As a storyteller, dancer, visual artist, teacher and director, Arianna strives to tell multi-lingual stories that can both bridge the gap between communities and remind us "It is through the laughter and tears of our tales that the lessons of life are imparted."

Theater BILL GRIMMETTE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Theatre and Storytelling BOOKING CONTACT Bill Grimmette 1115 Red Harvest Road Gambrilles, MD 21054 Telephone: 410-695-1630 Email: bgrimmette@hotmail.com Website: www.masterstoryteller.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo artist

ARTIST INFORMATION

TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $375 Maximum: $750

Bill Grimmette is a Master Motivational Storyteller and Learning Dramatist who performs stories of history and culture for all audiences in the field of education.

EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,200 Maximum: $3,500

As the Griot Malife Nkruhmah, he ―brings a message from the ancestors‖ while inspiring pre K-6 audiences to relish reading and to read for relish! For middle and high school audiences, Bill calls on his 40 years of theater experience to recreate interactive, living history dialogue in the characters of Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, Benjamin Banneker, and W. E. B. Du Bois. After a rousing 20-30 minutes of exciting stories, the students get to question him in character to broaden their living history experience.

AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 6 foot long table—artist will bring sound system

For parents, Bill has stories that encourage family storytelling in learning sessions and workshops for teachers on how to add drama to the learning experience to facilitate recall and excitement. Bill has performed these original, high energy, learning-focused programs in schools all over the country and overseas. While doing a performance of Martin Luther King at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, Grimmette was approached by a cadet at the end of the show who asked if he had done some stories at Trinity Elementary School about 15 years earlier. Grimmette replied yes and the young cadet remembered him with public glee and recalled some of the stories he had heard. Enduring memories are the hallmark of learning and pleasant memories of the learning environment is the hallmark of these performances by Bill Grimmette, the Learning Dramatist.

Theater DEBRA MIMS ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Theatre and Storytelling BOOKING CONTACT Debra Mims 3904 Greencastle Ridge Drive #303 Burtonsville, MD 20866 Telephone: 301-890-3665 or 301-300-4410 Email: mimstheword2000@yahoo.com Website: www.myspace.com/mimstheword SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo artist TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $350 Maximum: $1,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $1,000 AVAILABILITY Call for availability AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Performance area 10’x 10’ If microphones are available, they need to be wireless clip For Grandma’s Cautionary Tales— four chairs

ARTIST INFORMATION Debra Mims, actress and writer, is from Detroit, Michigan and has lived in the Washington DC area since 1995. She was trained as an actress, dancer and arts lover and earned a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan. In the DC area, she began performing with the Georgetown Theatre, The Metropolitan Ebony Theatre and with Young Audiences of DC. Debra developed a solo performance program, My Grandmother Told Me, a tribute to African American Women. In June, 2000, the program premiered at the historic Sewall-Belmont house in Washington, DC. My Grandmother Told Me has been performed in over 200 schools, libraries and community organizations in DC, Maryland and Virginia. The program was selected for the Race to Read Summer Programs for the DC Public Libraries. Debra also performs and tours two other programs, Grandma’s Cautionary Tales, a collection of ghost story folk tales from the African Diaspora and Grandma’s Kwanzaa, a celebration of the African American holiday for those who trace their roots back to Africa. She is presently affiliated with Young Audiences of Maryland and the DC Arts and Humanities Collaborative. Other writing credits include The Tricky Tales of Anansi and Friends for the Maryland Park and Planning Summer Theatre Program, 2007. In July, 2007 Debra premiered a solo theatrical performance work, Madness, Menopause and More, which received an overwhelming response and was performed in April, 2008 at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at The University of Maryland. Debra has received multiple Individual Artist Awards for Outstanding Theatrical Solo Performance by the Maryland State Arts Council.

Theater DIANE MACKLIN ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Theatre and Storytelling BOOKING CONTACT Diane Macklin 8639-B 16th St., Suite #112 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone: 703-966-7957 Email: storylady@dianemacklin.com Website: www.dianemacklin.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE Solo artist TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $7,500 (Multiple performances) EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $400 Maximum: $6,500 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Minimum Stage Dimensions: 10’X10’ Stage Set: Small table for instruments and/or props. Audio Support Equipment: Lapel microphone Lighting: Basic Lighting for Stage (minimum requirement) Rehearsal Space: Cleared space of at least 10’X10’, preferably with mirror (if available) Other: Hot water available; quiet and private room/space for stretching and warming up

ARTIST INFORMATION Master storyteller, Diane Macklin, delights audiences with a ―dynamic‖ approach to engaging audiences (Washington Post). She skillfully integrates her theatrical presence, dancing hands, and lyrical voice, creating a unique ―griot‖ like story experience. Performances of her solo, theatrical pieces as well as traditional storytelling programs are seasoned with audience participation and character education. Diane is the resident storyteller for the ―Let‘s Read About Africa‖ program at the Smithsonian‘s National Museum of African Art and has performed for the Colonial Williamsburg Storytelling Festival, Discovery Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, FUNDA/Rhode Island Storytelling Festival, Wolf Trap‘s Theatre-in-the-Woods, and many other venues from Massachusetts to California. She has even been featured on Voices of America, which is broadcast internationally. Storytelling is more than entertainment to Diane. She has a talent for embracing many other cultures beyond the African and African American traditions through portraying characters with a ―vibrant, moldable face‖ (The Phoenix) and a passion to unite people through stories – historical, traditional, and personal. Her training as a cultural mediator and formal classroom teacher lends uniqueness to her commitment to quality programming, education, and arts integration in residencies, professional development trainings, and workshops. She possesses a B.A. in English from Vassar College and a M.A.T. from Simmons College. As a performer, teaching artist, and orator, Diane believes in ―Making a Difference, One Story at a Time.‖

Theater IN-FLIGHT THEATER ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Aerial Theatre (apparatus based theatre) BOOKING CONTACT Mara Neimanis 2006 West Rogers Ave Baltimore, MD 21209 Telephone: 410-800-8685 Email: mara.inflighttheater@gmail.com Website: www.in-flighttheater.com SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1 performer, 1 technician (Air Heart) 3 performers, 2 technicians (Storm Cycles) TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $5,000 Maximum: contact artist EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: contact artist Maximum: contact artist AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Contact artist for site specific information

ARTIST INFORMATION Mara Neimanis/In-Flight Theater creates theatre in the air using trapeze and invented aerial objects that include floating steel sculptures and incongruous large objects. Our work integrates circus arts with physical acting to create stories, texts, and characters set in multi-dimensional landscapes. In-Flight Theater is interested in using acting and aerialism in nontraditional ways in order to cross personal boundaries and limitations. In-Flight Theater offers classes and residencies with every production. All of our plays are meant for touring and can be created according to the specifications and needs of any theater or institution. Air Heart is a sixty minute solo aerial performance about the life, mystery and final flight of Amelia Earhart that takes place on a 12- foot tall spinning metal plane sculpture. The portable plane sculpture serves as a set, prop, aerial apparatus and character, thus creating playing space that incorporates both ground and air. In this rich kinesthetic territory, Air Heart combines the poetic journey of flight with factual events of Earhart‘s life, myth and mystery. Air Heart illustrates the athletic and poetic female body in partnership with the plane sculpture as a forum to share the events, courage, conflicts, and pioneering accomplishments of Earhart as a woman, aviator, and feminist icon. Storm Cycle is a 60- minute visual, physical, and aerial performance piece about Storms. The play is loosely inspired by the book, "The Nature of Violent Storms" and various weather service reports about people and places ravaged by nature and the parallels between weather and human temperament. In a unique collaboration Mara Neimanis of In-Flight Theater and Sabrina Mandell of Happenstance Theater brew up an evening of poetic and visual storytelling combining aerial elements with clown, melodrama, and visual montage, to embody transforming stories about storms, human temperaments, and the lives of women. Karen Hansen provides original music and A large mounted spinning weather vane apparatus designed and constructed by Tim Scofield serves as the main set piece to conjure images of weather and industry as it historically relates to women's ―work‖, sewing, washing, and care giving. Some of the ideas explored are the incredible stories of violent storms which can at once lay waste to an entire town while gently transporting a baby or a dressing table mirror hundreds of feet and setting them down with care.

Theater JON SPELMAN ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Spoken Word BOOKING CONTACT Jon Spelman 213 S. Durham Street Baltimore, MD 21231 Telephone: 410-732-0153 cell: 240-355-6360 Email: jspelman@erols.com Website: www.jonspelman.org

ARTIST INFORMATION FOR ADULTS:

SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 1-2 artists, depending on the show

DIGGING INTO SHAKESPEARE: (with musician Tina Chancey). Bits and Pieces of the Bard, interwoven with often hilarious stories of Spelman‘s experiences in Shakespeare production. (Commissioned by the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, College Park)

TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $800 Maximum: $1,500

FOR ADULTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:

EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $800 Maximum: $3,800 AVAILABILITY Year round AUDIENCE All ages TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Minimum Stage Dimensions: 10’ deep x 15’ wide Audio Support Equipment: Public address, wireless microphone Lighting: General Stage Lighting Rehearsal Space: Varies depending on show and venue

TALES OF THE LINCOLN: The life and death of Abraham Lincoln, told through the voices of his family and friends. (Commissioned by Ford‘s Theatre in Washington, DC.) FRANKENSTEIN: Told from the Creature‘s point of view. Presented solo, or with musician Tina Chancey. (Commissioned by the Round House Theatre, Silver Spring, MD) FOR FAMILIES AND ADULTS: TALES OF THE LINCOLN: As above, edited and adapted for family presentation. MYTHS AND LEGENDS: Stories, ancient and more contemporary, from the oral tradition. SOME GOOD OLD TALES: Tales from many cultures and ethnicities. THREE STORIES TALL: Tales from North American oral traditions, including stories collected from children and young people.

Theater MARYLAND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Shakespeare Plays & Residencies BOOKING CONTACT Candace Sorensen 15 West Patrick Street Frederick, MD 21701 Telephone: 301-668-4090 Email: candace@mdshakes.org Website: www.mdshakes.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 4-14 actors TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $1,500 Maximum: $15,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $800 Maximum: $1,500 AVAILABILITY Taming of the Shrew: June 15August 15, 2009 A Midsummer Night’s Dream/ Romeo & Juliet: June 15-August 15, 2010 AUDIENCE Middle school-adult TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Minimum Stage Dimensions:24’ x 24’ Stage Floor: Level stage floor, preferably a sprung floor—no concrete For outdoor venues, portable aluminum staging is required Lighting: 1 300 amp whisper quiet generator Audio Support Equipment: Audio will run off of the generator Other: A. one 300amp whisper quiet generator B. Dressing room space for 14 actors C. 20 Folding chairs D. One staff liaison for project and site support

ARTIST INFORMATION Since 2000, Maryland Shakespeare Festival has brought fully produced, large-scale, Shakespearean performances to over 100,000 people across the state. Combining the work of the most respected union artists and most exciting up-and-coming artists in the area, MSF creates magic in your community. This is not your grandma‘s Shakespeare! Maryland Shakespeare Festival believes in playing like they did in Shakespeare‘s day (and is recognized nationally as one of seven Original Practice Laboratories in the world). With extensive research and training, MSF brings Shakespeare back to life as the playwright intended – great plays, bravely played, by highly skilled players. And it‘s all about PLAY! Like the circus coming to town, MSF immediately creates a festival environment with strolling performers and musicians before and during the play. We play with (and light) the audience, including them in the story. We include interludes (instead of intermissions) filled with live contemporary music. We create a relaxed family friendly atmosphere with an optional KID ZONE pre-show and/or a selection of educational workshops. We believe Shakespeare was never meant to be a dose of cultural medicine, but a vibrant, fun, and communal event that makes a difference in our lives. Your audiences will understand every word, be delighted by the silliness, and moved by a vibrant storytelling that brings Shakespeare‘s timeless stories to life with the relevance of today! MSF brings Shakespeare out of the dark and stuffy theater and into the light (or park!) where everyone, no matter their cultural or economic background, can enjoy.

Theater NATIONAL PLAYERS, THE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Shakespeare Plays and Classic Adapted Novels BOOKING CONTACT Madeleine Russell 2001 Olney Sandy Spring Road Olney, MD 20832 Telephone: 301-924-4485 ext. 116 Email: mrussell@olneytheatre.org Website: www.nationalplayers.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 8-12 actors TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $5000 Maximum: $7,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $0.00 Maximum: $20,000 AVAILABILITY September—May AUDIENCE Middle school-adult TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Minimum Stage Dimensions: 25’ x 25’ Stage Set: Provided by company Stage Floor: Adaptable Lighting: The National Players sends a light plot to be hung by the venue and focused by the company

ARTIST INFORMATION Now celebrating its 63rd anniversary season, National Players has earned a distinctive place in American theatre by bringing innovative and accessible productions to audiences across the country. Performed with high voltage energy, clarity, and wit, National Players introduces audiences to great works of dramatic literature that are rich in exciting stories and characters, and profound in language and themes. National Players was founded in 1949 by Father Gilbert V. Hartke, O.P., a prominent arts educator and then head of the drama department at Catholic University of America. His mission was to stimulate young people‘s higher thinking skills and imaginations by presenting classical plays in surprisingly accessible ways. National Players offers an exemplary lesson in collaboration and teamwork-in0action: the actors not only play multiple roles onstage, but also serve as managers, teaching artists, and technicians. A self-contained company, National Players carries its own sets, lights, costumes, and sound. Also, all National Players bookings are handled in house, which allows for ease and adaptability to any space or organization. Along with exciting theatre performances, National Players offer workshops in playwriting, stage combat, Shakespeare and acting improvisation. Also, each booking comes with complimentary study guides and Q and A‘s with the cast after their performances. Perfect for educational institutions as well as large scale presenters. Olney Theatre Center is proud to be the artistic home of National Players and continue Father Hartke‘s vision and commitment to provide young theatre artists with their first professional opportunities.

Theater QUEST VISUAL THEATRE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE Visual Theatre BOOKING CONTACT Tim McCarty 7414 Newburg Drive Lanham, MD 20706 Telephone: 301-552-1703 Email: tim@quest4arts.org Website: www.questvisualtheatre.org SIZE OF ENSEMBLE 6-8 members TOURING FEE RANGE Minimum: $500 Maximum: $20,000 EDUCATIONAL/RESIDENCY FEE RANGE Minimum: $250 Maximum: $2,000 AVAILABILITY Year-round TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Minimum Stage Dimensions: 20 x 16 Stage Set: Quest productions use minimal, easily transportable set pieces Stage Floor: Quest prefers an even, clean floor service Lighting: requirements vary depending upon the production. Some productions work with minimal lighting, others require extensive lighting Audio Support Equipment: cd/ Digital playback. Quest can provide audio equipment for some productions. Visual Support Equipment: Two Quest productions require LED projectors (“I Carry the Flag,” “Nano”)

ARTIST INFORMATION Quest is internationally recognized for its innovative work in visual theatre and its leadership in welcoming people from diverse backgrounds. Performances have been called breathtaking, maddening, thought-provoking, and visually-rich. Creating and producing new works for the stage that represent a strong visual and cultural base, Quest maintains an active performance and training calendar both in the United States and world-wide. Quest‘s work includes performances, community engagements, residencies, and workshops. Quest‘s in-school work focuses on the use of visual theatre to enhance literacy. Quest also provides professional development to teachers in this approach. Quest has received the Arts Presenters/MetLife Foundation Award for Excellence and Innovation in Arts Access. The Catalogue for Philanthropy has recognized Quest as one of the region‘s exceptional nonprofits.

Ballet Theatre of Maryland

This publication is available as a PDF file on the MSAC Web site: www.msac.org. Individuals who do not use conventional print may contact the Maryland State Arts Council to obtain this publication in an alternate format. 410-767-6555 or msac@msac.org

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