Defiance College Schomburg Series Begins

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The 34th season of the Defiance College Schomburg Series brings a glittering variety of artists to the stage. This year is sure to please everyone with performances featuring jazz, country/folk, Celtic/rock and roll, electric violin, and a pop/R&B “mouth band."

The season kicks off with a performance by the Billy Foster Trio on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 8:15 p.m. Foster, a DC alumni, has been performing for the past 35 years and has led his own groups for much of that time. The trio plays jazz styles from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis and has worked together for more than 25 years playing concerts, clubs and a variety of affairs throughout the United States. Singer Renee Miles-Foster will add her exciting vocal interpretations to the group.

This performance is co-sponsored by the Defiance Community Cultural Council (DCCC).

Tina Mae will charm audiences with her “from the heart” songs and storyteller’s voice. A vocalist, guitarist and songwriter in the country-folk genre, she composes her own material drawing on personal experiences from her life in the Midwest.

Appearing with Tina Mae will be Greg Haynes on guitar and backing vocals. Haynes is a well-known and respected guitarist in the Toledo-Detroit area. The duo will perform Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.

The Tartan Terrors will delight attendees with their traditional Celtic music and dance blended with rock and roll and their own unique brand of Celtic Comedy. However, the music is only the beginning. Innovative choreography with acclaimed dancers shows audiences what Celtic dance was meant to be.

Led by brother and sister co-artistic directors Ian and Ellen Wilkes Irmisch, the Tartan Terrors bring together a two-time world champion bagpiper, internationally acclaimed musicians and comedians, and high-paced championship caliber highland dancers to create a show that is sure to be enjoyed. They are a must see performance on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m.

Not just another funk/world/rock/jazz/classical ensemble, Eclectica is a virtuoso groove event. Performing Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m., this experimental jam-band is definitely plugged in. The group includes world renowned electric violinist Tracy Silverman, heralded by the BBC as “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin,” four-time Grammy Award-winning drumming of Roy “Futureman” Wooten, of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and bass phenom Kyle Whalum. Together you’ve got one of the hottest live bands in the country.

Closing the Schomburg Series on Thursday, March 25, at 7 p.m. is Ball in the House. Ball in the House is a must-be-heard, tour de force of vocal sound. This five-man, pop/R and B "mouth band" hails from Boston, where they live and operate out of when not touring on the road. Originally formed as a quartet by founder and current vocal percussionist Jon J., Ball in the House has gone through numerous phases and changes on its way to becoming one of the best-known and most-loved acts in the a cappella community today.

All events will be held in Schomburg Auditorium on the campus of Defiance College.

Potential season ticket holders will be receiving a brochure in the mail. Season and individual tickets may be ordered online at www.defiance.edu/pages/schomburg.html. Individual performance tickets are $10 and available at the door.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate majors as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of engagement. U. S. News & World Report ranks Defiance in the top tier of baccalaureate colleges in the Midwest. The college website is www.defiance.edu.

September 15, 2009