Project World Drummers

                   PROJECT WORLD DRUM 

       "The Band of Percussionists"

  Marcus L. MILLER 

 (Artistic Director/Founder; Afro-Western Style drums)

Artist/Percussionist Marcus L. Miller has worked with many talented artists and musicians. Miller s musical journey began playing drums in his mother's Pentecostal church in Virginia. He recorded three albums with various choirs between 1983-87. After his college years in Virginia, he moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1993 and immersed himself in the local music scene. There he continued to hone his chops by playing and recording a plethora of alternative rock fusion music. He continued his pursuit of jazz by playing with various Bay area groups until he connected with L.A. based percussionists Angel Figueroa & Leon Mobley.

Miller states, "They convinced me to leave the Bay for L.A. I hated to leave, but I knew it was time to go! These two guys helped to open the doors of the industry for me. They got me my first professional gigs; globe hopping tours with Ben Harper and a Disney cast member gig as a drummer in the Lion King parade at Disneyland."

Between 1994 and 1996 he performed and toured with Ben Harper & the innocent criminals. After this stint he moved to Los Angeles and embarked on his professional career as a drummer and artist. There he met his teacher legendary jazz drummer Clarence Johnston and sat often with the late great master drummer Billy Higgins. It was at this time that he began his journey into the world of West African, Afro-Cuban, & Brazilian styles of percussion.

Marcus has performed with artists the likes of Sheila E., Ashanti, Brenda Russell, Darius Rucker, Trevor Hall, Tony Furtado, Tim Reynolds, Giovanni Hildago, Ozomatli,The Watts Prophets, Michelle Shocked, Vinx, Steve Coleman, Bennie Maupin, Leon Mobley, & Bobby Bryant. A versatile drummer, Marcus' range includes recording sessions in reggae, West African traditional drumming, jazz, spoken word, hip hop, rock, blues, gospel, and alternative rock music genres styles.

As an Artist, Marcus is afforded many opportunities to connect with young people. He performs in schools & universities with his jazz ensemble as a roster artist for the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. His workshops, MarcusMillerDrums, have been a regular fixture in Southern California libraries & schools. Since 1998 he has worked with various museums in Los Angeles county including the California African-American Museum, Kid and Space Museum, Skirball Cultural Center, & L.A. County Museum of Art. Miller also serves as the director of a youth performance ensemble called the Young Drummers of Los Angeles. Marcus is the percussion instructor and music director for the William Grant Still art center and works regularly with St. Elmo Village, Global Arts to Go, and the Percussion Artists Workshop. He maintains a regular roster of private drum lessons for students ages 6-18.

Since 2000, Miller has focused most of his creative efforts and energies into his writing and development as a composer and proficient jazz drummer. With his jazz based ensemble Freedom Jazz Movement, he has recorded eleven albums for his label Universe Soul Records and composed well over 100 songs. Miller composes music for TV, film, and video as writer and head of Jazz and Percussion for Heavy Harmony music publishing.

Marcus is the Music Director and principle accompanist for the Lula Washington Dance Theatre. Together they have toured throughout the United States, Mexico, Russia, China, & Brazil. Marcus’ compositions have been used by various choreographers for a variety of Modern dance works. He has composed music for choreographers Lula Washington, Tamica Washington-Miller, Winifred Harris, & Jordi Caballero. He has worked with Debbie Allen, Cleo Parker-Robinson, Jasmine Guy, Theresa Howard, and various dancers from The Alvin Ailey American Dance company and The Dance Theatre of Harlem.

  Dexter STORY 

 (Western Style drums)

Multi-hyphenate Los Angeles-native Dexter Story is a composer, songwriter, musician, music producer, sound designer and freelance marketer. Named after the jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon by his audiophile father, Story grew up studying music theory, guitar and piano which led to him fronting and touring in local bands by age 14. While earning his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley and Bordeaux National Conservatory in France, Story performed with a diverse array of masters including Wynton Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Eric Reed, Jeff Narell, Lord Crazy, Ernie Watts, John Stubblefield and Slide Hampton. Alongside a successful on-stage music career, Story worked in every facet of the music industry business (from Marketing Director at Priority, Def Jam and Bad Boy Records to Talent Buyer at the legendary Temple Bar) enjoying 15 years at the epicenter of popular music culture. His latest and most notable endeavors however are focused on his first love and passion for composing music-to-picture and music production having recently scored writer/producer Anthony Bertram short film "Brother's Prayer," provided original music for the award-winning documentary "City Lax" and music supervised the feature film "Hurricane Season" starring Academy Award winner Forrest Whitaker. Story also recently music-directed the highly acclaimed Peace Go With You, Gil tribute concert at Grand Performances in the Summer of 2012. Story collaborates regularly with producer/DJ Carlos Nino as co-founder of the breakthrough experimental group The Life Force Trio as well as with acclaimed jazz/soul vocalist Dwight Trible and is currently releasing his debut album Seasons due in November 2012.

Jah Amen MOBLEY

 (West African percussion)

At the age of nine, Clarence Jah-Amen Mobley, opened the door to the world of African drumming and percussion and was blessed to study with various master drummers over time.Babatunde Olatunji of Nigeria; former National Dance Company of Senegal drummer, Ibrahim Camara; Bamadele Osumarea, former musical director of Art of Black Dance and Music; Malik Sow, master drummer from Senegal West Africa; and Karamba Diabate, master drummer from Guinea West Africa. Jah-Amen is quite knowledgeable of several percussive instruments including; djembe, sabar, conga, quote.

Over the years, he has inspired many children and adults to pursue their passions for African dance and music. He spent many years working as a lecture / demonstration artist for, ‘Young Audience’ programs in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and California. In 1995, he joined the cast of Disney’s ‘Lion King Parade’ and maintained a successful run for two years. In 1997, Jah-Amen’s obvious talents and powerful presence, made it possible for him to land a role as a featured extra in the film, ‘The Amistad’. This experience lead him to also appear in the films, ‘Wild Things’, released in 1998 and ‘Dirty’ in 2005.

Currently, he is teaching a whole new generation of children at the Laguna School of Music in Laguna Beach California and for the YMCA of Anaheim. Once a week, he teaches a community drum class in Montclair California and in Costa Mesa California, for The Music Factory. As always, Jah-Amen continues to inspire his students to achieve clarity and understanding of the oral tradition of African drumming.

      

Alan LIGHTNER 

(Caribbean Steel Pans) 

Alan Mark Lightner generates excitement through his energetic, charismatic, and highly skilled approach to playing and teaching music. His unique style, vast knowledge, and kind hearted spirit have wooed audiences and classrooms around the world. During his studies in the music program at the University of California at Berkeley, Lightner also pursued private instruction from masters in his fields of interest. Those fields were Afro-Caribbean music including the art of steel pans and the vast world of Afro-Cuban rhythms and instruments, Afro-Brazilian percussion, West African music, European classical percussion and the Afro-American art form of jazz. After receiving his B.A. in music in 1991, Lightner became a master faculty member at the East Bay Center for Performing Arts where he served as the director of the steel pans and drum set departments. Within his eight years as director/arranger for the advanced steel pan performing ensemble, he and the band received numerous accolades including the honor of being requested to perform for then Vice President Al Gore during one of his visits to the Bay Area. Lightner has been a featured guest on ‘The Osgood File", Charles Osgood’s nationally syndicated radio news program, to discuss Lightner’s success with teaching inner-city students. He has been the subject of numerous magazine articles and was included in the sixth edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, 2000. Alan Lightner has been equally successful as a performer. He has performed and/or recorded with Will Smith, Mos Def, Ashanti, Barrington Levy, David Rudder, "Boogsie" Sharpe, De La Soul, Ghostface, Rakim, Roy Ayers, Andy Narell, the Braxton Brothers, Richie Cole and Lenny Williams to name a few. He has appeared in and contributed to the soundtracks of numerous films and television shows such as Ally McBeal, the Drew Carey show, Eli Stone and Desperate Housewives . Lightner compositions can be heard on various commercial jingles and numerous steel band c.d.’s including his own group Pan Ramajay’s three releases. Los Angeles based band, Pan Dulce features Lightner penned tunes exclusively on their self titled release. Alan Lightner now juggles most of his time between composing, arranging and traveling internationally as a performer and clinician.

David LEACH 

 (Afro-Cuban percussion)

Percussionist David Leach is a graduate of Rutgers University, B.A. music. Has performed live or recorded with: David Benoit, Dakota Moon, Dave Matthews Band, Paula Cole, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Blues Traveler, Brad, Chris Pierce, Ali Handal, Snoop Dogg and the Eastsidaz, The Emotions, Kirk Whalum, The Lion King Celebration at Disneyland, Rafael Aragon, Rhian Benson, Luiz Fonzi, Ali Handal, U.C.L.A Gospel Choir, Barbara Weathers, The Al Mckay Allstars, Alana Davis, Aerial Display, Darryl R. Spencer, Tim ”Bishop” Brown, Amel Larrieux, Larry Carlton, Yvette Devereaux, Jack Johnson, Kush, Tony Warren,”Lady” Mary Floyd, Vina, Miracle Mass Choir, The Rickey Grundy Chorale, The Progressive Symphony, The Power or Seven, Melissa Peda, The Mark Harris Band, Donavon Frankenrieter, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Deniece Williams, Stevie Wonder, Be Be Winans, Gail Jhonson. Philip Baily (Earth,Wind and Fire), Brenda Russell, Lucy Lawless. Television, film, stage appearances: Late Nite with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Conan O’Brien Show, The Late,Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Jules Holland Show, MusiquePlus, Open Mike with Mike Bullard, General Hospital, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Gospel Around L.A., Trackers, ”What’s Love Got To Do With It”, ”Pleasure and Pain”, Sessions at W.54th, Reverb, ”Jingle Ball Rock”, NBC 10 Philadelphia Film- “White Wolves: A Cry in the Wild II”, “Pleasure and Pain”- Ben Harper, “Spin" 

Winsor Pilates- “Maximum Burn Basics & Fat Burning” With Lucy Lawless- “Come to Mama”, Lucy Lawless in Concert Books- “It’s About Time”, by Fred Dinkins, accompanying audio CD. “Monkology”, by Gary Phillips, accompanying audio CD, Stage- “Bigger than Bubblegum”, “Country Colored Girl”Endorser of Audix, Gibraltor,Levy’s Leathers LTD, Remo, Rhythm Tech, Sabian,Toca,Vater Percussion, Beaded Sol. 

Video/DVD- with Ben Harper- “Please Bleed”, “Steal My Kisses”, “Burn To Shine”, “At the Fillmore in Denver”, “Live at Royal Albert Hall ”With Dianne Reeves- Chan’s Song With Rhian Benson- “Say How I Feel”

Greg BROWN

(Orchestral Mallets)

Greg Brown has been teaching drumset and percussion at Delian Music for over 10 years.  He is known as “The Groove Master.” His style is flamboyant in his tom fills and solo work.   Greg began playing piano at the age of 6 but switched to drums.  He studied with such percussionists as Kay Carlson, Mitch Peters, Billy Moore, Charlie Shoemaker, and Earl Hatch.  He attended Cal State LA as a music major where he was spotted by Otis Day and the Knights.  He has also worked with Whitney Houston, Bobby Womak, Will Downing, Indeya and currently with the Suzanne Somers Band.

Danny ALFARO 

(World Percussion)

Percussionist Danny Alfaro is a talented drummer and educator of youth and beginners in the creative arts of music, acting and writing. A musician and an artist, he is a composer of music for film, an actor and writer, a producer of dance music, and a creative performer and multi-instrumentalist who has worked with Jazz legends Kenny Burrell, Gerald Wilson, Benny Maupin, Charles Owens, Roberto Miranda, Marcus L. Miller, Angel Figueroa and his Jazz posse, FLACO, Vinx, Hugo Moraga, Funky C, Los Tetas, Lorenzo Jansson Kilman, Kim Fields, Chris James, Walter Aziz, Afro-Cuban masters Lazaro Gallaraga and Francisco Aguabella, and tabla virtuoso Abhiman Kaushal. Danny Alfaro produces and performs eclectic percussion music and vocal art in and around Los Angeles where he moved in 2007 to pursue higher education, and the San Francisco Bay Area where he was born and raised. He received his BA in Linguistics from UCLA in 2008 and his MA in Education from Pepperdine in 2010. He teaches at Just Flow Music, which he founded in 2004 in his hometown of San Mateo and which has blossomed in Mid City where he opened a space adjacent to Paws Music and Taino Studios, working closely with Angel Luis Figueroa since 2009 to create programs and products that give new musicians a strong foundation in culture, entertainment and education. Just Flow Music is a workshop environment for learners to delve into their own creative forces and develop a personalized program to prepare themselves to be performers and productive and happy human beings in the field of music and art. Danny works closely with many creative artists throughout California to make high quality independent films and dance tunes. Since moving to LA, he has established ensembles and creative niches at Environmental Charter Schools, William Grant Still Community Art Center, Paws Arts and Paws Music, and Just Flow Music. He has acted in and scored over 15 short films since starting a very fertile creative partnership with New Collective LA and Tall Star Productions in 2010. He has appeared in feature films such as “The Perfect Family”, staring Kathleen Turner and “We the Party”, staring Mario Van Peebles. He produces music from his studio in Mid City hoping to spark a new type of musical language for the 21st Century using guitars and strings, keys, voice, electronic and found sounds, and, of course bass, drums and percussion.

 Project World Drum:

(Please click below for more information)

MLM &  Project World Drum

Photo Credit: Ami Motivelli

Freedom Jazz Movement

A closer look at Freedom Jazz Movement: Bio Profiles

Marcus L. Miller 

Artist/Percussionist Marcus L. Miller is a multi-talented artist based in Southern California.  Miller is bandleader of his World/Jazz ensemble Freedom Jazz Movement.  Among his various positions, Miller serves as Music Director for the Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Artistic Director/Founder Young Drummers of Los Angeles, President Universe Soul Records, and Co-Owner TaMar Productions.  Marcus is also a member of SESAC, ASCAP, and the Recording Academy. He is a composer for Heavy Harmony music publishing.

Miller’s musical accomplishments include the release of 10 albums on his record label since 2002. He has composed music for modern dance choreographers Lula Washington, Winifred Harris, Jordi Caballero, and Tamica Washington-Miller. Marcus has also written music for several independent film scores and soundtracks including Love and other 4 letter words (2006), and My girlfriend’s back (2009).  His music was used in the Twentieth Century Fox DVD release Avatar, the Last Airbender (2010).

As a drummer, Marcus has toured internationally and performed with artists including Bennie Maupin, Steve Coleman, Ben Harper, The Watts Prophets, Michelle Shocked, Ashanti, Sheila E., BoujouBumBastick, Da Lion, Jazz Poetry Collective, & Ozomatli. He has recorded with numerous groups and covers styles ranging from jazz, blues, rock, gospel, reggae, folkloric traditional, and alternative.

 In 1998, Marcus began his drum workshop program. MarcusMillerDrums…From around the world, has entertained, educated, and enlightened countless thousands of audiences worldwide.  The program is for all ages and has enabled Miller to work with many great organizations such as St. Elmo Village, William Grant Still art center, Jack & Jill, Boys Club of America, and the YMCA. Marcus has worked closely with local L.A. museums (Skirball, LACMA, CAAM, & Kids Space Museum) schools, and arts organizations in an effort to bring the art of drumming to as many people as possible.

Dancer/Choreographer

Tamica Washington-Miller

Tamica is the director of programs for both the Lula Washington Dance School and the Dance Company. Tamica graduated from UCLA with a major in Dance Theater. She is an acclaimed modern dancer who has studied at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Alvin Ailey Dance school, with Otis Sallid, and her mother Lula Washington. She is versed in all modern, tap, hip hop, ballet, African, Brazilian, and Afro-Cuban styles of Dance.

Tamica’s movement style is an organic blend of traditional, modern, and jazz dance, with hip-hop and vernacular flavors mixed with the traditional dance styles of the African Diaspora. Her most recent dance works include “Beautiful Venus and Serena,” “Message to My Peops,” and “Together, Spider and the Bee.” Tamica was nominated by the 2008 NAACP Local Theater Awards committee for best choreography on “Gilgamesh,” directed by Stephen Sachs and Jessica Kubzansky at the Boston Court Theatre. She also choreographed “Hippolytos,” the inaugural production at the Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa in Malibu, also directed by Stephen Sachs.

Tamica’s other works include choreography for Tupac’s “Brenda’s Got A Baby,” commissioned by the USC School of Law for its Race, Rap, and Redemption lecture demonstration; staging and choreography for James Cameron’s film Avatar, in which she played the body double and stand-in for CCH Pounder’s High Priestess in the film; choreography for “Cuttin’ Da Mustard,” starring Keisha Knight Pullum, Moesha, The Parkers, and Steve Harvey; choreography for over 50 high school students in the 2009 Nike Black History Month Celebration; and choreography for the Kappa League’s annual ball.

Poet/Spoken Word

JENNIFER BOWENS

Grambling State University

• Grambling,Louisiana
• Graduated: 1995
• Student status: Alumni
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree
• Major: Theatre

 Vocals

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Treva Offutt

Treva is a singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and visual artist who combines these forms through an improvisational performance base. She has taught visual and performance workshops in conjunction with performances all over the country and abroad. Over the years, Treva has had the honor of working with many dynamic dance/theater/music ensembles including: Roger Guenveur Smith’s Iceland, Fred Ho’s Big Red Media in the martial art opera, The Further Adventures of Monkey, Yoshiko Chuma’s School of Hard Knocks, and The Living Room Project, Patricia Parker Nelson’s PaNic with The William Parker Quartet, Belgium’s Remote Control Productions, Ireland’s Daghdha Dance Company, India’s Adishakti Theater Company, and New York based Urban Bush Women. She has also had the great fortune to work as a vocalist with: Jamaican sacred and folk music ensemble Ancient Vibrations (also vocal arranger), the African Pop group Afro-Blue, the South African ensembles-Shyingoma, Osha, and Lucky Ngema and Friends, Mexican vocal project Choro Tajin, Phillip Hamilton, the David Murray Big Band, Sabir Mateen and Jeff Shurdett, Hammiett Blueit, Craig Harris,Dan Zanes and Friends, and with her own 8 member ensemble, a duo with guitarist Barry Salmon, and her new trio Lulutoy. In addition, she has written three plays, is a member of SAG, and was a curator at The Kitchen for 7 years.

Treva has toured the world with dance theater companies from New York, India, Ireland, and Belgium.She has performed for everyone from Coretta Scott King to the Dalai Lama. Through multiple bands from South Africa 

and Jamaica, she has opened for Ben Harper and Burning Spear. Treva has taught Singing at Def Dance Jam along with

Dance at City Center, NYC, Manhattanville College, The Kitchen, Sydney Kahn's Summer Institute and West Hollywood

Elementary. She has also taught Sculpture and Puppetry among her other extensive endeavors.

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THE MUSICIANS:

Miller works with an array of talented musicians.

Bobby Bryant (alto sax)

Edwin Livingston(bass)

Bobby Pierce (piano)

David Leach (percussion)

USR artists

Universe Soul Records artist roster 2012

Freedom Jazz Movement - Performing "Open" Live : The name says it all...Freedom attained through jazz expressed in movement. Drummer/composer Marcus L. Miller formed this group in 1998 as a vehicle for music he had written for choreographed dance pieces. Each song tells a story that is expressed through a dancer's movement. The goal is to create music that blends the drumming traditions of Africa with beats analogous to African-American jazz traditions. See our Myspace Page or Contact Me for more Booking and CD purchase info.

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Jazz Poetry Collective - Flowers Stolen From the Yards of Old Folks :The spoken word combines with mainstream jazz in a natural partnership. This highly recommended album provokes deep thought while clearing the air through innovation. Track listing: Those Who Keep Spirits Alive; Dance Women of Shulam; Lively Up Yourself; Soon I will be Done, Trouble of This World; The Rhythm; Flowers Stolen from the Yards of Old Folks; Invitation. Myspace page. Contact me forBooking to find out how to purchase a copy.

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Formless Trio - Youtube Video : The Group came together in 2003 to do a recording date at Foma studios. . .A few weeks later, the three assembled and laid down tracks; unrehearsed, no charts, no talk throughs, just plain old simple jamming. It went so well, two years later that got together for another session. What began as just casual fun soon became a reality as June 2008 brought the band it's first gig at LA's Wiliam Grant Still art center. The event was a Kaprow "Happenings" art exhibit. Each individual brings their unique experiences to the stage. Together they become a unit focused solely on creating with deep expression and high artistic value. They are having fun and look forward to writing the next chapter of their story.Myspace Page. Booking. Buy Now

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BoujouBumbastic - Theme Song on Youtube Video : Senegalese Kora meets western Drums and Bass. For more info on how to purchase this now out-of-print but well worth having CD, Myspace page. Contact Me Today.

World Drum Project - Trailer on Youtube Video : The World Drum Project is lead by Artist/Percussionist Marcus L. Miller. The group consists of percussionists and drummers based in the Los Angeles area. The group ranges in size from a trio to a 20 piece drum orchestra. The group is available for workshops, clinics, residencies, and live performances. For more information, please contact Tamar Productions 310-493-2851. Booking.