Joseph Dixon
With over twenty-five years’ experience, Joseph Dixon works in the areas of art for education and community outreach. Dixon has conducted over a thousand workshops, residencies and performances in the Houston, Dallas, Beaumont and San Antonio areas through collaborative partnerships with schools and organizations. Currently, Dixon serves as a teaching artist for various nonprofit art organizations, including the River Performing and Visual Arts Center, ArtReach, Young Audiences of Houston, and Avondale House, where he implements fine arts programming in music and visual art designed to aid communication and social development and encourage fine and gross motor development for students with autism and other disabilities. Dixon also provides children's performances through his Early Inspirations Performances Series which offers interactive, educational performances designed to encourage creative thinking, promote team learning, and foster social development through the presentation and engagement of the arts. Each performance is Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills-aligned. Dixon provides curriculum guides for all performances to aid educators in building knowledge and skills. Performances: History and Songs of the Mardi Gras Indians, Let’s Play Together Drum and Strum /Jawad African Rhythms and Spirituals. Photo by JD Art.
contact
Joseph Dixon
2011 Plum Falls Ln.
Pearland, TX 77581
phone 281-896-2914
phone#2
e-mail dyoungartists@yahoo.com
public performance/concert $450 - $900
school performance $450 - $900
workshop fees $250 - $450
travel/per diem/lodging $77 - $190
website https://www.josephdixonart.com
J Muzacz
Houston-born J Muzacz is a muralist and public artist with 15 years of experience painting large-scale murals for both public and private clients. He is also an educator and author/illustrator with two books to his credit, both bilingual in English and Japanese, from his time teaching overseas in Japan. He has lived and worked in Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand, having painted numerous notable murals abroad, one of which found its way into a Samsung commercial, as well as the cover of Hong Kong Airlines magazine. Connecting his passions for art and travel, J is eager to tour and engage with schools and communities all over the state of Texas, making and facilitating mural and mosaic art that uplifts, educates, and inspires people of all ages for years to come. Recently J has been commissioned across the country for commercial murals in Florida, California, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. He has also been invited to festivals as a featured artist in Austin, Houston, and Flint, Michigan, just to name a few. Photo by Luis Armando.
contact
J Muzacz
1717 E Cesar Chavez St
Austin, TX 78702
phone 512-497-1492
phone#2
e-mail jmuzacz@gmail.com
public performance/concert $500 - $12,000
school performance $500 - $12,000
workshop fees $500 - $12,000
travel/per diem/lodging $250 - $2,500
website https://jmuzacz.com
State Artist Flaco Jimenez
Accordion player Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez is the 2014 Texas State Musician. He has led the way in expanding conjunto music from his community in San Antonio, to new audiences both in the United States and worldwide. Born into a famed family of conjunto musicians, by age seven he was already performing with his father, Santiago Jiménez, Sr. Mr. Jiménez has performed with Douglas Sahm, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, and Ry Cooder, among others, and has spread the language of conjunto through national and international tours. With Sahm, Freddy Fender, and Augie Meyers, Mr. Jimenez formed the Texas Tornados in the 1990s; he also recorded with the “Mexican super group” Los Super Seven, earning a Grammy for his work with each group. His solo work has netted him three additional Grammys, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Latin Magazine, and a 2012 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. He has been inducted into the National Hispanic Hall of Fame and the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in New York City.
contact
K.T. Gardner
4505 Bull Creek Rd
Austin, TX 78731
phone 512-207-0825
phone#2
e-mail ktrootstock@gmail.com
public performance/concert $6,000 - $10,000
school performance $2,000 - $3,500
travel/per diem/lodging TBD
website https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaco_Jim%C3%A9nez
Joel Laviolette & Rattletree
Joel Laviolette & Rattletree offer a variety of offerings catering to the specific needs of the event. Rattletree is a must-see multi-sensory live show experience of electronic percussion and one-of-a-kind hand-built African marimbas triggering driving synth sounds, bursts of color, and dynamic live video projection. Rattletree primarily plays evening festivals and venues where their multimedia art experience and captivating electronic sounds shine. Kupira Marimba is their highly versatile fully acoustic family-friendly offering. Kupira's music creates a foot-stomping, heart-pounding, and hand clapping experience for people of all ages. Laviolette has over 25 years of experience studying and playing traditional music with his teachers in Zimbabwe. Kupira Marimba brings joy and cultural experience to schools, libraries, museums, city concert series, and outdoor community festivals. Joel Laviolette also offers solo interactive multi-media performances that incorporate live music, interactive video projection mapping, and audience participation. These installations are a big hit at lighted-arts festivals, museums, and art galleries. All performances may include an optional hands-on workshop or educational demonstration/assembly. Every show is customized to the needs of the presenter, and we are excited to make your next event something that people will be talking about for years! Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III.
contact
Joel Laviolette
300 Crockett St. #112
Austin, TX 78704
phone 512-905-9329
phone#2
e-mail joel@rattletree.com
public performance/concert $1,500 - $10,000
school performance $1,800 - $3,500
workshop fees $1,000 - $5,500
travel/per diem/lodging $200 - $1,000
website https://joellaviolette.com
State Artist Craig Hella Johnson
Craig Hella Johnson, 2013 Texas State Musician, is known for crafting thought-provoking musical journeys that create deep connections between performers and listeners. He is the Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the Austin-based, internationally renowned, Grammy® nominated choir Conspirare. Additionally, he serves as Music Director of Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble and Conductor Emeritus of the Victoria Bach Festival. In 1998, Johnson was Artistic Director of San Francisco-based Chanticleer and from 2000-2005 was Music Director of Houston Masterworks Chorus. Johnson is in frequent demand as a guest conductor of choral and orchestral works. He has served as guest conductor with the Austin Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, Berkshire Choral Festival, Taipei Male Choir, Oregon Bach Festival and St. Olaf Choir. Johnson and Conspirare were awarded the 2015 Best Choral Performance Grammy® for The Sacred Spirit of Russia (Harmonia Mundi label). In June 2015 Johnson received The Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art, Chorus America’s lifetime achievement award. Johnson received the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal from Chorus America in 2009 and was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame in 2008. Johnson is a Texas State University Artist in Residence and served as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas in Austin from 1990 to 2001. Johnson’s compositions, arrangements, and edited scores are published by Alliance Music and as part of the Craig Hella Johnson Choral Series with G. Schirmer and Hal Leonard. He also performs as a pianist and singer in a variety of styles.
contact
Ann McNair
1812 Centre Creek Dr. Suite 110
Austin, TX 78754
phone 512-476-5775
phone#2 512-481-1676
e-mail amcnair@conspirare.org
public performance/concert $2,000 - $10,000
workshop fees $2,000 - $10,000
website http://www.craighellajohnson.com
State Artist Amanda Johnston
2024 Texas Poet Laureate, Amanda Johnston, was born in East St. Louis, IL, and raised in Austin, TX. She began writing poetry while living in Kentucky. She earned an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine. She is the author of two chapbooks, GUAP and Lock & Key, and the full-length collection Another Way to Say Enter. Her work has appeared in Callaloo, Poetry Magazine, Puerto del Sol, Muzzle, and the anthologies, Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry and Women of Resistance: Poems for a New Feminism. She is the cofounder of Black Poets Speak Out, and founder of Torch Literary Arts. Named one of Blavity’s “13 Black Poets You Should Know,” Amanda’s work has been featured on Bill Moyers, the Poetry Society of America’s series In Their Own Words, The Moth Radio Hour, and the Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day series. She was commissioned to curate a collection of poems for the Poetry Coalition on the theme Where My Dreaming and My Loving Life: Poetry & the Body. Photo by Cindy Elizabeth.
contact
Amanda Johnston
Round Rock, TX
phone
phone#2
e-mail amejohnston@gmail.com
public performance/concert $2,000 - $5,000
school performance $1,500 - $5,000
workshop fees $2,500 - $5,000
website https://www.amandajohnston.com/
Stephanie Urbina Jones and the Honky Tonk Mariachi
Blazing trails from Texas to Mexico, Stephanie Urbina Jones and her history-making Honky Tonk Mariachi are telling a new story in American music, blowing hearts and minds wide open with their mix of classic country rock with a twang and the intoxicating, joy-filled sounds of Mexico. This new style fondly called 'country music with chili peppers' is inspiring and building bridges between worlds. From the first gritos to the last yee haws, from the hallowed stage of the Grand Ole Opry to the two-stepping dance halls of Texas to festivals around the world, Jones and her fiesta platter of love (percussion, trumpets, violins, vihuelas, guitarróns, guitars y mas) are sharing culture, stories, and songs that bring people together. Stephanie tours internationally, having performed in fourteen countries, including appearances at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival, Magic Town Music Fest in Mexico, Festival Country Rendezvous in France, Country Gold in Japan, Gstaad Festival in Switzerland and the Belladrum Tartan Heart Fest in Scotland; plus the CMA Music Festival, Americana Music Festival, Wille Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic, and performances on the Grand Ole Opry. Stephanie is a Kerrville New Folk Finalist, #1 Texas Country Artist, and #1 Billboard Country Songwriter. https://stephanieurbinajones.com Photo by David Bean.
contact
Preston Sullivan
909 Division St. 200
Nashville, TN 37203
phone 615-405-3103
phone#2 210-378-5897
e-mail preston@globaleyesentertainment.com
public performance/concert $4,500 - $12,500
school performance $2,500 - $3,500
workshop fees $2,500 - $3,500
travel/per diem/lodging $600 - $1,200
website https://www.stephanieurbinajones.com
The Juicebox Jukebox
The Juicebox Jukebox was created by Dallas-based singer/songwriter and father-of-three Bradley James Skistimas. Their mission is to enrich children’s lives through fun, positive, and educational music and videos that parents and teachers can enjoy, too. They focus their songs on core subjects and character-building themes with a fresh perspective for students primarily in pre-K through 2nd grade. In 2019, the Juicebox Jukebox launched the Kindness Tour, a live concert experience for schools, libraries, and festivals featuring a unique blend of live music performance and video production from their growing catalog of songs. This fun and engaging program features live versions of Juicebox favorites like 'The ABCs of You,' 'Kindness,' and 'Thankful,' and is all about encouraging a community of kindness. Videos by the Juicebox Jukebox have currently collected over 200,000 views on YouTube and are growing daily. Several of them are the result of direct collaborations with Texas Independent School Districts and were safely filmed right inside elementary schools with principal, teacher, parent, and student participation. These have been some of the Juicebox Jukebox's favorite and most popular projects and they plan on more school collaborations in 2020. Photo by Kelly Skistimas.
contact
Kelly Skistimas
205 Goodnight Lane
Waxahachie, TX 75165
phone 214-457-3677
phone#2 214-476-3334
e-mail kelly@sevenplacesmusic.net
public performance/concert $500 - $2,000
school performance $500 - $2,000
travel/per diem/lodging $100 - $500
website http://thejuiceboxjukebox.com
Joe McDermott Bouncing Ball Music, LLC
Referred to as 'a Texas treasure' by the Texas Library Association, Joe McDermott released his first album of children's music in 1988. A former Montessori teacher, Joe has dedicated the last 32 years to honing the art and craft of entertaining children. His songwriting has garnered numerous Parent’s Choice Awards and nominations, in addition to NAPPA and International Song Writing Contest awards. In 2006, he took first place in the Children’s Music category for the John Lennon Song Writing Contest. He was invited to team up with Stan and Jan Berenstain to convert eleven of their original storybooks to music. Impressed by Joe’s musical talent, Stan Berenstain quipped that Joe was an 'absolute wizard at communicating to children with music.' Known for his lively school concerts, Joe also creates and produces recording workshops and school-specific music video workshops for elementary school students. With the aid of Hollywood special effects programs, children can ride in rockets, airplanes, and ocean liners and visit other countries or planets! If a classical touch is desired, Joe has thirteen compositions scored for partial or full symphony orchestra. For bigger organizations such as towns and cities, Joe presents a Family Holiday Sing-Along. Photo by Joe McDermott.
contact
Joe McDermott
3413 Gable Drive
Austin, TX 78759
phone 512-689-5361
phone#2
e-mail joemcdermott@sbcglobal.net
public performance/concert $350 - $2,500
school performance $450 - $2,500
workshop fees $600 - $3,000
travel/per diem/lodging $100 - $857
website http://www.joemcdermottmusic.com
Jasminne Mendez
Jasminne Mendez is a poet, playwright, educator, community organizer, and award-winning author. Mendez has had poetry and essays published by or forthcoming in The New England Review, The Acentos Review, Kenyon Review, Gulf Coast, The Rumpus, and others. She is the author of two poetry/prose collections: Island of Dreams (Floricanto Press, 2013) which won an International Latino Book Award, and Night-Blooming Jasmin(n)e: Personal Essays and Poetry (Arte Publico Press, 2018). She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and has received fellowships from Canto Mundo and the Kenyon Review Writer's Workshop, among others. She is an MFA graduate of the creative writing program at the Rainier Writer's Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University, and a University of Houston alum. She offers workshops, readings, talks, and performances that center around the intersections of Afro-Latinx identity and culture, chronic illness and disability, motherhood as a woman of color, borderlands, immigration, and what it means to be 'from everywhere and nowhere' all at once. She appeals to audiences as young as middle school and can tailor poetry, performance, and creative nonfiction workshops and events to both large and small audiences. Photo by Michael Leonard.
contact
Jasminne Mendez
11742 N Michael Cir
Houston, TX 77071
phone 281-702-8235
phone#2
e-mail jasminnemendez@gmail.com
public performance/concert $500 - $3,000
school performance $300 - $2,000
workshop fees $300 - $1,500
travel/per diem/lodging $100 - $1,500
website http://www.jasminnemendez.com
Jamal Mohamed
Born in Lebanon and raised in Chicago, Jamal Mohamed presents performances and workshops that transport the audience to ancient times and exotic locales. He has been a featured artist in many international music events and has performed with Sting, Mark O’Connor and many other acclaimed artists. In addition, Jamal is a widely acclaimed educator and has presented workshops across the globe from Mexico City to Shanghai, China. Jamal is currently on the faculty at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, where he teaches percussion and is the founder and director of the SMU Meadows World Music Ensemble. Offerings include performances by the Jamal Mohamed Ensemble (between 2 and 6 members) featuring virtuoso musicians performing traditional music from a variety of cultures with special emphasis on the Middle East, or Jamal’s interactive solo program, in which he uses a wide variety of authentic instruments to acquaint students with traditional music from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America with gongs from China, Talking Drums from Africa and various percussion from around the world. The presentation culminates with students joining Jamal on stage for an exciting jam session with an international flavor. An experience they will never forget. Photo by John Derryberry.
contact
Jamal Mohamed
6101 N Bishop
Dallas, TX 75275
phone 214-289-9599
phone#2
e-mail jamal@jamalmohamed.com
public performance/concert $750 - $2,000
school performance $750 - $1,500
workshop fees $350 - $750
travel/per diem/lodging $100 - $850
website http://www.jamalmohamed.com
Jolie Rocke
Jolie Rocke is a Houston-based soprano whose talents have taken her from a Carnegie Weill Recital debut to European tours and Far North Queensland, Australia. Noted by the Hartford Courant as a 'gifted, versatile vocalist who’s as much at home soaring on opera arias and celestial hymns as she is getting down with funky blues and earthy jazz,' Rocke’s passion is sharing the gift of song with the world and drawing from her life experience when she performs or works with aspiring young artists. Maya Angelou noted, 'Jolie Rocke sings with such passion … and compassion!' Her passion for music and her desire to pass it on to students lead her to produce concerts, conduct master classes, direct community arts programs, and train aspiring singers as a private voice teacher and coach. Programs: Singing HERstory; Opera, Behind the Scenes!; Songs of the African American Soul; Sing, Langston!; Good News; The Science of Singing. Acclaimed as a singer and educator, Rocke was honored by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. 'Rocke can make her queen-size instrument of a voice fit cozily and expressively in an array of soulful sounds,' as she does in her CD, Rock of Ages: Hymns for the Soul. Photo by Devon Cass.
contact
Ashley Lewis
Houston, TX
phone 281-939-5093
phone#2 281-816-6740
e-mail alewis@jolierocke.com
public performance/concert $800 - $3,000
school performance $500 - $3,000
workshop fees $750 - $1,500
travel/per diem/lodging $50 - $1,200
website https://www.jolierocke.com
Johnny Villarreal/The Edge of Imagination Station
Have you ever wanted to bring your art to life? Johnny Villarreal and the Edge of Imagination Station are here to help! With over ten years’ experience teaching in the community, Johnny has shown users of all ages, abilities, and skill levels how to create animated sequences and short stories. His workshops cover the basics of stop motion animation and topics such as storyboarding, character development, shot selection, audio recording, and post-production. All of Johnny’s stop motion animation workshops incorporate some mix of chalk, paper, clay, and miscellaneous objects. Available programs include a drop-in activity where participants learn the basics of stop motion animation and create their own animated sequences, a guided storytelling workshop where participants learn how to organize and narrate a short story, stop motion (plus) workshops where participants will learn about stop motion and incorporate additional processes and materials such as watercolor, cardboard sculpture, or special effects/post-production, promotional video production where teens in your community work together to create a promotional video for your organization, and creative content development workshop where you work with Johnny to plan and develop original creative content for your organization. Photo by Sweetleaf Photography.
contact
Johnny Villarreal
PO Box 152965
Austin, TX 78715
phone 210-364-5123
phone#2
e-mail johnny@theedgeofimaginationstation.com
public performance/concert $750 - $3,000
school performance $500 - $2,500
workshop fees $750 - $3,000
travel/per diem/lodging $150 - $1,000
website http://theedgeofimaginationstation.com/