PUBLIC INVITED TO STUDY WITH JON SECADA
AT MIAMI DADE COLLEGE’S KENDALL CAMPUS
MIAMI, October 12, 2007 – Three-time Grammy Award-winning artist Jon Secada is back at Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Kendall Campus, this time hosting his first workshops this semester on Oct. 16 and 17. The workshops kick-off Secada’s new visiting professorship at MDC and will cover topics related to launching careers in music. Additionally, four of the five workshops he’ll teach are open to the public.
The workshops are designed to help students prepare for commercial music careers, and they will cover the areas of song writing, recording, ensembles, musical theater, and vocal music. The ensemble workshop is only for MDC students, and the final workshop on vocal music will include a music student forum to allow for intensive questions and answers.
“The phone has been ringing off the hook. This is the first of all of it. We will have six sessions this year, and these are the first two. We expect all sessions to be full,” said Rodester Brandon, chairman of the music, theater and dance department at the Kendall Campus. “Having Jon Secada teach classes at MDC’s Kendall Campus will greatly benefit our students in several ways, by not only providing them with professional expertise, but he’s also donating his salary back to MDC for student scholarships.”
Before skyrocketing to fame as a recording artist, Secada was a voice and humanities professor in the music department at MDC’s North Campus from 1986 to 1991.
Secada began his commercial career as a backup singer for Gloria Estefan and became a household name in 1992 when he released his self-titled album “Jon Secada.” The album earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album. His music has appealed to a broad audience, selling more than 20 million albums world-wide. Secada has also written songs for some of the top artists in the music industry, including Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Mandy Moore and Jennifer Lopez.
WHAT: Jon Secada leads music workshops, open to the public, at Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus.
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 16: 2 – 3:30 p.m.: Song Writing, Room 8122
5 – 6:30 p.m.: Sound Recording, in M107
7 – 9:00 p.m.: Commercial Music Ensemble (Closed to Public), in M107
Wednesday, Oct. 17: 10 – 11:00 a.m.: Musical Theater Audition, in M113
12:00 Noon: Vocal Music Workshop / Music Student Forum, Room 8247
WHERE: MDC’s Kendall Campus, 11011 SW 104 St., Miami, 33176.
COST: $20 for general public; Free to MDC students
Attendees must register through the MDC Community Education Office 305-237-0651.
Media-only contacts: Beverly C. Rodrigues, MDC director of media relations 305-237-3949, brodrigu@mdc.edu or Juan Mendieta, MDC director of communications, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu.