Jazz concerts help fund music classes

The Orange County Register

08.28.09

By Barbara Giasone

FULLERTON – Musician/composer Markus Burger, who has authored $800,000 in grants awarded to the Fullerton College music department in five years, brings his North Atlantic Jazz Alliance group to Fullerton Tuesday and Wednesday for public concerts.

Burger, 42, is the director of the Commercial Music and Music Industry Studies program at the community college.

The first performance is set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Wilshire Auditorium, 315 E. Wilshire Ave. Proceeds from ticket sales will supplement funding for Burger's newest campus class, Music Business, which falls under the Recording and Music Production certification program.

A second, free concert will be held at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at Steamer's, 138 W. Commonwealth Ave.

Born in Germany, Burger worked with the Goethe Institute in his homeland and the German consul in Los Angeles to form the jazz group comprised of three Germans and four Americans. The institute, which is interested in promoting culture and education, agreed to underwrite the NAJA project.

Burger assembled the educator/musicians including Jim Linahon of Fullerton College, who was first trumpet with Frank Sinatra; Paul Kreibich, who heads the drumming classes at Cal State Fullerton; Marshall Hawkins, who heads the Idyllwild Arts Academy; and Bill Yeager, the director of Jazz Studies at Cal State University, San Diego.

"We gave ourselves three months to arrange and compose music, and then headed to Linahon's studio in Claremont for one day to record our album," Burger said.

The group's CDs, as are 10 other jazz CD albums led by Burger, are available online, on iTunes and through cdbaby.com, which is a site for non-major label artists.

"Many students coming into a music program still live in an illusion how glamorous the recording business is, but it's a necessity to learn the business side," Burger said. "Performance places have financial problems, union scales are long gone and besides superstars, there's not a whole lot left for the novice."

To boost the careers of musician hopefuls, Burger designed his class to show how to run a concert series, how to start a recording label and how to build a portfolio for the "real world."

"I'm hoping we can help make niche music become available worldwide," Burger said.

Tickets for the Wilshire Auditorium concert, available at the door, are $7 for seniors and students, $10 general admission.