John Colianni, pianist. His nickname is “Johnny Chops” because of his great technique.

The Jazz Times has called John Colianni “ A Consummate piano virtuoso, a truly individual voice, with an unerring sense of sophisticated swing” John grew up in Silver Springs, MD. The nearby Washington D.C. area was instrumental in shaping his love of jazz. “I was mesmerized by Ellington’s piano work, orchestrations, and bigger-than-life stage presence,” Colianni recalls. “The impact he had on me was irreversible and it inspired me to seriously devote myself to music.”
John started to take lessons from pianist Les Karr, who had studied under Teddy Wilson at New York’s Juilliard School of Music. Interestingly, Les was also the first cousin of pianist Dick Hyman. For John’s lessons, Les emphasized technique and introduced studies of the Mathe’ System, a method that advances digital dexterity and maximizes the capacity for speedy, high-velocity piano playing. John, noted for fleet “chops,” often cites the important role these exercises had on his musical growth.

While still in high school, John became active on Washington D.C. and Maryland’s jazz scene, playing in jam sessions at well-known venues such as The Pigfoot, One Step Down, Blues Alley, The Bayou, The Famous Ballroom (Baltimore), Frankie Condon’s (Rockville, Md.), Mr. Y’s Gold Room Ella Fitzgerald’s bassist, Keter Betts recruited the then 16-year-old John for the revue “Jazz Stars of The Future,” a troupe of young, local jazz musicians who performed concerts in DC and Baltimore. While John was in the 10th grade, Jazz Studies Director George Ross recruited him to play regularly with the University of Maryland Jazz Ensemble. During his senior year in high school, the Colianni family relocated to the Jersey Shore in the Atlantic City area. There, the talented teen caught the attention of local pianist Carlton Drinkard, former accompanist to the one and only “Lady Day”—Billie Holiday. Carlton coached him and recruited players for John’s new trio. Another milestone in John’s blossoming career occurred at 19, when he visited Lionel Hampton backstage in Atlantic City. After that meeting and an informal audition in Hampton’s NYC apartment, Colianni toured internationally and recorded three albums during his three years with the band.

In 1986, John was signed with Concord Records d Records and made three albums. In 1987, John was a cash-prizewinner in the First International Thelonious Monk Piano Competition. After several weeks of gigs with with Woody Allen at Michael’sPub in NYC, he met Mel Torme and became his accompanist for four years. Mel had heard John’s work on the club’s sound system, liked it, and hired him. John also played on six of Torme’s albums, three each on Concord and Telarc. In 2003, the renowned guitarist and inventor Les Paul added John to his group, on the recommendation of fellow guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, and the trio held down a weekly club performance in NYC. Later he becaome the house bandleader on the MSNBC television program “After Hours with Dan Abrams,” for the show’s final season. He also performed with some rock/pop/jazz performers.

In 2016 John began organizing a big band, or “orchestra,” at the urging of friends and fellow musicians who were familiar with his work as an arranger as well as a pianist.
The 17-piece band, The John Colianni Jazz Orchestra, plays swing, modern jazz, standards, and original compositions in various venues around NYC. He also performs with The John Colianni Sextet, a small combo culled from the ranks of the Orchestra, whose new album is called “I Never Knew”; The John Colianni Trio (piano, bass drums); and as a solo pianist. Presently John is also averaging over 40 European gigs a year.

The New York Times called him “the essence of a swinging pianist, a sudden flurry of complex runs can be finished before the listener is fully aware of what is happening.” According to San Francisco Examiner, John “has a smooth, light-touch style. He flies easily through intricate right-hand melodic lines, and improvises on them, and roams the bass clef with his left hand, combining basic and offbeat rhythms with rich, melodic chord patterns. His left-hand harmonic structures are most impressive.”

Among the many accolades he has received, one is especially meaningful to John, since it came from Jimmy

STUDENT EVALUATION PROGRAM

CONSENT:

All parents of the SEP participants give permission to the Shore Music Educators Association (SMEA) to use the photographs or video of their children with appropriate captions in any of the SMEA publications, website, social media or newspapers for the purpose of promotion in the Shore Music Education Association. Teacher needs to receive the permission from each parent as part of registration.

CHAIRPERSON: Chiung-yin C. Liu, chiungyin@aol.com

PURPOSE:                

• To provide an opportunity for well prepared instrumental and voice students of ALL levels to be evaluated in an informal setting. And, students shall receive positive and encouraging comments and suggestions from the adjudicator.  This is NOT a competition.

ELIGIBILITY:            

• The teachers of participating students must be members of SMEA in good standing.

REPERTOIRE:       

               At least two pieces. The final choices and amount of repertoire and/or studies are selected by the teacher; however, 

             arrangements and simplified material will NOT be permitted.  For non-piano instrumental solo, the accompanist is optional and

             will not be evaluated.

REGISTRATION:

• January 5 to January 20, 2022
• Registration package including:
• (1) Studio Registration Form (2) One registration check/transaction from teacher.  Check is payable to Shore Music Educators   Association, or one transaction via Zelle account (njsmea@gmail.com) of Shore Music Educators Association.
• - Mail completed registration package to Shore Music Educators Association, P.O. Box 4, Holdmel, NJ. 07733.
  - Your registration won't be processed until completed registration package has arrived.                                     

EVALUATION FEE:

• $40 (15 minutes)
• $45 (20 minutes)
• $55 (30 minutes)
• $95 (45 minutes)
• $110 (60 minutes)
• Please  add additional $15 for a duet.
• No refund, no make-up and no transfer for any reason.
• Late registration will be accepted until February 1st. Late fee: $10 per student.
• $10 charge also applies to each change from the original registration form.

EVALUATION: 

• Teachers may choose the format for which you would like your studio to participate: 
• (1) In-Person at teacher's studio with minimum of 3 hours
• (2) ZOOM Live Evaluation
• Only one format for each studio is allowed, NO hybrid in the same studio. NO video submissions. 
• Please note: For safety and health concerns, SMEA will not provide any physical location for the SEP event.

• Each student will sign up for a 15, 20, 30, 45, or 60 minute time slot. The teacher selects the appropriate time length according to the amount of repertoire. As a general guideline, allow about one quarter of the time for playing and the rest of the time for evaluation, mini-masterclass and written comments.
• Participants must bring in all books of working versions to the evaluation.
• In-Person Evaluation at the teacher's studio: 3 hour minimum of adjudication time is required for SMEA to send an adjudicator to each studio.  And, it is the teacher's responsibility to prepare all evaluation report sheets, a well-tuned pianom a safe area for evaluation, and provide all the music scores of working versions to adjudicator(s).  Teacher is also responsible to report the results to the Chairperson or designee and submit the required information in preparing for the Trophy Award Recital.
• ZOOM Live Evaluation : Teacher must have a PAID ZOOM service account and will be responsible for hosting and scheduling the evaluation along with the adjudicator(s).  And, it is the teacher's responsibility to prepare and mail evaluasation report sheets and all the music scores of working versions to adjudicator(s).Teacher is also responsible to report the results to the Chairperson, and submit the required information to Chairperson or designees in preparing for the Trophy Award Recital. VERT
   IMPORTANT TO NOTE: SMEA and adjudicator will not hold the responsibility to extend or reschedule the evaluation if technological difficulty or any interruption occurred from teacher or student during the evaluation.  NO refund will be issued in any case.  Other on-line format might be used,, teacher must receive the permission from Chairperson before sending the registration, and the adjudicator(s) need to agree with the request.
•  At the heart of this program is a mini-master class for each student by the adjudicator. The adjudicator will be instructed to provide the age appropriate, positive and encouraging comments an suggestions to students.
• The students who participate in the ZOOM Live will have a mini master class, checklist and a brief written comment.
• Only teahcers can contact Chairperson and their own adjudicator(s) for questions and scheduling.
• Performance from memory in the evaluation is required to receive a medal.  Performance at the Trophy Award Recital must be from memory.
• Adjudicators should return the evaluation final results to Chairperson within a week.
• The large studio might have multiple adjudicators or dates, due to the agreement between SMEA and adjudicators.
• Please contact Chairperson with any questions or concerns.   Please contact Chairperson if you want to appeal for any result. 

AWARDS:   All students will receive a certificate for participating in the evaluation.  Additionally students may be awarded with one of.                the following, if:

• Gold Medal - memorized and performed with distinction.
• Silver Medal - memorized and performed with merit.
• Students who have received Gold Medals for a total of 5 and 7 years (need not be consecutive years) will earn a trophy; those with 10 or more years of Gold Medals will receive a plaque.  High school seniors with 8 or 9 years of Gold Medals will receive a plaque as well.
• Performance in Trophy Award Recital is required in order to receive the trophies/[plaques.  There will be no make-ups.  Exceptions will be considered only in cases of serious/contagious illness and death in the family when a doctor's note, or written proof (in case of death in family) has been submitted.
• Teachers need to make arrangements to pick up certificates and awards from the chairperson.  

SPECIAL SENIOR AWARD: The High School seniors are welcome to apply for one of two categories for the SMEA Liu Family.                                           Scholarship.  Please swee SMEA Liu Family Scholarship for details. 

TROPHY AWARDS RECITAL:  

• Sunday, March 27, 2022 at  2:00 p.m.
• Location: ZOOM Live Peerformance.
• Performance in Trophy Awards Recital is required in order to receive trophy/plaque. There will be no makeups. Exceptions will be considered only in cases of serious/contagious illness and death in the family when a doctor’s note, or written proof (in case of illness) has been submitted to Chairperson.
• Students performing in Awards Recital must arrive in time and stay for the entire duration of the concert, including the awards presentation ceremony.  Those leaving early will not receive their awards. No exceptions.
• Teachers must clear the Award Recital day with students ahead of time.

   AWARD TRANSFER:

• SEP committee accepts award credit transfer from MEA and SJMTA in New Jersey.   The out-of-state organization must be an affiliate of MTNA.  http://www.mtn a.org/membership-information/find-a-state-affiliate/
• The teacher who has a request to transfer a student’s award credit must submit sufficient documentation including the student’s award certificate (with the year on it), audition comment sheet and Organization information.
• Transfer cannot be accepted if there is same year award record in SEP.
• Only the highest achievement award is transferable.
• Processing fee is $20 per transferring award credit (per year credit).  Payment must be made payable to SMEA.

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Liu Family Scholarship 2022