Church of Blues Presents:

"Yes You Can!"

Composing the Blues: Writing/Playing from the Heart & Soul Fall Season 2024

10:30am-11:30am Every Sunday September 15- November 17, 2024

All Ages All Skill Levels Vets Cordially invited All Are Welcome Sunday Sessions are Always FREE!

Reservations Highly Recommended

  • SPECIAL GUEST ARTIST: TAS CRU

  • Church Of Blues PRESENTS Music Heals BluesFest 3 Starring Special Guest: Tas Cru


    Friday, November 1, 2024, 7:00 PM


    $20 General Admission - Advance BUY Tickets online

    $22 Door

    $25 Priority Seating in First 3 Rows BUY Tickets HERE



Reservation Form: Yes You Can FREE Sunday Classes

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Course Calendar

Date
Course
Instructor
September 15, 2024
"Yes You Can!" Uplifting your Goals & Empowering your Talent.
Suzie Shoemaker
Sept. 22, 2024
Harmonizing Hope: Blues Technique
Don Whitcher
Sept. 29, 2024
Chords of Change: Blues Progressions
Lee Zimmer
October 6, 2024
Rhythms of Renewal: Percussion Passion
Sabina. Sandoval
October 13, 2024
Blues. Roots Revival: Rocking Across the Decades
Christiann Michael Bery & Still Willi. Duon- Mark Willner & Sweet Baby Ray de Sylvester
Oct. 20, 2024
Return Riff: Advanced Blues Progressions
Lee Zimmer
Oct. 27, 2024
Blues & Spirits: Playing with Ghosts and Honoring Souls
Big Daddy D
November 3, 2024
Echoes of Encouragement: Deep Dive into Blues Guitar
Don Whitcher
Nov. 10, 2024
MASTER CLASS Composing/Performing from the Heart & Soul
Rev. Eric Strickland
Nov. 17, 2024
Fall Season Curtain Call: Celebration Blues
Ray de Sylvester & Tommy "Rocks" Anderson

Presented in coordination with our fiscal sponsor: Friends of Old Town Center for the Arts

633 N. 5th Street

Cottonwood, AZ 86326

This program is supported in part by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, which receives support from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Faculty- Fall 2024

  • Suzie Shoemaker was born and raised in New York city and prior to becoming a northern Arizona resident, enjoyed a long career as a NYC performer, singer and songwriter. Since moving to Sedona she has played a diverse array of venues and events including a stint with the Heavenly J’s as Jim Morrison, June Carter Cash and her most memorable and powerful performance as Janis Joplin. Suzie has also performed at the Encore Theater with the Branson Hall of Fame Sax player Marvin Short in a show entitled “Marvin Short’s Rock ‘n Roll Dreams.” Currently she performs at local clubs and many private parties,

  • Suzie Shoemaker

  • Sabina Sandoval

  • Sabina Sandoval is a teacher, musician, facilitator, director, TED Talks speaker.She has played with some of the best musicians/performers, and have been performing, while recording, and teaching. As an artist, I am self taught for the last 45 years of my life, born and raised California girl. I successfully created the nonprofit-all volunteer charity group, Free To Be Me Dum Circle, a loving, educational, rhythmic music therapy event for all walks of life, with many backdrops.

  • Big Daddy D

  • -2017 AZ Blues Hall of Fame Nominee-2008 & 2016 Competitor at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis,TN-Colorado River Blues Festival 2018 with Buddy GuyMultiple appearances at major music festivals around the state including:- Glendale Blues and Jazz Festival-Phoenix Blues Society Annual Blues Blast-Bisbee, Alpine, Cottonwood, Flagstaff Blues Festival, Pine High Mountain Music-North Mountain Music Festival

  • Tommy Rocks Anderson

  • Tommy Rocks, proprietor of Tommy Rocks Music Store, in Jerome, Az., is an acoustic rock singer & guitarist who has performed thousands of shows throughout America. Currently Tommy performs 100+ shows a year, and is known as one of the most versatile singers and performers in Arizona. Tommy is also regarded as one of the top ukulele players in the state. He is the creator of the Jerome Ukulele Orchestra, which in their first year got noticed by America’s Got Talent, and later formed the Sedona Ukulele Posse in conjunction with the Sedona Arts Center where he taught music for two years. Tommy made the cover story of Ukulele Magazine in the winter 2018, and became an official Kala Ukulele Ambassador in December 2021.

  • Don Whitcher

  • Don Whitcher is a nationally-prominent slide player, whose previous bands have charted in the Americana and Roots Country charts since 2004. He is an original, prolific song writer with a voice that is deep and passionate. Since moving to Northern Arizona a few years ago, he has established himself as one of the best slide guitar and lap steel guitar players in the Southwest, and is part of the founding faculty, for Church of Blues Composing the Blues: Writing/Performing from the Heart & Soul.

  • Lee Zimmer

  • Master Guitarist Lee Zimmer’s background includes years of experience in rock bands, classical guitar and jazz, instructor at the Fender Center, head Guitar Studies at La Sierra and California Baptist Universities. Studying privately for several years with Maestro Seiko Sesoko, as well as performing in Master classes with Manuel Barrueco, Sharon Isben, David Russell, Michael Newman, and Jorge Morel, Lee's arrangement for two guitars of Le Tombeau de Couperin, by Maurice Ravel, is featured on a CD that he recorded along with guitarist Eric Brenton as Duo Sesoko, a premier guitar ensemble. Lee teaches and performs concerts regularly.
  • Listen to Lee on Spotify.

  • Alejandro Wood

  • Alejandro Wood is a local singer-songwirter with a sterling quality to his voice that once heard, is never forgotten.

  • "Sweet Baby Ray" de Sylvester

  • Sweet Baby Ray de Sylvester began performing playing harmonica on stage, sitting in with Jimmy Rogers and Pinetop Perkins at Lilly’s in Chicago in 1985. This experience inspired Ray to study the Blues and hone his harmonica skills through the years. In January 2020 Ray received the honor of being inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame. From Memphis to the Monterrey, Manhattan, to New Orleans, PBS Blues Blast, across Arizona, and currently with the band Still Willin', Ray keeps the Blues alive with his engaging performances and harmonica magic.

  • Rev. Eric J. Strickland

  • Eric Strickland's musical journey began at age nine, playing drums and singing in his father’s R&B band and participating in a multicultural musical education program that highlighted diverse musical contributions across Southern California schools.Throughout high school and college, Eric developed his signature sound on the bass guitar, influenced by notable musicians like Larry Graham. He continued his music education at Riverside City College and Cal State University Los Angeles, focusing on music composition and ensemble performance.
  • Eric's professional career took a significant turn when he joined the international group Up With People, traveling extensively and performing at the 1982 Super Bowl halftime show. Later, he formed Z’looke, which achieved success with a top-charting R&B single and appearances on shows like Soul Train.
    After years of performing in cover bands and adapting to digital music production during the COVID-19 lockdown, Eric now releases music under the name Eric J’rome and collaborates with long-time partner Lisa Lyon. Recently ordained as a minister, he serves as the bassist for Calvary Baptist Church of Santa Monica and performs at memorial services, utilizing music's healing power to support those grieving.