Mike Titlebaum

Saxophonist/composer/arranger Mike Titlebaum is Director of Jazz Studies at Ithaca College, where he directs large jazz ensembles, coaches small combos, teaches jazz saxophone and courses in jazz improvisation, arranging, pedagogy and history. He is the founding member of the Ithaca Jazz Quartet and the creator of the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble Composition Contest and the Ithaca All-Star Jazz Invitational for aspiring high school jazz musicians.

He was born and raised in Rochester, NY, where he earned his BM in Saxophone Performance from the Eastman School of Music in 1991, as well as the coveted Performer's Certificate in Saxophone. He received his MM in 1992 from Eastman in Jazz and Contemporary Media. He has studied with wonderful musicians and teachers such as Rayburn Wright, Ramon Ricker, Fred Sturm, Bill Dobbins, Russell Schmidt, Rich Thompson, Manny Albam, Samuel Adler, Al Regni, Elizabeth Marvin, and many others. As a student, he won nine "DeeBee" awards from DownBeat magazine in multiple categories, including Jazz Performance (on both saxophone and trumpet), Classical Performance, Jazz Arranging, and Jazz Composition.

In 1994, Titlebaum moved to New York City where he enjoyed a very diverse career. He played in many of New York's world famous musical venues, including the Blue Note, Smalls, Augies, Fez/Time Café and the infamous CBGB's as well as the pit orchestra of the Broadway musical "Cats." He has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, and with dozens of internationally recognized artists and groups such as Jason Robert Brown, Red Rodney, Randy Brecker, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, Cab Calloway, Jeff Tyzik, Natalie Cole, Billy Taylor, Mel Torme, Manhattan Transfer, Branford Marsalis, Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, Paquito D'Rivera, and many others.

Titlebaum has published numerous compositions and arrangements through Lorenz (Heritage Jazz Works), Advance Music, and GIA Publications. Recent performances of his compositions include a performance of "World War II Pizza Man" by the Grinnell Symphony Orchestra in 2007, a performance of "Round Chi-Town" by the Nebraska All-State Jazz Ensemble in 2007, and the recording of "Ornetti" which was released on the disc "With Gratitude" by the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble in 2005.

His interest in educating musicians of all ages has brought Titlebaum to schools and universities across the country where he has directed all-county jazz ensembles and done numerous lectures, clinics and performances. In 1999 he founded the jazz studies department at the American Festival for the Arts in Houston, and subsequently directed the department for 5 summers. He has been on the faculty of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee and the Eastman School of Music, and has taught a wide variety of musical topics at multiple schools in the New York City area.

The Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble

The Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble is the premier jazz group at Ithaca College, which currently has three big bands and multiple combos. Led by jazz studies director Mike Titlebaum, the ensemble studies everything from classic jazz
repertoire to cutting-edge composers in the big band idiom. This year, the band has performed historic transcriptions of Duke Ellington compositions, authentic Count Basie arrangements, and classic works of Thad Jones and Bob Brookmeyer as well as Grammy-nominated composer John Hollenbeck. The group also encourages the creation of new works by running an annual jazz composition contest. On March 5th, 2012, the group will perform an completely memorized "head chart" concert where no music stands will be on stage.

The jazz ensemble, which is often partially comprised of music education students, places significant emphasis on pedagogy. The group works with school-age musicians on a regular basis. In recent years, the group has performed at the NYSSMA Winter Conference, the NYSBDA Symposium, the annually at the Ithaca All-Star Jazz Invitational and with the Dryden jazz ensembles.

The group has done workshops and performed with many guest artists over the years, including Branford Marsalis, Marian McPartland, Walter White, Thad Jones, Phil Woods, John Stowell, Andy LaVerne, Gary Smulyan, Steve Wilson, Jeff Ballard, Stephanie Nakasian, Tom Harrell, Hal Galper, Marvin Stamm, Chuck Israels, and former Ithaca College jazz director Steve Brown.