2022 Genesis Summer Guest Artist Series

Jazz is the great leveler as an art form and one of today’s most brilliant contemporary jazz artists to bless us with her story, is Aubrey Logan. A singer, trombone player and a songwriter, her body of work is underscored by the integrity of a performer that is able to stretch herself emotionally across a musical landscape that defies description. Complex and still retaining the intimacy of stories that are both personal and inspiring, Aubrey is able to bring a wealth of experience to her song writing that touches the deepest part of the human experience. Recognized on the global stage as a performer who can deliver in the most informal of settings and then to huge festival audiences, her work is praised as being accessible, fresh and dynamic. It shines a light on an artform that can at times appear exclusive and hard to connect with. Aubrey certainly flips that narrative on its head and allows the music to bask in the sunlight; introducing new generations of listeners to her world of sophisticated songs. With a number one album ‘Where the Sunshine is Expensive’ already under her belt, Aubrey returns to the spotlight with her follow up collection, STANDARD. Once again diving deep into her Jazz roots, STANDARD is a journey into her musical past with covers of the some of the most recognizable tracks that have ever been made, plus her original work ‘Done Pretending’ and ‘Louboutins 2.0’. Having worked with some incredible names in the past, including Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Josh Groban, Smokey Robinson, Patrice Rushen and Pharrell Williams, Aubrey can bring those unique perspectives to the music she delivers. Moving between Jazz, Funk, tender love songs, to Calypso-infused rhythms and traditionally inspired fusions, her vocals and trombone playing sway between the caress of a long-lost love to triumphant powerhouse performances that simply blow the mind. As the world has endured the most difficult year, Aubrey continues to produce music that brings hope, joy and that touch of fun to her audiences. Sassy, undeniably gifted and with talent to burn, Aubrey Logan is that Jazz artist that you need in your life. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreyloganmusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubrey_logan/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/aubreyloganmusic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5GIBLQgzkZKjBDRhVQ4j1z?si=5dH28ANCQhOMm38c4_MQEg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/aubrey-logan/878480635

FRAN KICK, educational consultant, author and professional speaker, is the creator and presenter of KICK IT IN® a series of self-motivational personal leadership presentations and materials. Since taking an educational leave of absence from teaching in 1991, he has developed his part time speaking adventure into a full time mission. Today, Fran presents over one hundred programs every year across the country to thousands of college/university, high school and junior high/middle school students, plus the many people who work with them. In addition, he works with association/convention and corporate organizations who are actively engaged in teaching and reaching kids. Fran speaks at many state, regional & national conferences and has consulted with numerous schools, organizations & companies. From fifth-grade students to Fortune 500 professionals Fran Kick always KICKs IT IN! In 1999, he earned the National Speakers Association’s most prestigious designation the CSP or Certified Speaking Professional. (You have heard of a CPA designation for accountants… this is a similar designation for speakers.) Every year from 1992-1997 Fran presented over a dozen Regional Leadership Workshop programs with Attitude Concepts for Today, Inc., a nationally recognized seminar/workshop company specializing in youth. In addition to his busy travel schedule, Fran taught as a consulting adjunct faculty member at Wilmington College (Ohio) and served as the consulting director for the Wilmington Leadership Institute from 1995-1998. During this time, Wilmington College was recognized by the National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs and the Higher Education Research Institute as one of the top 16 programs in the U.S. The program was also selected for inclusion in the 7th Edition of the Center for Creative Leadership Education Source Book. Having spent three years as a psychology assistant in a clinical practice as well as a consulting associate for a child & youth development center, Fran has experience counseling students weekly on a one-to-one basis. He has also appeared on television a number of times including WDTN-TV News, an NBC affiliate, and WRGT-TV, an affiliate of the FOX Television Network, where he was the host and co-producer for the TV show TEENTALK.

Key Poulan is a composer and arranger with an expertise in the marching arts. He has composed and/or arranged for the world’s most famous drum corps including the Santa Clara Vanguard, Mandarins, Genesis, Glassmen, Spirit of Atlanta, Cascades, Spartans, Fusion Core, Hurricanes, Caballeros, Sunrisers, Raiders, Millennium (Italy), Juliana (Netherlands), Siamyth (Thailand), Star United and the Mass Brass Mini Corps. He is currently on the design team for the Virtual Arts Indoor Winds Program through WGI and was the wind arranger for the WGI group Chromium Winds (The Cavaliers) and won back-to-back Gold Medals in their first 2 years of existence. As the owner of Key Poulan Music, he has been recognized as one of the country’s top arrangers and composers in the area of contemporary marching band, has several concert band works to his credit. His marching band arrangements have won several national titles at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Championships. His works have won many state titles throughout the United States and have been performed around the world. His transcription of “The Promise of Living” from Copland’s “Tender Land” was extremely well received at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival and his original works “Carnegie Fanfare and Dance” and “A Fortune in Steel” were premiered at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. As an alumnus from East Texas State University (Now Texas A&M, Commerce), Key explored his love for percussion through a recently commissioned marimba solo project titled “Scarabs”. Formal Education Key Poulan graduated from Marshall High School in Marshall, Texas in 1980 after starting band in Lindale Texas. Key received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from East Texas State University (currently Texas A & M – Commerce) in 1985 and had the opportunity of studying under many fine educators including: Gary Hill, Dave Ward, Dr. Robert Houston, and Dr. Gene Lockhart. Key studied trombone under the late Dr. Neill Humfeld and composition with Dr. Ronald Yates and Dr. Margaret Wheat at ETSU. Key also credits his success to his mentors: Philip Geiger, Bill Watson, Eddie Green, Dr. Lawrence Sutherland, Dr. Gary Gilroy, Dr. Jerry Payne, Melvin Reddic, Hubert “Butch” Almany and the person who started him on trombone in the 5th grade – Jasper Huff.

Chris Cook is elated to be entering into his second year as the director of the McKinney High School Color Guard. Mr. Cook’s experience in the performing arts spans over 15 years, during which he has worked as a visual performing arts consultant specializing in choreographic services, technical program development and enhancement, and show design consultations. He has worked with a variety of performing arts programs and notable events including: Carolina Crown, Phantom Regiment, Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps, Reverie, Cypress Independent, UCF Pegasus A, Open, and World, Orlando Visual, Lyman High School, William R. Boone High School, West Shore School District, and the Super Bowl LI Half Time Show. Prior to joining McKinney High School, Mr. Cook worked as an associate representative for the Universal Studios Orlando program development team where he helped to develop, improve, and implement various educational programs for the theme park. While with Universal, he was integral to the development of the youth program, Marketing is Universal: Keeping the Guest at Heart, including educational content, slide decks, activities, and supplemental documents used for the program. He also assisted in the enhancement of programs such as Sound Design: Music and the Art of Foley, The Business Learning Series, Dance is Universal!, Food for Thought, and Transformers Roll Out. Mr. Cook currently holds a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Business from the University of Central Florida.

Mr. Michael Huestis has been involved in music education since 1991 and has taught at Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, American Fork High School in American Fork, Utah and The Colony High School in North Dallas. In 2016 Mr. Huestis accepted a position teaching the Prosper Mighty Eagle Band in Prosper, TX. Throughout his career Mr. Huestis’ bands, percussion ensembles and drumlines have performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Music for All National Percussion Festival, MENC Biennial Conference, Bands of American Grand National Championships, President Bush’s inaugural parade in Washington D.C., the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and the Drum Corps International World Championships. Mr. Huestis was featured as one of the “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” by “School Band and Orchestra Magazine in 2008. Mr. Huestis earned his Bachelor of Music Degree was from the University of North Texas and a Masters in Percussion Performance from B.Y.U. A highly sought after composer and arranger, Mr. Huestis has served as the percussion arranger for Pacific Crest Drum & Bugle Corps from Diamond Bar, CA and Genesis Drum & Bugle Corps in Austin, TX. His compositions are published by JKS Music, Rowloff, Key Poulan Publications and HuestisMusic Publications. Michael is the author of the classroom method, “Developing the Percussionist-Musician” which was developed for middle school and high school students. Mr. Huestis has presented clinics and master classes at numerous state music education association conventions and universities. His professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, Jazz Educators Network and the Percussive Arts Society, where he served one term as a chapter president.