Richard Saunders will have the honor this week and weekend of performing at the 2007 GRAMMY Awards celebrations. The 16-year-old Simsbury High School student is a tenor who will sing with the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Choir, comprised of himself and seven other students from across the country.
According to the GRAMMY Foundation Web site: "The GRAMMY Foundation has announced the 30 talented high school students from across North America who have been selected for positions in the 2007 Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles. Their selection launches them into the spotlight surrounding the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards and provides them with unparalleled opportunities to rehearse and perform in front of some of music's biggest names.
"Gibson Guitar and Baldwin Piano have partnered with the GRAMMY Foundation since 2003 to provide students with this extraordinary musical experience. The students, who represent 25 cities, 14 states and two Canadian provinces, will travel to Los Angeles for a weeklong musical adventure under the direction of Justin DiCioccio of the Manhattan School of Music and Dr. Ron McCurdy of the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.
"The Ensembles will then perform at various GRAMMY Week events, including public performances at Catalina Bar & Grill (Feb. 7) and the Vic (Feb. 9). As a grand finale, they will perform at the GRAMMY Celebration after party, as well as attend the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 11 as guests of The Recording Academy."
When Saunders was informed that he was selected he said, "To say the least, I was stunned. It was unexpected, as I wasn't overly confident about my audition tape." He had to send in a DVD, which had him "singing a few required jazz standards, improvisation, and answering some interview questions. There was a prescreening, and the finalists were sent to the GRAMMY Recording Academy for final selection."
When his father Clark Saunders heard that his son was selected, he "immediately smiled ear to ear and was filled with jubilation." He thought, "Wow, what an opportunity to perform with some of the nation's best high school jazz performers!" Like his son, Clark thought that getting selected was a long-shot "given that it was a nationwide talent search." Still, he couldn't help but feel parental pride when he showed colleagues at work his son's DVD. "Richard sounded great and spoke with great poise on the DVD recording," said Clark.
Richard's childhood was filled with singing, as both of his parents are music teachers. His mother helped him with rhythm and harmony. "In regards to focusing on bringing music to a professional level," he added, "I started writing and recording my own songs in middle school. I didn't intend to try to achieve sudden stardom by writing and singing these tunes; they were simply a means of artistic expression."
Although Richard enjoys a balance of "different styles of solo singing...it was my brother, a jazz bassist, and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts that ignited my passion for jazz music. I've studied jazz
Finally, it was a friend from the academy who told him about the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles Program that prompted Richard to investigate and eventually participate. He noted that there are seven other students from across the nation performing with him in the jazz choir. "I've spoken to a few of them and heard some of their music over the internet," said Richard, "and as it turns out some are songwriters much like myself. It will be a great experience to talk to other musicians much like myself, being jazz singers as well as songwriters." They will also participate in a recording session at the Capital Records Studio in Los Angeles.
He noted that the choir anticipates performing with a few big names in jazz music, including James Moody and Phil Woods. Not only will Richard have all of these monumental performance experiences, but he will also have the potential opportunity to receive scholarship money, as university representatives will be observing rehearsals. For now, Richard admitted, "Being a junior, I'm still testing waters in terms of what colleges I'd like to apply to. Right now, I hope to be a voice and composition major."
Both of Richard's parents, Clark and Luann, will spend most of the first full week of February in California catching their son's performances. They will accompany him to the College Day Fair at the University of Southern California where the admissions representatives will be available. Clark said, "We are looking forward to an exciting trip filled with great music and unforgettable experiences!"

Note: The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture - from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of future generations of music professionals. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with The Recording Academy to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. For more information, visit www.grammyintheschools.com.