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Marion Hayden
Former MSU Jazz Studies student Marion Hayden (‘81–‘84) is the second guest in the lineup of working musicians, educators and composers conducting week-long residencies focused on jazz music and performance through the College of Music. Hayden’s residency will feature streamed performance and interactive virtual sessions, mirroring the university’s switch to remote learning and performances during the pandemic. She will also “virtually tour” with the MSU Jazz Octets — an advanced ensemble featuring a big band sound through a small group.
Remote sessions, video conferencing and interactive webinars will be tailored for different audiences that include MSU jazz studies students, high school students, students at the MSU Community Music Schools in East Lansing and Detroit, and the general public. The week-long residency wraps with a high-energy video performance of Hayden and the Jazz Octets that is free and open to the public via the college’s Livestream channel on Nov. 6.
“Marion Hayden was one of my role models growing up in the City of Detroit. Her sense of swing and sophistication had a profound effect on me as a young aspiring bassist,” said director of jazz studies Rodney Whitaker. “She embodies the Detroit jazz tradition of performing with and mentoring the next generation of jazz musicians. She’s the perfect guest artist to join our line-up and show that the spirit of jazz continues to thrive in these unusual and challenging times.”
Hailing from the Detroit legacy of bassists, Hayden displays openness and mobility through her playing, tempered by an unwavering sense of time and a lyrical solo style. A co-founder of the jazz quintet Straight Ahead, a five-woman ensemble, she has recorded with Atlantic Jazz and performed with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Ellis Marsalis, Kirk Lightsey, Martha Reeves and many other prominent jazz musicians. Hayden has received rave reviews from publications ranging from the Detroit Free Press to the Boston Globe to the New York Times. Hayden is a former masters student in MSU’s jazz studies program.
The Jazz Artist in Residence series is made possible through an endowment from the MSU Federal Credit Union. Since 2013, the program has attracted high-level talent and serves as a model for jazz studies programs nationwide. All combined, the residencies of the 27 artists to-date included workshops, concerts, events and outreach to more than 35,000 students and adults at non-profit organizations, middle and high schools, and communities across Michigan.
Hayden is the second in the dynamic line-up of MSUFCU Jazz Artists in Residence currently scheduled for the 2020-21 season. She is followed by jazz guitarist Dave Stryker in December, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon in February and saxophonist Charles McPherson in March. The series kicked-off in September with jazz trumpeter Terell Stafford.
Patrons and donors who have enjoyed the talents of faculty, students and visiting artists are encouraged to show their support of music during this challenging time. Please consider donating what you would have spent for season tickets or to attend a concert by clicking here to submit your secure online gift to go.msu.edu/give-music.
For more information about donating or sponsoring events this fall, email music.giving@msu.edu or call the College of Music Advancement Office at 517-353-9872.