Craig @ The Library

Photo: Chris Ford

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     Murray is currently the choral director at Rio Linda High School (go here to see the school's website). His classes range from beginning band, beginning choir, beginning guitar, vocal jazz ensemble, and advanced guitar. The vocal jazz ensemble - Rio NYN - won its first award in the history of the school this last year. They took 4th at the 2nd annual CSU Sacramento Jazz Festival.  At the Folsom Jazz Festival (one of the largest and most prestigious high school competitions) they improved over last year's score (the first ever festival for the vocal music department at RLHS) by 75points and were set right in the middle of the pack.

     Murray finished his student teaching at Bear River High School in both the Instrumental (under the direction of David Ahrens) and Vocal Music (under the direction of Cherry Hayes, MA) departments. He was working with the Jazz Band, Jazz Combo - Vocal Jazz (Jazz Unlimited), the Concert Band, a guitar class, Men's Chorus, and Women's Chorus. His credentials were earned through National University. 

     Previous to student teaching, Mr. Murray worked with Nevada Union High School's instrumental music department for two years (under the direction of Ken Carter). He was the assistant instrumental director of jazz studies. He was charged with the "B" jazz band (those students that were brand new to jazz) and the vocal jazz ensemble. 

     At California State University Sacramento  Murray has been studying music education, jazz arranging, and composition. He has worked with Professor Kerry Marsh in Vox2, a  vocal jazz ensemble, in the  Fall 2003 (and in private arranging lessons for vocal and instrumental jazz). He has also studied with Professor Jeff Edom while learning the craft of arranging for marching bands, stand bands and writing drill for the marching band. Further Murray has studied with Dr. Stephen Blumberg for advanced composition, which has led him to the desire of obtaining his PhD in music composition.

     Craig earned a BS in Liberal Studies: Music from the Union Institute & University in 1997 and a MA in film scoring from California State University Chico in 2003. At the Union he studied with John Gonsalves. At CSU Chico he studied with Dr. David Colson, Dr. Ray Barker, Keith Seppanen, Dr. Lloyd Roby, Dr. Jeffery Gemmel and Rocky Winslow. He had a private lesson, where a new major work was required for choir, with Dr. Robert Convery. Mr. Murray also was able to spend time with Dr. George Crumb when he came to CSU Chico to do a new recording of some of his works. 

     Murray also attended Shasta College where he was a soloist in both instrumental and vocal jazz ensembles and was a member of " 'nightwind' " an audition only vocal jazz ensemble. He also was a member of the Community college honor band and honor choir. At Brigham Young University he played in the marching band, concert band and a graduate brass choir.

     Craig hails from Shasta High School, in Redding, California, where he was in the instrumental music department. He played Euphonium and Trumpet. His music classes included: Band, Marching Band, Pep Band, Jazz Band, and the orchestral pit for four musicals (Hello Dolly, Brigadoon, The King and I, and South Pacific). During his tenure at Shasta High he had the great honor to perform two world premieres: "Slava" - Leonard Bernstein, and "Norwegian Rhapsody" - Clare Grundman. Mr. Murray was a member of California's All State Honor Band, a Performer at the Western Division of the MENC in Anaheim, California, and toured Europe in an audition only ensemble sponsored by America's Youth in Concert. In the AYC tour he was a soloist on a world premiere of Sir William Walton's "Spitfire Prelude and Fugue."

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