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MIMA Music Board of Trustees

Jonathan M. Barnes
J.D. Stanford University '07
A.B. Philosophy- Princeton University '03

Christoph Alexander Geiseler
MIMA Music Founder and Executive Director
A.B. Politics- Princeton University '04

Adam Nemett
M.F.A. California University of the Arts '08
A.B. Religion- Princeton University '03

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MIMA Music Formal Advisory Board

Prof. Anthony Branker                       Dr. Scott Burnham
Director, Jazz Studies                             Chair, Music Department
Princeton University                               Princeton University

Vice President Janet Dickerson         Mrs. Phoebe Jacobs
Vice President for Campus Life                Executive Vice President
Princeton University                               Louis Armstrong Ed. Foundation

Prof. Lawrence Lessig                        Dr. John Logan
Center for Internet and Society              Literature Bibliographer
Stanford University                                Princeton University 

Dr. Stanley N. Katz                              Rev. Paul Raushenbush  
Faculty Chair, Woodrow Wilson School    Associate Dean, Religious Life
Princeton University                               Princeton University 

Dr. Cornel West
Professor, Religion Department
Princeton University

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MIMA Music Staff

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EXECUTIVE STAFF

Christoph Alexander Geiseler
Founder and Executive Director

Assignment:
The Executive Director expands MIMA Music locally and internationally by partnering with State Governments, international NGO's, and cultural centers. The Executive Director oversees the development of a self-sustaining SpinJazz franchise model in Beijing, Los Angeles, Madrid, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Princeton, and Rio de Janeiro.

Job Description:
SpinJazz program development, educational research, webdesign, artist relations, event management, video production, fundraising, public relations, press, and marketing.

Age: 26
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Degree: A.B. Politics, Princeton University '04 (cum laude)

Languages: English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Instruments: Guitar (10 years), disc jockey (8 years)
Musical influences: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Fela Kuti, Amon Tobim, RJD2, Joaquin Rodrigo, Nick Drake, Nina Simone, Brad Meldau, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Bob Marley, Llorca, St. Germain...and everything live and improvised.

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Alan Gaskill
Communications Director

Assignment:
The Communications Director oversees the development of educational and multimedia services.

Job Description:
Public relations, translation, cultural exchange, musical composition, curriculum development and publishing.

Age: 25
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Degree: B.S. Communications - Theater, Northwestern University '04

Languages:
English, conversational Mandarin & Portuguese
Instruments: Voice, piano, guitar (10 years)
Musical influences: Django Reinhardt, Brazilian music like Antonio Carlos Jobim, Baden Powell, Luiz Bonfa, Caetano Veloso, Joao Gilberto; tangos by D'Arienzo, Di Sarli, Triolo; Joe Pass, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, and Gogol Bordello and Tie Han.

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Johanna A. Boccardo
Artistic Director

Assignment:
The Artistic Director oversees the development of SpinJazz brand awareness, image, and projection through multimedia and publishing initiatives.

Job Description:
Public relations, news, illustrations, graphic design, merchandise, and fashion.

Age: 31
Hometown: Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela.
Degree: B.A. Fine Arts & Illustration, Ringling School of Design '02. M.A. Marketing, EADA, Barcelona, Spain, '04

Languages: English, Spanish, French
Instruments: watercolors, sable brushes, pencils, pen & ink (12 years).
Musical influences: African beats, improvised music, and silly little tunes.

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INTERNATIONAL STAFF

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Jonathann Rice
Educational Director - Atlanta, GA

Assignment: 
The Educational Director launches the SpinJazz Music Program in Atlanta, Georgia and lays the foundations for future SpinJazz programs in Atlanta, Georgia.

Job Description:
Field research, partnership building, project management, and public relations.

Age: 22
Hometown: Carrollton, GA
Degree: A.B. Religion, Princeton University '07

Languages: English
Instruments:
Guitar (6 years), classical piano (5 years)
Musical influences: blues/classic rock, experimental/indie.

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Alison Peabody Southwell
Educational Director — Los Angeles, CA

Assignment:
The Educational Director collaborates with Education Through Music (ETM Los Angeles) to launch the SpinJazz Music Program at the St. Sebastian School in Los Angeles and lays the foundations for future SpinJazz programs in Los Angeles, CA.

Job Description:
Project management, jam session facilitation, curriculum development, intern training, and public relations.

Age: 23
Hometown: Sierra Madre, CA
Degree: B.M. Manhattan School of Music '05, M.M UCLA '08

Languages: English, conversational Italian
Instruments: Voice (12 years)
Musical Influences: thelonious monk, maria callas, baden powell, jimi hendrix, birds, trombone

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MADRID, SPAIN

Dana Sarnak
SpinJazz Program Manager — Madrid, Spain

Assignment:
The Program Manager in Madrid oversees the SpinJazz music program at the African Cultural Center in Madrid, Spain and the attendance and bookkeeping of staff, interns, and students. The program manager documents the progress of the SpinJazz program in the form of a case study for the US Embassy in Madrid, Spain. Project salary is provided by the US Embassy in Madrid.

Job Description:
Intern coordination, interviews, scheduling, publicity, and program development, expansion, and research. 

Age: 22
Hometown: Palo Alto, California
Degree: A.B. Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Cultures, Princeton University '06 (cum laude)

Languages: English, Spanish
Instruments:
Piano (8 years)
Musical influences: The Beatles, Groove Armada, Moby, Bob Marley, Buena Vista Social Club, Stevie Wonder, Radio Soulwax, Beck, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, Gipsy Kings, Santana, Marvin Gaye, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Ministry of Sound, Rage Against the Machine, Scissor Sisters, The Who, Rolling Stones, Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, Fito y Fitipaldis.

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Erik Dijkstra
Educational Director — Madrid, Spain

Assignment:
The Educational Director in Madrid collaborates with the Spanish NGO Fundeso , the Communidad de Madrid, and Rodriguez Guitars by managing the music school and the SpinJazz Music Program at the African Cultural Center in Madrid, Spain. The mission is laying the foundation for future SpinJazz programs at the African Cultural Center and elsewhere in Madrid; training college interns from American exchange programs and Spanish universities will prepare them to replicate the program in the future. The international training and teaching model developed by the Educational Director in the "Sala MIMA Music" in Madrid will be replicated in other countries. Project salary is provided by the US Embassy in Madrid.

Job Description:
Weekly kids and adult group music instruction at the African Cultural Center in Madrid, Spain: project management, jam session facilitation, sound engineering/recording, curriculum development, intern training, and public relations.

Age: 29
Hometown: Florianopolis, Brazil
Degree: B.S. Technical Production, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil '04

Languages: English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese
Instruments:
Percussion (8 years)
Musical influences: Mamady Keita, Luis Kinugawa and study of Kuku, Djansa, Yankadi/Makru, Soli, Balakulandjan, Soko, Samba, Chôro, Côco, Baião, Ijexá, Ciranda and Maracatu.

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Caleb Dance
Educational Director — New Olreans, LA

Assignment: 
The Educational Director launches the SpinJazz Music Program at the Sophie B. Wright School and lays the foundations for future SpinJazz programs in New Orleans, LA by training interns from Tulane University.

Job Description:
Weekly kids group music instruction at the Sophie B. Wright School: project management, jam session facilitation, sound engineering/recording, curriculum development, intern training, and public relations.

Age: 22
Hometown: Denver, CO
Degree: B.A. in Latin and Philosophy, Tulane University '06

Languages: English, Latin, Ancient Greek
Instruments:
Flute (13 years), Sax (9 years)
Musical influences: Paul Desmond, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Bela Fleck.

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Alex Mitnick
Educational Director- New York, NY

Assignment: 
The Educational Director manages the SpinJazz Music Program at the Future Leader's Institute Charter School in Harlem, NY (FLI) and works with interns from Columbia University's Teacher's College to lay the foundations for future SpinJazz programs at FLI and elsewhere in New York. SpinJazz music lessons include group music appreciation, practice, improvisation, songwriting, recording, and performance. The ultimate goal of this project is to build community through music and give Middle School children the opportunity to be creative and record their own compositions. Project salary provided by FLI.

Job description:
Weekly kids group music instruction, jam session facilitation, sound engineering/recording, project and curriculum development, intern training, and public relations.

Age: 30
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Degree: Bachelors of Music - Jazz Guitar, University of the Arts '99

Languages: English
Instruments: Guitar, voice, percussion, piano, composition, studio recording/production (15 years)
Musical influences: Paul Simon, Pat Metheny, Led Zepellin, Pat Martino, Indian Classical Music, anything Brazilian and world music in general.

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PARIS, FRANCE

Christine E. Angel McLaren Riordan
Educational Director — Paris, France

Assignment: 
The Educational Director launches the SpinJazz Music Program in Paris, France, lays the foundations for future SpinJazz programs in France, and builds public relationships with the French fashion industry.

Job Description:
Field research, partnership building, project management, and public relations.

Hometown: Paris, France
Degree: A.B. Astrophysics and Music, Princeton University '06

Languages: English, French
Instruments: Piano, Violin, Electric Violin, Drums, Bass, Guitar
Musical influences: Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninov, Nina Simone, James Booker, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, the Ray Brown Trio.

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

Chuck Staab
Educational Director — Philadelphia, PA and Princeton, NJ

Assignment: 
The Educational Director in Princeton/Philadelphia launches the SpinJazz Music Program in Philadelphia, PA, trains interns from the University of the Arts, the University of Pennsylvania, and Temple University, and oversees the continuation of SpinJazz Music Programs in Trenton and Newark, NJ that feature interns from Princeton University.  SpinJazz music lessons include group music appreciation, practice, improvisation, songwriting, and performance for children. Project salary for one year is provided by the Princeton Alumni Class of 1956 ReachOut '56 Fund.

Job description:
Weekly kids group music instruction, jam session facilitation, sound engineering/recording, project and curriculum development, intern training, and public relations.

Age: 22
Hometown: Ocean City, NJ
Degree: A.B. Music, certificate in music performance and French, Princeton University '07

Languages: English, French, and conversational Spanish.
Instruments: Percussion (10 years)
Musical influences: Private Percussion Study with David Jackson, Jeff Ballard, and Ralph Peterson.  Music Compostion Study with Anthony D. J. Branker, Dan Trueman, and Barbara White. Influences: Tony Williams, Jeff Ballard, Elvin Jones, Philly Jo Jones, Mickey Roker, Miles Davis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Zakir Hussain, Brad Mehldau, Trane, Chick Corea, Ralph Bowen, Brian Blade, Ralph Peterson, Ravel, Steve Reich, Philip Glass.

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PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY

Janet Kim
SpinJazz Program Manager- Princeton, NJ

Assignment: 
The Program Manager in Princeton oversees the SpinJazz music program and the attendance and bookkeeping of staff, interns, and students at five sites in Trenton, NJ. The Program Manager documents the progress of the SpinJazz program in the form of a case study for MIMA Music and Princeton University.

Job Description:
Weekly kids group music instruction at various sites in Trenton, NJ: project management, jam session facilitation, sound engineering/recording, curriculum development, intern training, and public relations.

Age: 19
Hometown: Tenafly, NJ
Degree: A.B. Russian Language and Culture, Princeton University '09

Languages: English, Spanish, Russian
Instruments: Guitar (6 years), Oboe (8 years)
Musical influences: Classical, jazz, blues, world music.

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Matthew Wong
Assistant Educational Director — Princeton, NJ

Assignment: 
The Assistant Educational Director in Princeton serves as the liaison between the program manager and educational director. The Assistant Educational Director learns to assume the responsibilities of the Educational Director and eventually becomes an Educational Director.

Job Description:
Weekly kids group music instruction at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton, NJ and various sites in Trenton, NJ: project management, jam session facilitation, sound engineering/recording, curriculum development, intern training, and public relations.

Age: 21
Hometown: Vancouver, WA
Degree: A.B. East Asian Studies (Princeton University '09)

Languages: English, Mandarin
Instruments: Bass guitar (8 years)
Musical influences: Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Scot Lafaro, Ron Carter, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Miles Davis.

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Nicolas Bell
Educational Director— Oakland, CA

Assignment: 
The Educational Director launches the SpinJazz Music Program at the Impact Academy in 2008 and lays the foundations for future SpinJazz programs in Oakland, CA by training interns from University of California Berkeley.

Job Description:
Weekly kids group music instruction at Impact Academy: project management, jam session facilitation, sound engineering/recording, curriculum development, intern training, and public relations.

Age: 23
Hometown: Oakland, CA
Degree: B.A. in Cultural Anthropology, Stanford University, '06

Languages: English, Spanish, beginning Portuguese
Instruments: Guitar (12 years), African/Latin Percussion (4 years)
Musical Influences: Dave Matthews, Tom Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Bob
Dylan, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Mississippi John Hurt

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Available international staff and intern positions include:

Webmaster
Marketing Director
Executive Assistant
Production Director
Fundraising Director

Interested? Please send a letter of inquiry to:

info "at" mimamusic "dot" org