Orquesta Alto Maiz
"The Salsa Band"
Ed East
percussion
Ed East was born and raised in Panama City, Panama where he began studying classical guitar at the National Conservatory. As a high school student he began playing percussion and trumpet, landing his first professional gig while still in high school. Later he received a scholarship from the Institute of International Education to study music at the University of Northern Iowa where he earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree. He graduated with honors and was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and was a charter member of the University's Kappa Kappa Psi chapter. While at UNI he studied trumpet with Dr. Keith Johnson and was a member of the Orchestra, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, the Carillon Brass, and the Faculty Jazz Quintet. He has taught instrumental music in grades 5 through 12 since 1984 and is listed in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers." He presents clinics on Diversity, Latin American music and performance, and multi-cultural music education. He adjudicates jazz festivals, concert band festivals, and has been a guest conductor for the Northern Festival of Bands. He performs Central, South American and Caribbean Folk-based music as a member of the duo "Calle Sur" with Colombian-born artist Karin "La Negra" Stein, in Latin quartet "Tropicante" and with "Los Llaneros". More recently Ed has begun performing jazz as a vocalist, jazz and world music as a singer/guitarist playing classical and synthesized guitar, and founded and directs "The Afro-Latin Project," a 15-member song, drum and dance ensemble that celebrates the African influence in the music and dances of Latin America.
