Orquesta Alto Maiz
"The Salsa Band"
Rich Medd
trombone
Rich Medd has taught at Iowa City West High School since the 1995. He directs the West High School Symphonic Band, Varsity Band, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Band II, and co-directs the Marching Band and Pep Bands at West. He has also taught high school band in the communities of Preston, Williamsburg and Clinton Iowa. Rich received his Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Iowa in 1987.
The West High School Jazz Ensemble has qualified for the Iowa Jazz Championships the last twelve years, finishing in first place in 2001 and 2003, second place in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and in third place in 1997 and 1998. He has served as a jazz band clinician and judge in Iowa and Illinois. He is past-president of the Iowa Unit of the International Association of Jazz Educators.
Rich performs as a trombonist throughout Iowa and Illinois. He is a member of Orquesta de Jazz y Salsa Alto Maiz, The Rod Pierson Big Band, Chris Merz's X-tet, and the Odd Tone Brass Band. He also performs for shows and musicals for various touring companies. He has recently performed in groups backing up such artists as Aretha Franklin ,Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Ray Charles, the musicals Ragtime and The Full Monty, The Moody Blues, The Temptations, Wayne Newton, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole and John Pizzarelli. He has worked as a musician at Disneyland in California and at Opryland in Nashville. He toured Europe in July 1998 and the West Coast in July 2002 with Alto Maiz. Alto Maiz performed at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in December 2004.
Rich and his wife Stacey, an ELL teacher in the Iowa City schools, are the parents of Gabriel who plays trumpet. See WWW.gabemedd.com.
