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Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Shirley Johnson ( www.Vjeverica.com ) has been singing, dancing, and performing music since she was 10 years old. She is comfortable performing as a soloist, often strolling while playing and singing Italian or French music, or in bands playing Celtic, Gypsy Jazz, Balkan, Polka/German, Klezmer, etc. music. Shirley’s musical career has taken her many places: playing the accordion at Czechoslovakian festivals, singing with the Duke University Chorale at Carnegie Hall in NYC and Disney World, and touring in Northern Spain. From 1992 to 1994, living in Rome, Italy, Shirley sang with the “Coro Misto” of “L’Accademia della Filarmonica, ” performing throughout Rome, including St. Peter’s Basilica, Italian radio and TV, and at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II’s “Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust.”
Currently she lives in Austin, TX, and performs professionally with “The Oom-Pahs” (Polka) and with “Julie Slim and RendezVous” (French Jazz). Shirley’s 3rd CD, “Dancing Angels,” features several of Austin’s finest musicians. She teaches accordion privately and is co-producer of the
“Not Just OOM-PAH!” Accordion Concert and Workshop series.
David Janes is a recently retired Information Technology Director of Software Engineering in the medical laboratory healthcare industry. With almost 40 years of work experience, he brings a wealth of project and program management to IAMP.
As a musician hobbyist, he has played the saxophone for almost 50 years. He is the principal alto saxophonist and section leader for a local Dallas area community band for over 35 years. He has been a featured soloist with this band, performing classical saxophone music and standard ballads. David is also a member of a community college saxophone quartet, He has attended and performed at regional and national saxophone conferences playing world premieres of music written for the quartet and standard ensemble repertoire.
David "inherited" a small button accordion in the early 1980's that belonged to his grandfather, who immigrated to US from Slovenia and brought this accordion with him. Since it was not in working order, David bought a full sized piano accordion, began accordion lessons, and has been a closet accordionist ever since, only playing publicly in orchestra settings.
David is an avid landscape photographer who also enjoys astronomy and travel, especially to US National Parks.
Laura Niland (Co-Administrator) is an accomplished accordionist of Jazz & European International Music. She is the President of the San Antonio Accordion Association and has ties to many accordion clubs and associations throughout the US. Laura was the Concert & Convention Coordinator for the 2016 National Accordion Association. Convention. She is a retired mathematics educator who taught for 34 years.
Laura is co-producer of the “Not Just OOM-PAH!” Accordion Concert and Workshop series. www.NotJustOompah.org