Annual Conference/The 98th National Association of College Deans, Registrars and Admissions Officers Annual Conference

Paul Brown

Mr. Brown is a Los Angeles, California native, and a two-time Grammy Award winner, both as an artist and producer, is responsible for more than sixty #1 contemporary jazz radio hits and has had 7 solo projects over the past 12 years.  He has performed with R&B legends such as Diana Ross, Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Patti Austin, Boney James, Norman Brown and Peter White, just to name a few.  Paul’s most recent album, Soul Searching with guitar icon Larry Carlton is one of many collaborations over the years. He is best known for his deep funk and cool urban vibes.  He has performed at venues all over the world.

Dr. Lenora Helm-Hammonds   

Dr. Helm-Hammonds is a Chicago, Illinois native, former U.S. Jazz Ambassador, two-time Fulbright Senior Music Specialist, and a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Music and Jazz Studies Program at North Carolina Central University.  Dr. Helm-Hammonds’ achievements in academia are in addition to more than three decades as a recording artist. P/K/A Lenora Zenzalai Helm, she is acclaimed as a jazz vocalist, vocal musicianship coach, lyricist, composer, arranger, and big band bandleader.  She has eight commercially released recordings, her own recording and publishing company, Baoule Works Music Publishing.

Robert Trowers and the NCCU Jazz Band  

Mr. Trowers is a Brooklyn New York native, 40 year veteran of the international Jazz circuit.  He has played with some of the finest and best known ensembles and artists in Jazz.  Some of his performance credits include the Lionel Hampton Band, Illinois Jacquet Big Band, Count Basie Orchestra, as well as, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra under Wynton Marsalis, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band under Jon Faddis, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Chico O’Farrill’s Afro Cuban Orchestra and David Murray.  He was also the last regular trombonist with Randy Weston’s African Rhythms.