Dr. Darden Purcell is a jazz vocalist and the Director of Jazz Studies at George Mason University.  Joe McMurray and Aaron Sefchick have a wonderful time talking with Darden about her musical journey, her duties as a "Director of Jazz Studies," how to transition to singing jazz music, and specifics on vocal technique and practice.

In part 1 of 1, Darden tells the guys about how she started singing jazz music, her experiences singing in the U.S. Air Force Band, her time working and performing in Nashville, and her experience in graduate school at the University of Illinois.  They discuss the music scenes in New Orleans, New York, and Chicago.

Darden explains her duties as the Director of Jazz Studies at George Mason.  They discuss trends in the incoming pools of students and how they are related to trends in society.  They also talk about Darden's students and some of her teaching approaches.

Darden has released two albums, and she gives insight into her studio experiences, her influences while producing these albums, and the unintentional consequences of releasing an album with complicated arrangements (it's hard to gig!).Find out more about Darden at http://www.dardenpurcell.com/.  Find out more about George Mason's music programs at https://music.gmu.edu/.

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