Mark Rapp (trumpet) is a distinguished trumpeter, composer, arranger, didgeridoo player, recording and touring artist and has performed with such distinct artists from Branford Marsalis to country music star Darius Rucker. Rapp has released 7 diverse recordings, and is featured on the closing track of Disney’s “Everybody Wants to be a Cat” CD. Artists such as Roy Hargrove, Dave Brubeck, Esperanza Spalding, The Bad Plus, Joshua Redman and more are also featured on this CD. Rapp’s celebrated 2009 debut release “Token Tales” (Paved Earth Music), earned him a spot as one of the “Top 25 Emerging Trumpeters” in Downbeat Magazine. His release “Good Eats” (Dinemec Jazz) had critics saying, “Rapp is quickly developing a reputation as a superb interpreter and great stylist, willing to tackle the history of this music with his eyes on the past and his mind on the present and future of this music.” – AllAboutJazz.com.
Rapp is a featured artist in Mellen Press’ “How Jazz Trumpeters Understand Their Music” among a prestigious list including Terence Blanchard, Lew Soloff, Freddie Hubbard, Tim Hagans, Dave Douglas and more. Rapp co-created and was CEO of intotheShed.com (2012-2015), an online live lessons platform servicing GRAMMY-award winners and other the top artists in jazz today. Rapp also composed and produced a jazz ballet Woven: Life in Notes and Steps. Rapp was also recently honored as SC Jazz Ambassador.
Dr. David W. Carter, Jr. currently serves as Assistant Professor of Music Education at Coastal Carolina University where he teaches undergraduate courses in music education and supervises preservice music teachers. Most recently, Carter served as the Director of Education and Outreach for Charleston Jazz–a non-profit organization focused on preserving and promoting the art of jazz. Throughout that time, Carter established a community school of music (Charleston Jazz Academy) focused on jazz education for students of all ages and experience levels.
A native of Charleston, SC, David holds his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of South Carolina, and both his Master of Music Education and Ph.D. in Music Education degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). During his time at USM, David served as a graduate assistant for both the university bands and jazz bands. As a graduate assistant for the jazz bands, he worked with Director of Jazz Studies, Mr. Larry Panella, directing the Jazz Lab Band II, coaching various jazz combos, performing in both the Jazz Lab I and the USM Jazz Sextet, and lecturing for jazz improvisation classes. His duties for the university bands included working with the marching band, the “Pride of Mississippi,” the concert ensembles, and guest lecturing for undergraduate conducting and music education classes.
David served as the Director of Bands and Fine Arts Department Chair at Cane Bay High School (Summerville, SC) where he was named the 2015 Teacher of the Year. Under his direction, his students and bands earned numerous Superior ratings at various competitions and festivals. Carter also travels throughout the southeastern United States as an active jazz, contemporary, and classical musician and clinician.
Dr. Carter’s professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Jazz Education Network (JEN), South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA), Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, Phi Beta Mu, and the South Carolina Band Directors Association (SCBDA) where he served as a member of the Jazz Committee. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Megan, and playing with his dogs—Miles, Ella, Charlie, and Abram.
Born and raised in Minnesota, jazz musician Trent Patten was introduced to music at a young age. Both his parents being musicians, it was natural for him to have an interest in music. Trent started playing the trumpet when he was 10, but didn’t have an interest in jazz until he was 17 when he attended the Hilton Head Jazz Camp. It was here that he met some of his mentors and friends that really inspired him to make others feel inspired through music, as they did to him. Around this time, Trent moved to the Southeast area where he started becoming very active in the local music scene, going out to see music and meet musicians and playing gigs wherever he could.
During this time he played with countless jazz musicians such as Kevin Bales and Joe Gransden. He has also opened for very well known jazz musicians, such as Arturo Sandoval, Monty Alexander, the Count Basie Orchestra and Quentin Baxter. After a couple years of living here, he decided to study trumpet at Coastal Carolina University with Dr. Matthew White. After spending a year there, he had an opportunity to study in Atlanta at Georgia State University with Dr. Gordon Vernick. Trent now plays frequently with professional musicians, reaching people with his music wherever he can.
Known for his soulful tone, trombonist, baritone player, composer, and arranger, Andrae Murchison is a native of Savannah, Georgia, where he first discovered music with his grandparents and mother at church. He composes and plays music from his heart and soul and remains faithful and true to his spiritual foundation. He documents time through musical prayer, testimony, and revelation while conversing with the elders and honoring the ancestors. Focusing on delivering a message of grace and truth, his music navigates through the roots of negro spirituals, the body and soul of rhythm and blues, and the spirit of jazz.
Andrae began studying trombone and baritone horn at Hubert Middle School with Hugh Johnson. He later discovered jazz at Savannah Arts Academy and joined the Blue Light Jazz Band under the direction of Michael Hutchinson and the mentorship of Teddy Adams. He earned his academic degrees from Oberlin Conservatory (Bachelor of Jazz Studies) and Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music (Masters of Arts), where he was mentored by Robin Eubanks and Steve Turre.
After completing his formal studies, he resided in New York City. He began touring the world intensively while serving as a trombonist with The Skatalites, Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya, and The Duke Ellington Orchestra. He has also worked with Roy Hargrove, The Count Basie Orchestra, The Lionel Hampton Orchestra, The Trombone Summit with Slide Hampton and Curtis Fuller, Clark Terry, Louie Bellson, Ravi Coltrane, Monty Alexander, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Harry Connick Jr., Dennis Edwards and the Temptations, Postmodern Jukebox, the Sun Ra Arkestra, and René Marie. He has also performed with famous artists, including Common, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, Demi Lovato, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Jason Mraz, and many more.
While maintaining a successful career as a sideman, Andrae also leads his ensemble called Murch Church, which has produced six studio recordings that feature Gregory Porter, Sharp Radway, Corcoran Holt, Jerome Jennings, Emanuel Harrold, Zem Audu, Freddie Hendrix, Keyon Harrold, McClenty Hunter, Jonathan Blake, Mazz Swift, Belden Bullock, Walter Parks, Parker McAllister, Brian Cockerham, Stantawn Kendrick, Jay Gandhi, TW Sample, Brian Williams, LeShawn Thomas, Kevin Smith, Henry Connerway, and Savannah Grace. He has collaborated with fellow artists, including the California Honeydrops, Courtney Bryan, and Kassa Overall. Andrae cultivates a mission for soul salvation, to heal the land and uplift the nation with his newest spiritually soulful solo horn debut album, “The Horn Of Salvation”.
David Elliott (trombone) has taught in Illinois, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Georgia. He started at Savannah Country Day School in 2000, where he teaches 5 jazz bands a day, middle and high school. He has played trombone in the Savannah Music Festival with John Pizzarelli (guitar, singer), Stewart Copeland (drummer for The Police, film score composer), and Wynton Marsalis (Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra).
He has played in the Savannah Jazz Festival for the last 8 years, most recently sharing the stage with Wycliffe Gordon and Ron Wilkins, two unbelievably great trombonists. His school bands have performed at the Music Festival a couple of times, as well as traveling to Florida to participate in jazz festivals and clinics in Jacksonville and Orlando.
Richard Orr (trombone) a native of the Pittsburgh, PA area, has been an active professional musician for sixty years, during which time he performed with numerous jazz combos, big bands, show bands and symphony orchestras, in both the Boston and Washington, DC areas. In 1970 he was lead trombonist in the Buddy Rich Orchestra, and has recorded with the Washington-based big bands of trumpeter Don Junker and saxophonist Whit Williams. His jazz quartet CD, Like an Eager Child, was released in 1999. As an undergraduate and graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sc. D., 1973), Rich was a seven-year member of the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Herb Pomeroy, noted jazz educator at the Berklee College of Music. He also studied arranging under Herb and remains an accomplished composer and arranger, as well as a jazz improv instructor. His arrangement of Invitation is found on the Don Junker CD Junkyard Dog.
Other jazz notables with whom Rich has performed during his career as a trombonist include Chick Corea, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, John Faddis, Al Grey, Bill Watrous (writer of liner notes for Like an Eager Child), Melba Liston, Herb Pomeroy, Bob Mastellar, Jimmy Mosher, Paul Fontaine, Greg Hopkins, Allison Miller, Virginia Mayhew, the Mike Kamuf Little Big Band, and the Ellington-influenced DC big band of Rick Henderson. He has also backed vocalists Nicki Parrott, Tony Bennett, James Brown and Gladys Knight, among others.
2026 marks Rich’s fourteenth year as faculty at the Hilton Head Jazz Camp