Music Education Director Scott Gwinnell has served Music Hall since 2014, where he leads curriculum design, instructor and student training, and community outreach with a strong emphasis on mentorship. Holding an MM in Jazz Studies from Wayne State University, he has developed signature initiatives such as the DPS-CD Marygrove After-School Jazz Program, Education Jam Sessions, the "In the Tradition" Big Band mentorship, and Erb Foundation Jazz Ed Jazz Band Festival. Gwinnell is deeply committed to building pathways into higher education; many Music Hall students continue their studies with him at Oakland and Wayne State Universities. Gwinnell is a professor of jazz piano and director of the OU Jazz Singers and at Wayne State University, where he teaches jazz arranging and ensembles. He also founded the Detroit Jazz Workshop, a summer program that makes high-quality jazz education accessible to the wider community. Alongside his educational work, Gwinnell maintains an active career as a professional pianist, collaborating with world-class artists such as John Clayton, Dave Liebman, and Jon Hendricks, for whom Gwinnell was music director for three years.

contact info: wscottgwinnell@gmail.com

website: www.wscottjazz.com

Leader of House Band "Kingdom. Kern Brantley programs and performs in Aretha’s Jazz Café as his touring schedule with David Foster permits, Kern serves as the bassist and musical director for some of the biggest names in music today. His extensive resume includes work with Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Mary J Blige, Ne-Yo, Destiny’s Child, Chris Brown, Chinese superstar JJ Lin, and many more. He has performed in over 2,000 live shows, including 20+ concert tours. He has 50+ TV appearances including the Grammys, Oscars, The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Ellen, Oprah, SNL, and more. He has over 100 recording credits that include Grammy-winning and multi-platinum selling albums. Kern cites his Detroit upbringing and influences with the inspiration and direction for his style & mastery of the electric bass. 

Founded in 2009, the NAO was originally a takht – a small chamber music group comprised of oud (Arab lute), qanun (Arab harp), violin, nay (Arab reed flute) and riqq (Arab tambourine). As it grew to become a full orchestra comprised of musicians of both Arab and non-Arab backgrounds, the NAO became Music Hall’s resident orchestra in 2012. The Orchestra is committed to presenting both traditional and contemporary Arab music and to bridge social and cultural barriers.

Sky Covington

Vocalist & Producer in Residence: The Preservation of Jazz Monday Night Music Series 
Sky Covington is a celebrated jazz vocalist, storyteller, and cultural advocate whose career has earned her multiple Detroit Music Awards and widespread acclaim. As the founder of The Preservation of Jazz and Cultural Arts Director of WJZZ Jazz Radio, she is dedicated to preserving and promoting jazz’s rich legacy.
Sky is the producer of The Satin Doll Revue, a tribute to jazz’s golden era, and Sky Covington’s Take 5, where she revitalizes classic jazz sounds. Her artistry has graced venues like the Dirty Dog Jazz Café, Blue Note, and Blue LLama, as well as festivals such as the Detroit Jazz Festival, Michigan Jazz Festival, and Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival.
She produces and headlines the Monday Night Music Series Tributes at Aretha's Jazz Café and uses her platform to educate and inspire through masterclasses and workshops. A dynamic performer and radio personality, Sky creates opportunities for artists while captivating audiences with her timeless voice and unwavering passion.

Joel Fluent Greene is a Detroit based Poet, Author and Event Curator. A ‘Spirit Of Detroit’ Award winner, Joel was the long-running host of Detroit’s iconic Cafe Mahogany poetry nights and has shared the stage with acts as diverse as The Roots, Pharrell Williams, The Last Poets, Big Sean, Saul Williams, jessica Care moore, and The Detroit Red Wings. He has also acted as Master of Ceremony at events for Fiat Chrysler Corporation, 100 Black Men of America, Inside-Out Detroit, The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. As former director of Music Hall’s Words and Rhythms of the D outreach program, he has held workshops and performances in over 50 schools in the Metro Detroit area. Author of four collections of poetry: WAXING/waning, Poems of Bungalow & Concrete, Somewhere In The Middle/ Love Poems & Felt. A Collection of Personal Favorites. Joel is currently creative writing instructor at Mariners Inn, a shelter and treatment center located in Detroit. He performs at least once a month in Aretha’s Jazz Café, also serving as impresario for the perpetually sold out poetry series, ‘A Man Can Change’. 

Under Igor’s Artistic Direction, PuppetART has been delighting family audiences in downtown Detroit’s Entertainment District for 20 years. When development usurped their longtime space in 2017, Music Hall welcomed the creative team as Artists In Residence. PuppetART’s repertoire is rooted in classical European puppetry, mixing favorites such as Snow Queen and Crane Maiden with original creations such as Banana for Turtle.  Igor & his team work with Music Hall educators to create engaging family activities. “… from the Universe perspective, humans are the microbes designed to convert material into spiritual”.