Dr. Kate Reid is associate professor of jazz voice in the Studio Music and Jazz department and Director of the Jazz Vocal Performance program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Reid earned a B.M. in Jazz Studies from Western Michigan University, a M.M. and D.M.A. in Jazz Vocal Performance from the University of Miami.
Under Dr. Reid’s direction, the Studio Music and Jazz Vocal Performance program continues to be well represented in the annual student DownBeat awards with Jazz Vocal I receiving an Outstanding Performance award in the Graduate College category and the top jazz vocal group Extensions receiving a Graduate College Winner award in the small vocal jazz group category. Extensions and JV 1 also won first and second place respectively at the Next Generation Monterey Jazz Festival in March of 2015. They returned to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September.
Kate is in demand as a guest artist, conductor and a returning clinician and adjudicator at all-state jazz and choral festivals through the United States and Canada including the Sacramento State Jazz Festival, Illinois Wesleyan University Jazz Festival, Alberta Choral Festival, Ontario Vocal Festival, Reno Jazz Festival, Eastern Washington University Jazz Festival, Minnesota State University Moorhead and the vocal jazz festivals in southern California at Cuesta College, MiraCosta College and Fullerton College. Kate has conducted the California, New York and New Hampshire All-State jazz choirs.
While living in L.A. for 11 years Reid appeared regularly with her quartet at jazz venues all over the Los Angeles area. She has worked with many of the great jazz musicians in southern California including guitarists Ron Eschete and Larry Koonse, drummers Roy McCurdy and Jamey Tate. Kate’s most recent CD, The Love I’m In, features tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts and pianist Otmaro Ruiz. Like her release, Sentimental Mood, The Love I’m In features tunes from the American songbook and has received extensive airplay on jazz radio stations throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and South Africa. Kate has worked with many noted artists including John Clayton, Robin Eubanks, Jon Hendricks, Grady Tate, Mercer Ellington, Don Shelton, Mark Murphy and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Reid is a working studio/session singer in Los Angeles. Her film credits include Planes, Star Trek Into Darkness, Oz-The Great and Powerful, Epic and Men In Black III featuring the music of composers Danny Elfman, Michael Giacchino and John Powell. She has lent her voice to network television series, commercial spots for Ace Hardware, T-Mobile, Suntory Whiskey and backing vocals for artists MUSE, X Japan and Josh Groban. Kate co-authored the GLEE Vocal Method book for Hal Leonard publishing with producer/author Andy Waterman of Umbrella Media.