Shon Parker is a diverse vocalist, arranger and educator with a variety of experience in styles including jazz, pop, rock, opera, and classical. Shon earned his M.M. from Western Michigan University in Performance and his B.A. in Music from Washington State University with a minor in jazz studies. Shon has studied with educators including Steve Zegree, Diana Spradling, Sheila Converse and John Weiss.
Shon’s experiences at Western Michigan University, as a member of the internationally renowned vocal jazz group Gold Company, included highlight performances at the IAJE conference in New York City, the Issac Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the International Inventors Hall of Fame Ceremony in Akron, Ohio. As a member of Gold Company Shon also shared the stage with artists including Jennifer Barnes, Greg Jaspers, Fred Hersch, Darmon Meader, Roger Treece and Janis Siegel. Shon served as assistant director to GC’s sister group, Gold Company II and directed the GCII Sextet.
Shon has held a few different roles in post-secondary education including full time faculty member and administratively served as Interim Department Head, Assistant Department Head and Summer Programs Coordinator at McNally Smith College of Music. On top of teaching in the classroom for over a decade Shon was a member of the Idaho-Washington Chorale, including performance of the bass solo performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor and has served as section leader in multiple church choirs. Shon is musical director for multiple contemporary musical projects in the Twin Cities. Both locally and abroad, he serves as a festival adjudicator, master class presenter, and was the Creator and Director of the local McNally Smith College of Music Vocal Jazz Festival. Recently, Shon has been performing with the Shon Parker Quintet, the Weedies, has performed with multiple Vocal Jazz groups in the area and has been on stage in lead role characters in contemporary musicals.
Shon is a member of the Minnesota Music Educators Association and the American Choral Director’s Association.