The blues had a baby and they called it rock 'n roll...
-- Muddy Waters
Board of Directors
We'd like to welcome two new board Members...
Cyril Miller
Dana Hunter
We will have more info coming soon.
JAMES CURLEY COOKE, Executive Director: has been active
in the music business for 40 years. He is an original member of
The Steve Miller Band, and has recorded on 35 major label albums
and toured the country and Southeast Asia extensively. He currently
teaches in the community college system and privately, and is
the founder of Pacific Northwest Blues in the Schools. He is the
recipient of numerous awards from the Washington Blues Society.
CHRISTIAN SWENSON, President: Seattle-based performing artist,
Christian Swenson, is known for his pioneering work in what he calls
"Human Jazz", a global fusion of dance/drama/music for body and
voice. He tours nationally and internationally, and resides happily
in Seattle with his wife, Abigail and two children. More information
about Christian is found at www.humanjazz.com.
RON HALL, Treasurer: Ronald Hall is a CPA and entrepreneur
who has been involved with Pacific Northwest Blues in the Schools
from the beginning. Mr. Hall plays the blues and rock & roll
on the guitar, as well as playing piano, and the clarinet in a concert
wind band. He has been a CPA for over 30 years and is also a former
broadcaster who was very involved in the music scene. Ron has lived
in the Northwest all of his life.
Officers
JAMES GEISZLER: James is a Northwest native who graduated
from the University of Washington in 1969. He has been an instructor
in the Northshore School District for 35 years, teaching math, art
and physical education, as well as coaching basketball and baseball.
For the last 30 years he has been at SAS (the Secondary Academy
for Success), an alternative high school that works with kids that
don't quite fit into the regular programs for a variety of reasons.
SAS has smaller classes and provides individualized instruction
to the students. James has been a jazz and blues enthusiast since
college and sees his role as helping PNBIS provide a program that
fits into the regular school curriculum rather than just after-school
programs.
ANNETTE TABORN: Annette has performed for over 30 years across
the U.S. and overseas. Originally from Michigan, she co-founded
the Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association in 1994, and created a Blues
in Schools program there that same year. She served as the Director
of the Kalamazoo Blues Festival for its first two years. Annette
studied Blues in Schools teaching methods at the University of Mississippi,
Oxford and received continuing education certification from the
Southern Studies Teachers Institute in 1996 and 1997. She worked
with the International House of Blues Foundation's "Blues School
House" program in Chicago during the 2000 school year. In 2003
and 2004 she taught Blues in the Schools in Los Angeles under the
auspices of The Southern California Blues Society. Annette is in
charge of PNBIS Program Development.
JAMES CURLEY COOKE, Executive Director: has been active
in the music business for 40 years. He is an original member of
The Steve Miller Band, and has recorded on 35 major label albums
and toured the country and Southeast Asia extensively. He currently
teaches in the community college system and privately, and is
the founder of Pacific Northwest Blues in the Schools. He is the
recipient of numerous awards from the Washington Blues Society.
CHRISTIAN SWENSON, President: Seattle-based performing artist,
Christian Swenson, is known for his pioneering work in what he calls
"Human Jazz", a global fusion of dance/drama/music for body and
voice. He tours nationally and internationally, and resides happily
in Seattle with his wife, Abigail and two children. More information
about Christian is found at www.humanjazz.com. 
RON HALL, Treasurer: Ronald Hall is a CPA and entrepreneur
who has been involved with Pacific Northwest Blues in the Schools
from the beginning. Mr. Hall plays the blues and rock & roll
on the guitar, as well as playing piano, and the clarinet in a concert
wind band. He has been a CPA for over 30 years and is also a former
broadcaster who was very involved in the music scene. Ron has lived
in the Northwest all of his life. 
JAMES GEISZLER: James is a Northwest native who graduated
from the University of Washington in 1969. He has been an instructor
in the Northshore School District for 35 years, teaching math, art
and physical education, as well as coaching basketball and baseball.
For the last 30 years he has been at SAS (the Secondary Academy
for Success), an alternative high school that works with kids that
don't quite fit into the regular programs for a variety of reasons.
SAS has smaller classes and provides individualized instruction
to the students. James has been a jazz and blues enthusiast since
college and sees his role as helping PNBIS provide a program that
fits into the regular school curriculum rather than just after-school
programs. 
ANNETTE TABORN: Annette has performed for over 30 years across
the U.S. and overseas. Originally from Michigan, she co-founded
the Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association in 1994, and created a Blues
in Schools program there that same year. She served as the Director
of the Kalamazoo Blues Festival for its first two years. Annette
studied Blues in Schools teaching methods at the University of Mississippi,
Oxford and received continuing education certification from the
Southern Studies Teachers Institute in 1996 and 1997. She worked
with the International House of Blues Foundation's "Blues School
House" program in Chicago during the 2000 school year. In 2003
and 2004 she taught Blues in the Schools in Los Angeles under the
auspices of The Southern California Blues Society. Annette is in
charge of PNBIS Program Development. 