Mr. Pérez-Lawrence Biography
Teaching music since 2001, he opened High Desert Music in 2008 to support a small community in Oregon with music products, lessons, and repair services. In 2011, he moved to Nampa, Idaho and opened Exodus Music LLC while pursuing a triple bachelor's degree in music education, theory/composition, and applied piano at Northwest Nazarene University, graduating with honors. He recently earned his master's degree in music composition from Azusa Pacific University - the culminating project was a recital of original compositions for various ensembles, including: percussion ensemble, string quartet, jazz piano trio, big band, and NNU's Jazz Revival. Mr. Pérez-Lawrence organized, scouted, rehearsed, and directed the ensembles, produced a visual presentation including musical score timed to a recorded performance, and also performed in the jazz trio and big band as the pianist. More recently, he was the Graduate Jazz Teaching Assistant at Boise State University, helping to organize and operate the Gene Harris Jazz Festival, and has now completed his second master's degree in music education. He has experience teaching concert and jazz band, classical and jazz piano, drum set, percussion, guitar (electric, acoustic, and classical), violin, banjo, composition, music theory, and has provided collegiate music lecturing. He is now the band director at South Middle School in Nampa, Idaho beginning Fall 2019.
He has performed in many various ensembles in different genres, and is an active performer-composer and arranger. Currently he is performing with two jazz trios weekly at Chandler's Steakhouse in Boise, as well as with the Southern Idaho Jazz Club and the Canyon County Jazz Connection. His ensemble experience includes: Piano in the APU Graduate Jazz Ensemble; Guitar and composition for progressive-metal band 3rd Party Pandemic; Trumpet in the University of Oregon Top Campus Band; piano for NNU Jazz Revival; Marimba for NNU's percussion ensemble; Co-host for Nampa jam-sessions; Various jazz ensembles in the Treasure Valley, including the Dave Gluck Band and Treasure Valley Jazz Club; Solo classical and jazz piano and percussion recitals; Percussion for Man of La Mancha; and many others. He also won the Joyce A. Chaffer Trust competitive piano scholarship for two consecutive years.
Married with three children, he enjoys playing Minecraft and Pokémon with his kids, creating strategic exercises and resources for aspiring musicians, and of course, performing, composing, and teaching! He is also interested in the accordion, video game music, and keeping up with trends in music technology.
He has performed in many various ensembles in different genres, and is an active performer-composer and arranger. Currently he is performing with two jazz trios weekly at Chandler's Steakhouse in Boise, as well as with the Southern Idaho Jazz Club and the Canyon County Jazz Connection. His ensemble experience includes: Piano in the APU Graduate Jazz Ensemble; Guitar and composition for progressive-metal band 3rd Party Pandemic; Trumpet in the University of Oregon Top Campus Band; piano for NNU Jazz Revival; Marimba for NNU's percussion ensemble; Co-host for Nampa jam-sessions; Various jazz ensembles in the Treasure Valley, including the Dave Gluck Band and Treasure Valley Jazz Club; Solo classical and jazz piano and percussion recitals; Percussion for Man of La Mancha; and many others. He also won the Joyce A. Chaffer Trust competitive piano scholarship for two consecutive years.
Married with three children, he enjoys playing Minecraft and Pokémon with his kids, creating strategic exercises and resources for aspiring musicians, and of course, performing, composing, and teaching! He is also interested in the accordion, video game music, and keeping up with trends in music technology.
Degrees and Certifications:
Masters in Music Education - Boise State University
Masters in Music Composition - Azusa Pacific University
B.A. Applied Music Theory & Composition - Northwest Nazarene University
B.A. Secondary Music Education - Northwest Nazarene University
B.A. Applied Piano - Northwest Nazarene University
