Dee Spencer is a Professor of Jazz and Musical Theatre in the School of Theatre & Dance at San Francisco State University (SFSU).

She received her B.S. from Florida A&M; M.M. at Washington University in St. Louis; and EdD., University of San Francisco.  Dee founded the Jazz Studies degree program in the School of Music at SFSU and served as director for five years.

Dee Spencer’s musical director/sound designer credits include  “Androcles and the Lion”, “Raisin” award-winning Theatreworks production with legendary directors Danny Duncan and Tony Haney, “Purlie Victorious”, “The Me Nobody Knows”, “No Place To Be Somebody”, “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Sassy Divas”, “One Mo Time”, “Twelfth Night”, “Spring Awakening”, “Lysistrata”, “Chicago”, “Hair” and “Dreamgirls in Concert”.

She has performed/recorded/toured/judged with Wynton Marsalis for Jazz at Lincoln Center; GRAMMY Award winning vocalist “Ledisi”, TOWER OF POWER’s Lenny Williams and legends John Handy, Jimmy Scott, Louis Bellson, Clark Terry, Regina Carter, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Bernard Purdie and X-Factor star Jason Brock and the legendary GLIDE ensemble.  Her latest recording “Tranquility” was released in 2018.  She is an Annual Screener for the GRAMMYs Music Awards.

Her former students include recording artists/producers, Braxton Brothers, BEYONCE’S music director, saxophonist Tia Fuller, and LAUREN HILL’S music director, saxophonist Howard Wiley.

As an active contributor to the San Francisco community, she founded the San Francisco Jazz Organization (SFJAZZ) education program and performed for a US Senator Kamala Harris’ fundraiser at the African American Cultural Center formerly headed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed.  She also served as program director for the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts.

She has served on the following boards: International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), San Francisco Jazz Organization (SFJAZZ), Stanford Jazz Workshop, Community Music Center and the Women’s Audio Mission.  Dee is currently serving on the People in Plaza and The Amateur Musicians Network boards.

MEMBER QUOTE

“Jazz education is about teaching the history, the theory, and the culture behind the music. It’s about understanding where we come from so that we can better navigate where we’re going.” – Terence Blanchard

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