As part of our Student Jazz Performance Series we present Crossroads Quintet, out of Bloomington, IN. They are each pursuing their masters degree from the Jacobs School of Music at IU Bloomington. Crossroads Quintet is a Jazz Collective that is working together to  create a contemporary, boundary-stretching sound while simultaneously  preserving the culturally rooted music that has preceded them. Perfecting their technical abilities and unique sound, Crossroads  Quintet has put together an unforgettable group of musicians whose unique style and friendly demeanor captivates audiences at each venue.  Why are we "Crossroads"? The official motto of the state of Indiana is  the, "Crossroads of America." We met in this state, and simultaneously  crossed each others musical journeys. Each member is from a different  part of the world, (Wisconsin, Arizona, Washington, Texas and Canberra,  Australia), and this band is a celebration of our individual and  collective musical, personal, and shared experiences culminating in  meaningful, and honest music.

Zachary Finnegan - Trumpet

Zach is a trumpeter, educator, composer, and entrepreneur from Wausau, Wisconsin. After completing his undergraduate education studying Music Education and Jazz Performance at UW-Stevens Point under the tutelage of Brent Turney and Mathew Buchman, he is currently pursuing a master’s degree from the Indiana University Jacob’s School of Music in Jazz Performance. Zach has performed with many esteemed musicians such as John Raymond, Steve Houghton, Vince Medonza, Thomas Walsh, Pat Harbison, Tim Albright, Ryan Korb, and Brent Turney. Zach is a current member of four different performing groups which include Indianapolis-based, Clint Breeze and the Groove, Crossroads Quintet, Soneros de la Caliza, and Omnos Quartet. 

Zach has attended and been employed by many workshops, jazz institutes, and programs all across the country including the Skidmore Jazz Institute, Brevard Jazz Institute, and the Chicago Jazz Institute. He is an avid educator in the music field as well as entrepreneur. He enjoys booking three different bands consistently and is constantly searching for different places to bring his music. As well, his 2016 composition entitled, Hugh, was featured on a UW-Stevens Point Jazz Department promotional video. www.zacharyfinnegan.com 

Tyler Bauer - Saxophone

Tyler Bauer is a saxophonist, educator, and composer from the border town of Rio Rico, Arizona. Tyler currently studies at Indiana University’s Jacob’s school of music In Bloomington IN where he is working on a master’s degree in jazz performance. Tyler currently studies with Walter Smith III, Greg Ward, and Thomas Walsh. As a performer Tyler has shared the stage with Jeff Hamilton, Lewis Nash, Walter Smith III, and Michael Kocour among many others.Tyler has played at Lincoln Center, Next Generation jazz festival, toured Europe playing at Umbria jazz festival, Vienna jazz Festival, Nice jazz Festival, and Montreux jazz festival as a member of the Tucson Jazz Institute in high school. After high school Tyler received his BMUS in jazz performance at Arizona State University While at ASU he performed under his own name, as well as preformed in a multitude of different bands as a sideman in the Phoenix metropolitan area. As a member of Lewis Nash’s mentored combo, he got to perform with Nash at the 2018 JEN conference.

Austin Thomas - Piano

Austin Thomas is a pianist and jazz educator from Houston, Texas. Since attending school at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts (now Kinder HSPVA) he has been immersed in a deep culture of music, surrounded by a peer group of young up-and-coming musicians. HSPVA also offered his first performances at local jazz festivals as well as performing at the JEN conference in Atlanta.  This immersion continued upon being selected for the Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony as well as the Grammy Jazz Band where he performed regularly with peers who would later emerge as the future jazz greats, as well as already renowned musicians and educators. It was during this time where such good music educators inspired him to pursue a teaching career. He began his undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Texas at Austin where he would perform with the UT Jazz Orchestra as well as the Alternative Improvised Music ensemble at the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival. After completing his undergraduate degree he began his graduate degree in music at Indiana University where he currently holds the Associate Jazz Piano Instructor position. He has continued to perform outside of school and his teaching in a student led group, The Crossroads Quintet.

Brendan Keller-Tuberg - Bassist

Brendan Keller-Tuberg is an emerging bassist and composer from Canberra. Having graduated from the ANU in 2018, he has established himself as a regular performer in the region, having won First Prize and People’s Choice in the ANU Chamber Music Competition in both 2014 and 2016. In 2017, he released a debut album of original compositions, which was featured on ABC's Jazztrack, and was a featured album on ABC Jazz’s ‘Home Cooked.’ In August 2018, Brendan moved to the United States to pursue a masters' degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Currently halfway through his studies, Brendan has engaged in performance or educational opportunities with Walter Smith III, Steve Houghton, John Raymond, Wayne Wallace, Vince Mendoza, June Lee and others.

Jameson Scriver - Drummer 

Jameson Scriver is a drummer and composer from Seattle, Washington. In 2018 his composition “The Good Fight” was selected for the Jazz Education Network’s Young Composers Showcase to be played by the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors at the 2019 JEN Conference. The piece was published soon thereafter by UNC Jazz Press. Later that year, Jameson’s composition “Slippin’ Slide” was selected for the Ithaca College Jazz Composition Contest. In 2018 he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Colorado where he studied drum set with Jim White and composition with Mike Conrad and Greg Weis. He is currently a graduate student at Indiana University, studying drums with Steve Houghton and composition with Brent Wallarab.