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BluesEd student participants are taught in a hands-on setting with our clinicians and have the chance to demonstrate their new skills at multiple performance opportunities. |
Carlos Figueroa
Carlos C. Figueroa is a freelance percussionist and clinician in the Omaha area and the Midwestern United States. He started his professional career in the United States Air Force Band. During his 23 year Air Force career, Carlos performed with five Air Force bands throughout 32 countries for audiences totaling over 5.5 million people. Carlos has performed with artists and organizations such as: Hubert Laws, Slide Hampton, Bobby Shew, Eric Marienthal, The Diamonds, Joe McCarthy, Mike Methany, Mulberry Lane, Camille Schmidt, Novak and Haar, The Omaha Community Playhouse, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, The Master Singers, The Omaha Big Band, The Omaha Jazz
Connection, Heidi Joy, Satchel Grande, Steve Raybine, and Suzie Thorne.
Carlos teaches drum set and consults for area music programs. He has conducted workshops and clinics throughout the state of Nebraska for such organizations and events as The Nebraska Arts Council, the Omaha Symphony’s Celebrate Creativity, the Lincoln Symphony, the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra, and Blues Ed, the Blues Society of Omaha. His recorded drum set playing can be heard on Swing This, The Omaha Big Band; Ill Take a Melody, Heidi Joy; A Very Merry Mulberry Christmas, Mulberry Lane; Bad Cat Karma, Steve Raybine; Old Friends, Novak and Haar; Easy to Love and I Dream in Color, Camille Schmidt; How’d You Get So Bad, Old Money; Lucky 13, Adams and Cooley Rat Pack Jazz; and What She Wants, Benson Burner, Satchel Grande; Down This Road, Joe McCarthy. Carlos holds a bachelor’s degree in music from UNO, where he served as Artist Faculty. Carlos is married to Elizabeth Figueroa and has three sons Justin, Carlos Jr. and Jamison Figueroa.
Carlos C. Figueroa is a freelance percussionist and clinician in the Omaha area and the Midwestern United States. He started his professional career in the United States Air Force Band. During his 23 year Air Force career, Carlos performed with five Air Force bands throughout 32 countries for audiences totaling over 5.5 million people. Carlos has performed with artists and organizations such as: Hubert Laws, Slide Hampton, Bobby Shew, Eric Marienthal, The Diamonds, Joe McCarthy, Mike Methany, Mulberry Lane, Camille Schmidt, Novak and Haar, The Omaha Community Playhouse, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, The Master Singers, The Omaha Big Band, The Omaha Jazz
Connection, Heidi Joy, Satchel Grande, Steve Raybine, and Suzie Thorne.
Carlos teaches drum set and consults for area music programs. He has conducted workshops and clinics throughout the state of Nebraska for such organizations and events as The Nebraska Arts Council, the Omaha Symphony’s Celebrate Creativity, the Lincoln Symphony, the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra, and Blues Ed, the Blues Society of Omaha. His recorded drum set playing can be heard on Swing This, The Omaha Big Band; Ill Take a Melody, Heidi Joy; A Very Merry Mulberry Christmas, Mulberry Lane; Bad Cat Karma, Steve Raybine; Old Friends, Novak and Haar; Easy to Love and I Dream in Color, Camille Schmidt; How’d You Get So Bad, Old Money; Lucky 13, Adams and Cooley Rat Pack Jazz; and What She Wants, Benson Burner, Satchel Grande; Down This Road, Joe McCarthy. Carlos holds a bachelor’s degree in music from UNO, where he served as Artist Faculty. Carlos is married to Elizabeth Figueroa and has three sons Justin, Carlos Jr. and Jamison Figueroa.
Bucky McCann
Bucky was a composer and arranger, and the saxist for the 70's Nebraska / L.A. horn rock band, STRAIGHT. At the end of the decade, he landed back in Omaha to join the RIVER CITY ALL-STARS. In the 80's, he put together the Omaha dance band, ITCHY BROTHER, and had a good long run.
Bucky has always tried to keep an ear in the recording studio and has supervised many productions. In the 90's Bucky got the blues with his own band, The LONGSHOTS, David Barger and others. He has appeared in several "Playing With Fire" concerts, and once got to perform with the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Bucky is a singer and multi-instrumentalist. He did a three year ride with popular Omaha band, PEACE, LOVE, ETC., and has added studio chops to recordings by Little Joe McCarthy, Dave Steen and Jailhouse Tattoo, and Rex Granite with Sara Benck. For the last few years, he has fronted DADDY MAC & THE FLAK playing rock, rhythm and blues. In 2021, Bucky was inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame.
Bucky was a composer and arranger, and the saxist for the 70's Nebraska / L.A. horn rock band, STRAIGHT. At the end of the decade, he landed back in Omaha to join the RIVER CITY ALL-STARS. In the 80's, he put together the Omaha dance band, ITCHY BROTHER, and had a good long run.
Bucky has always tried to keep an ear in the recording studio and has supervised many productions. In the 90's Bucky got the blues with his own band, The LONGSHOTS, David Barger and others. He has appeared in several "Playing With Fire" concerts, and once got to perform with the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Bucky is a singer and multi-instrumentalist. He did a three year ride with popular Omaha band, PEACE, LOVE, ETC., and has added studio chops to recordings by Little Joe McCarthy, Dave Steen and Jailhouse Tattoo, and Rex Granite with Sara Benck. For the last few years, he has fronted DADDY MAC & THE FLAK playing rock, rhythm and blues. In 2021, Bucky was inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame.
Glen Smith
Glen has been an educator and professional musician for more than 30 years. He was a member of the Grammy Award winning Mannheim Steamroller for 14 years. Glen plays locally with various groups including PetRock and Taxi Driver. He maintains a private teaching studio of 70 students a week. He is a graduate of The University of North Texas. Glen loves the Blues!
Glen has been an educator and professional musician for more than 30 years. He was a member of the Grammy Award winning Mannheim Steamroller for 14 years. Glen plays locally with various groups including PetRock and Taxi Driver. He maintains a private teaching studio of 70 students a week. He is a graduate of The University of North Texas. Glen loves the Blues!
Hector Anchondo
Anchondo’s dedication to music comes from his heart, which he proved by moving to Chicago to learn from the old-school blues tradition and ensure that he had that “authentic” sound.
Héctor is an accomplished musician who can truly say “the third time really was the charm”. He entered the 2020 International Blues Challenge in the solo/duo category and came away with the top prize: winning the solo/duo category. He also took home the Memphis Cigar Box Guitar Award for best guitarist in the solo/duo competition, where he performed representing the Blues Society of Omaha.
Anchondo is also the creative force behind his own festival, creating the “In the Market for Blues Festival” in 2015 with his inspiration being the jam-packed Beale Street clubs with blues playing up and down the street during the IBC in Memphis.
With the IBC trophy in hand and 2020 appearances including The Chicago Blues Festival, The Big Blues Bender and the October Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. In 2017 his release, Roll the Dice, spent 24 weeks on the Roots Music Report after his initial blues releases Young Guns in 2014 and Kicking Up Dust 2012 introduced his blues sound to the Midwest. Most recently in 2021 Hector released the critically acclaimed album Let Loose Those Chains, which debuted at #11 on the Billboard top US Blues Albums!
Anchondo’s dedication to music comes from his heart, which he proved by moving to Chicago to learn from the old-school blues tradition and ensure that he had that “authentic” sound.
Héctor is an accomplished musician who can truly say “the third time really was the charm”. He entered the 2020 International Blues Challenge in the solo/duo category and came away with the top prize: winning the solo/duo category. He also took home the Memphis Cigar Box Guitar Award for best guitarist in the solo/duo competition, where he performed representing the Blues Society of Omaha.
Anchondo is also the creative force behind his own festival, creating the “In the Market for Blues Festival” in 2015 with his inspiration being the jam-packed Beale Street clubs with blues playing up and down the street during the IBC in Memphis.
With the IBC trophy in hand and 2020 appearances including The Chicago Blues Festival, The Big Blues Bender and the October Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. In 2017 his release, Roll the Dice, spent 24 weeks on the Roots Music Report after his initial blues releases Young Guns in 2014 and Kicking Up Dust 2012 introduced his blues sound to the Midwest. Most recently in 2021 Hector released the critically acclaimed album Let Loose Those Chains, which debuted at #11 on the Billboard top US Blues Albums!