EDUCATION
Born in Clinton, New York, in 1978, Jocelyn Medina initiated her vocal studies at an early age, fostered by the creative atmosphere of her musical family. Her voice developed in the context of classical and church choirs, school choral ensembles, musical theater, and a capella groups. She continued her musical studies at Stanford University, studying opera under Jennifer Lane and formed part of the selective Stanford Chamber Chorale under the direction of Stephen Sano. From Stanford, she received a research grant to study at the Dagbe Cultural Center in Kopeyia, Ghana, under drum master Emmanuel Agbeli, cultivating her passion for African percussion and dance. Jocelyn left Stanford in 1998 to pursue her interests in jazz at the Berklee College of Music under the vocal instruction of Lisa Thorson, Mili Bermejo, Bob Stoloff, and Cheryl Bentyne. There she continued her rhythmical studies with Joe Galeota and Jaime Haddad. Jocelyn graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee in 2000 with a degree in Professional Music and recently earned her Masters degree in vocal jazz performance at Manhattan School of Music studying with artists such as Luciana Souza, Peter Eldridge, Theo Bleckmann, Sheila
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Jocelyn sang a capella with the Berklee Vocal Jazz Ensemble as well as the Stanford Harmonics, recording their BOCA (Best Of Collegiate Acapella)-award winning CD Escalator Music. She toured Europe and the West Coast with Stanford Chamber Chorale, contributing to the recording of their CD My Spirit Sang All Day. She toured New England with the Boston-based reggae group the Joint Chiefs, sharing the stage with reggae legends such as Marcia Griffiths and The Mad Professor, in addition to recording their album No Boundary. While in Boston Jocelyn also played and sang with the Dagbe Percussion Ensemble and Berklee West African Dance and Drum Ensemble, making a series of presentations and performances throughout the East Coast. Shes sung in jazz groups of varying size throughout New York, Massachusetts and California, including performances with the Cats and Jammers Jazz Band in the Sacramento Jazz Festival. Her most recent U.S appearances have been at NY venues such as 55 Bar, Lincoln Center, and Makor, in addition to a performance at Carnegie Hall with Calpulli
Internationally, Jocelyns latest performances include Spains JAZZPARLA festival and at the Goethe Institute with Garagem in Salvador, Brazil.
As an educator, Jocelyn has taught general music and African percussion at the Thomas Gardner School in Boston. In conjunction, she worked for New Talent Productions as producer for a 7-band Record Company showcase at Bostons The Roxy whose proceeds went to benefit instrumental music programs in Boston Public Schools. She currently resides in New York City, where she continues her teaching work giving private voice lessons, seminars and master classes in vocal jazz. During the four years she spent living abroad in Madrid, Spain, Jocelyn performed with her own trio and quartet, and recorded her first full-length CD of original compositions, "The Journey Begun" with fellow expatriate musicians Dan Rochlis (guitar and 8-string guitar/bass), and Bob Sands (tenor sax), as well as legendary Spanish harmonica player Antonio Serrano. She has played in jazz festivals throughout Spain, sharing the stage with renowned artists like Grant Stewart and Marcus Strickland and performed in venues around Madrid such as Clamores, El Sol, La Fídula, Caravasar Jazz, Café Berlín, and Dizzy Jazz, on the national Spanish radio channels cadena 40 Principales, Radio 3 and Radio Vaughan, and the Spanish television station Tele K. She also worked as a studio singer in projects under the direction of up-and-coming producer and recording artist Carlos Jean and is featured in acid-jazz recordings of the Soul Vigilantes on the SOUL MONK label.
In addition to her work as a professional singer and voice instructor, Jocelyn directs her creative attention to composing, arranging, and lyric writing.
