Brian ‘SNOWMAN’ Powers – Saxophonist, Full Band, Producer and Engineer

David “Bboy Abide” Pellinen Breaking Class Co-Director / Instructor David “Abide” Pellinen, started dancing in 1998 after seeing Hip Hop dance crew, Battle Cats performed at First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis. He has shared his unique expression of dance in urban communities worldwide, including locations Kampala, Tokyo, Nairobi, Amsterdam, Montego Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa, Orlando, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and throughout his homeland of Minnesota, especially the Twin Cities metro. Stage performances alongside KRS One, Naughty By Nature, Vanilla Ice, DJ Premier, Agape, Ryan Daniel, Xross, Tru Serva, Mello-D, Maria Isa, Guante, Big Cats!, Diamond D., DJ Los Boogie, Curio Dance, regularly at NBA and WNBA games in Minnesota 2009-2014, and Superbowl LII Halftime show with Justin Timberlake. Co-founded Dance Orchestra, New Heist Dance Crew, The Pack, and 612 Crew. Teaching artist, has directed Hip Hop youth programs and summer camps for youth enrichment in Minneapolis. Mentor with Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project. Married 10+ years, with two children, and continues to perform, judge, compete, teach, and build appreciation for Hip Hop culture and dance with a youth focus throughout the Twin Cities Metropolitan area in Minnesota.

Mayda is a young yet seasoned Korean Adoptee multi-musician/artist/producer from the land of 10,000 Lakes. “Her R&B-infused pop is undeniably fresh, as she swings between pared-down acoustic struts, full-band funkadelic blasts, and electronic drumbeats and synth flourishes that would make the Purple One proud. The result is a slick, expansive, and evolving pop sound, aided in part by producer and mentor Michael Bland (who drummed with Prince in the early ’90s and currently plays with Nick Jonas), whose Sonic Matrimony Collective label released Mayda’s first full-length, The Interrogation, last year. The prolific young soul singer is just beginning her journey, but it’s hard not to anticipate big things from the petite yet larger-than-life pop songstress.” -Andrea Swensson, The Current Mayda’s music has been featured locally as well as internationally. Numerous of Mayda’s songs have been on Rachael Ray show, Good Morning America, KFC youtube, Reebok Seoul commercials, Jersey Shore, and cable networks such as Showtime and MTV. Recently, Mayda has just signed with South Korean Indie Label, Musicaroma/Feel Good Inc. On a her 3-week tour in Seoul, Mayda was able to meet her birth parents for the first time. In lieu of the performances, her trip was documented on public […]

Ask Tall Paul why he felt it was his purpose to emcee. Don’t expect the conventional “Nas and 2pac made me do it” kind of answer. “I started writing rhymes when I was 14. I was left in awe by 106th & Park’s ‘Freestyle Friday’ rap battle segment. When Jin won for 7 consecutive weeks, capping it off by signing a record deal with the Ruff Ryders, it was crazy. I didn’t actually start writing until shortly after that when I saw my cousin spittin’ into a tape recorder one day. From that point on I just liked the release that it gave me. The lure of the rock star lifestyle that rappers exhibited in music videos was cool too.” Born and raised in Minneapolis, MN, Tall Paul grew up listening to hip hop from all regions. “As a kid I was listening to whoever my brothers and cousins were listening to – Snoop, 2Pac, Biggie, The Fugees, the Luniz, Bone Thugs, Twista and the Speedknot Mobstaz, DMX, and the list goes on.” This would ultimately help mold his fatherless style of flow.  In 2009 Tall Paul decided to take rhyming more serious, both recording and performing live for the […]

Muja Messiah- Thee Adventures Of A B-Boy D-Boy  A veteran of Minneapolis underground Hip-Hop scene, Muja Messiah, released his first full-length album, Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy . The Minneapolis based MC is know for his politically incorrect satire as he combines serious issues along with comedy and street anthems that attract the ‘thinking wo/man’ to his sound. With politically charged subject matter like the powerful anti-Bush song, “Patriot Act,” featuring I-Self Devine and “Give It Up,” featuring Black Thought of The Roots, Messiah is lyrically bursting of passion and his message is stronger than ever! Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy was originally slated to be called Niggativity when the process started in 2006. After working with Che Vicious (Dr.Dre/Eminen) in Los Angeles during the spring of 2007 and with advice from Slug and I-Self Devine, Muja Messiah was out to make a classic album that represented Minneapolis’ harder side. The concept and ideas for the album evolved and Messiah dropped the name Niggitivity, and recorded a fresh batch of songs including bangers-“You Betcha,” “Never Be Broke Again,” and “Pretty Gurl.” Working with longtime producer Doc (Esthero/RES/Young Buck) on the emotional “Growing Pains” Muja shows a vulnerable side […]

http://iTunes.apple.com/us/album/whittier-alliance/id620262073

Maria Isa – Singer, MC, Full Band

Walter Chancellor Jr. – Professional Saxophonist, Multi-instrumentalist, Arranger, and Music Producer

Guitarist & Vocalist. Whether he is performing at popular venues around the mid-west, building custom oil can guitars, or teaching music for kid’s programs, Joe’s dedication to music is without question. While performing 200+ shows per year, Joe offers a vast variety of live music. His custom oil can guitars, “Hayburners,” have been sold all over the world and have been featured on FOX 9 News, Blues in Britain Magazine, CNET, and The Drive Magazine. Not only content with performing, Joe also serves as a music teacher and promoter of Blues for Kids, a music education program he created at the 501c3 non-profit organization, “Discover Music”. The program is known for organizing workshops at schools and festivals with the mission of teaching children of all ages about the Blues music genre with harmonica and guitar.

We like to perform with our hearts and play with our feet and arms. Holly Hansen and band Past and Present players… Brianna Kocka Adam Wozniak Scott McPherson Bree Melechinsky Zack Warpinski Peter Bregman Matt Latterell Noah Paster Justin Korhonen Tim Abramson Thom Burton Jef Sundquist Brett Bullion Joshua Caro Josi Quick Grant Cutler Al Swenson Bobby Maher Mitch Miller Jon Davis Jimmyapolis Josh Granowski