Dave Fazio

Chairman
Dave Fazio, AIA, is the general manager principal of Fazio Architects, and is the principal in charge of design. Fazio Architects has been in business for over 20 years, and provides leadership on a multitude building types including municipal facilities, educational buildings, medical office buildings, and complex renovation projects. Dave has served as manager/designer on a number of large scale institutional projects. He has received a number of design awards throughout his career and is considered an artist as much as an architect. Dave began his musical interest at age 8 by studying piano and playing the guitar. Growing up in a military family, he was exposed to many styles of music which gave him the opportunity to play a variety of music styles in a number of bands around the world. While in Rome in the early 1980’s, he played in Calicchia's Blues Band. Dave is currently focusing his attention on song composition while expanding his knowledge of music theory and jazz guitar.

Richard Spencer

Co - Founder / Executive Director
Richard Spencer, MBA, MME, is a business management and music professional with over 25 years of world-class experience in both disciplines. Richard and his wife, Paula, who is also a business management and music professional, co-founded New School of Music as a 501c3 in August 2013, with the vision of providing music scholarships, up to half of total enrollment to underserved children – while connecting them with world-class musicians and educators. Richard’s management and technology consulting experience includes a variety of enterprise and outsourcing projects for public and private sector clients – including Exxon-Mobil, USAA, The Associates, The State of Texas, The State of Arizona, Accenture, and IBM. Richard previously co-founded a technology services startup, Jazz I.T., Inc., acquired angel investors for round 1 ($1.2M), and secured the initial major customers. Upon developing the firm’s revenue ($1.3M) and transitioning to a network management focus, the firm subsequently merged with MegaPath, which is an ongoing concern. Richard’s music accomplishments are primarily in jazz guitar, and he is a prior recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Fellowship. Richard taught music at Southwestern University, Cedar Valley College, and Eastfield College, and Concordia University, and has performed and recorded in a variety of musical styles and venues. His professional music performing experience includes touring and recording with the Chico Hamilton Quintet (a world-renowned NYC based jazz group), and gigging with Bob Berg, Wallace Roney, Ralph Moore, Tiger Okoshi, and others. Richard holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, a Masters in Music Education (Jazz Studies) from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelors in Music (Jazz Performance) from the University of North Texas.

Andre Hayward

is a consummate jazz trombonist & educator who has performed extensively with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (directed by Wynton Marsalis), Chick Corea, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Mingus Dynasty Big Band, Kirk Whalum, Jason Moran, Roy Hargrove, Betty Carter, and others. Andre has served as jazz trombone professor at Berklee, New England Conservatory, NYU, SF Jazz, UNT, UT Austin. He currently teaches at Huston-Tillotson University, and is NSM Austin’s VP of Resource Development.

Evan Taniguchi

Evan Taniguchi, AIA, is Principal/Owner of Taniguchi Architects, and was born in Harlingen in 1952. The firm was founded by his father, Alan Taniguchi, and upon Alan’s death in 1998, Evan took full-control of the practice, but more importantly, took over many of Alan’s community service obligations, most notably his place on the Board of Trustees of Huston-Tillotson University, one of the oldest Historically Black Universities in America. From there, Evan has gone on to serve on the Board of several other organizations, including Planned Parenthood, the Austin History Center, and the Japanese-American National Museum, making a significant difference for each. From 2009-2012 Evan served as a Chair for the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan Task Force and helped to successfully lobby its approval before City Council. Evan has been serving on the City of Austin Design Commission since 2011 and is currently the Vice-Chairman while he continues his tenure on the UT Austin School of Architecture Dean’s Advisory Council. His architectural works have received numerous awards including the Palmer Events Center, the UT Austin Norman Hackerman Building, UT Austin Welch Hall and the Blue Hole Regional Park. In 2012, Taniguchi Architects was recognized with AIA/Austin’s Firm Achievement Award, the local Chapter’s highest honor, which focused on Evan’s commitment to public service. It is this award along with Planned Parenthood dedicating a room in their new facility to his name, due to his steadfast professionalism in the midst of angry protests that threatened the construction of the clinic, which Evan feels are some of his most notable and satisfying public service achievements. Evan continues to blend architecture and community service much like his father and grandfather, contributing to the beauty and humanity of Austin.

Don Braden

Don Braden, is a jazz musician of the highest caliber. For over 30 years he has toured the world leading his own ensembles on saxophone and flute, as a special guest, and as a sideman with Jazz greats Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, and many others. He has composed music for ensembles ranging from duo to full symphonic orchestra, in many styles, for recordings (including 19 CDs as a leader and over 80 as a sideman), film, and television networks. Braden is a leading arranger of contemporary standards, and has built a solid collection of newer American songs into his Jazz repertoire. He is also a world-renowned educator, having spent over two decades giving master classes at countless schools and universities, and running first class educational programs such as the Litchfield Jazz Camp, Texas Jazz & Blues Camp, NJPAC's Wells Fargo Jazz For Teens, and most recently, the Harvard University Monday Jazz Band.