Antonio J. Garci­a is a performer, composer/arranger, producer, clinician, educator, and author in both instrumental and vocal genres. An Associate Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he directs the Jazz Orchestra I, instructs various jazz courses, and founded the B.A. Music Business Emphasis (for which he initially served as Coordinator), he is a past nominee for CASE U.S. Professor of the Year and the recipient of the Illinois Music Educators Association's 2001 Distinguished Service Award. He is an alumnus of the Eastman School of Music and of Loyola University of the South. His book, Cutting the Changes: Jazz Improvisation via Key Centers (Kjos Music) offers musicians of all ages the opportunity to improvise over standard tunes using just their major scales.

Mr. Garci­a has performed as trombonist, bass trombonist, or pianist with 70 major artists including Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, Mel Torme, Billy Eckstine, Doc Severinsen, Louie Bellson, Dave Brubeck, and Phil Collins and at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Royal Festival Hall, and the Montreux, Nice, North Sea, Pori (Finland), New Orleans, and Chicago Jazz Festivals. A Bach/Selmer clinician/soloist and avid scat-singer, he has received grants from Meet The Composer, the Thelonious Monk Institute, The Commission Project, the Council for Basic Education, and others. He is Associate Jazz Editor for the International Trombone Association Journal, Past Editor of the International Association for Jazz Education Jazz Education Journal, Past President of IAJE-IL, Board member of The Midwest Clinic and previously of the Illinois Coalition for Music Education, and is Co-Editor/Contributing Author of Teaching Jazz: A Course of Study. He serves as a Network Expert (for Improvisation Materials) for the Jazz Education Network. His articles have been widely published; and his compositions have been published by Kjos, Kendor, Doug Beach, ejazzlines, Walrus, UNC Jazz Press, Three-Two Music, and his own company. García is also the subject of an extensive interview within Bonanza: Insights and Wisdom from Professional Jazz Trombonists (Advance Music) and authored a chapter within The Jazzer's Cookbook (Meredith Music). Visit his web site at www.garciamusic.com.