Equally well-versed in musical theatre, opera, art song, pop/rock and Latin repertory, Jermaine is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and the full-time music director at Columbia College Chicago. From 2015 to 2017, he was the Assistant Professor of Theatre and coordinator of musical theatre and dance at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. In addition to serving as music director for the all-college musicals, he was the vocal coach for all musical theatre and theatre majors, and the faculty adviser for the senior-directed capstone musical. He taught acting and voice classes including Fundamentals of Acting, Acting for the Musical Theatre Stage, Advanced Performance Styles/Audition Techniques, and Voice and Movement. He also taught a course on the history of popular American music at times of war in the Interdisciplinary Studies program.
Outside of academia, he is an award-nominated music director. He recently returned to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater to music direct the North American premiere of Nell Gwynn, and served as Music Director and Pianist/Conductor for Memphis with Porchlight Music Theatre (Equity Jeff Award nominee and Black Theatre Alliance Award winner, Best Musical Direction). In the summer of 2017, he music directed and played piano for Ragtime at the Griffin Theatre (Non-Equity Jeff Award nom for Best Musical Direction and wins for Best Musical and Best Ensemble), and Madagascar: A Musical Adventure at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Other Chicago music directing credits include the Midwest premiere of The Gefilte Fish Chronicles at the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, and the Summer Musical Theatre Intensive at the Actors Training Center in Wilmette, Illinois, where he worked on their productions of Godspell and Bonnie & Clyde.
During the 2018-2019 season, he will music direct the Midwest premiere of The Total Bent with Haven Theatre , and will work with TimeLine Theatre on the Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket. The season will conclude with Goodman Theatre's production of The Music Man, directed by Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, where he will serve as Music Director and Pianist/Conductor.
From 2013 - 2015, Jermaine was the Assistant Director, Accompanist and Arranger for the Purdue Varsity Glee Club, Director and Arranger for the Heart & Soul gospel ensemble, and music director and arranger for the Lighthouse gospel quartet, the 50's and 60's tribute group Ba Na Na, the 70's and 80's tribute group Flashbacks, and the six-voice contemporary acapella group Voiceovers at Purdue University. He also served as a Creative Consultant, Vocal Arranger, Orchestrator and Script Writer for the Purdue Christmas Show, attended by more than 18,000 people annually and broadcast nationwide on public television and radio stations.
As a singer, he has performed with such diverse groups as the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Cornerstone Chorale and Brass (MO), the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme (UK), The Orchestra of Saint Luke’s (NY), Roanoke Island Historical Association (NC), Cayuga Vocal Ensemble (NY), Ithaca Opera (NY), The Newton Community Orchestra (MA), and at the Capitol Theatre (NY). He has appeared at Chicago’s Symphony Center, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall (Boston), Saint Mark’s Basilica (Venice), the Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris), and has sang in choirs under such distinguished conductors as Bernard Haitink, Michael Tilson Thomas, Richard Egarr, Simon Carrington, Sir John Scott, and Duaine Wolfe. He has participated in master classes with internationally renowned coaches Martin Katz, Della Jones and Pierre Vallet, and in concerts, recitals, and competitions throughout the United State and Europe.
As a music director and arranger, vocal coach, and show co-creator, he worked extensively with Royal Caribbean Productions for eight years, contributing to hundreds of productions shows, concept shows and musical events throughout their fleet. He continues to work privately as a voice teacher and vocal coach for professional actors, including Tony and Grammy Award winner Heather Headley.
Orchestrating and arranging work began with his early involvement with Music Theatre International, where he worked on the 1994 re-orchestration of West Side Story, the Paper Mill Playhouse premiere of Stephen Schwartz’ Children of Eden, and the early development of Broadway Junior, the world’s largest catalogue of author-approved musicals tailored to the needs and abilities of young performers. Equally proficient in Finale and Sibelius notation software, he has arranged and orchestrated scores of all sizes and configurations for recital, concert, and theatrical performance.
He also continues an active career as an actor. Recent credits include a guest spot on NBC's Chicago Med, commercial work with The Onion Labs, performing the role of Sam in Breathe With Me (Erasing the Distance), and readings with The Other Theatre (formerly known as The Other Theatre Company).
Originally from New York, he holds a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College, where he studied voice with Patrice Pastore, conducting with Lawrence Doebler and Janet Galvan, acting with Barbara Anger, and opera and musical theatre with Patrick Hansen. He received his Master of Music with Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied voice with Helen Hodam and Michael Dean, opera and art song with John Moriarty, and musical theatre with Marc Astafan.
He is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group, and is an ensemble member of the Griffin Theatre Company.
Outside of academia, he is an award-nominated music director. He recently returned to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater to music direct the North American premiere of Nell Gwynn, and served as Music Director and Pianist/Conductor for Memphis with Porchlight Music Theatre (Equity Jeff Award nominee and Black Theatre Alliance Award winner, Best Musical Direction). In the summer of 2017, he music directed and played piano for Ragtime at the Griffin Theatre (Non-Equity Jeff Award nom for Best Musical Direction and wins for Best Musical and Best Ensemble), and Madagascar: A Musical Adventure at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Other Chicago music directing credits include the Midwest premiere of The Gefilte Fish Chronicles at the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, and the Summer Musical Theatre Intensive at the Actors Training Center in Wilmette, Illinois, where he worked on their productions of Godspell and Bonnie & Clyde.
During the 2018-2019 season, he will music direct the Midwest premiere of The Total Bent with Haven Theatre , and will work with TimeLine Theatre on the Chicago premiere of Too Heavy for Your Pocket. The season will conclude with Goodman Theatre's production of The Music Man, directed by Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, where he will serve as Music Director and Pianist/Conductor.
From 2013 - 2015, Jermaine was the Assistant Director, Accompanist and Arranger for the Purdue Varsity Glee Club, Director and Arranger for the Heart & Soul gospel ensemble, and music director and arranger for the Lighthouse gospel quartet, the 50's and 60's tribute group Ba Na Na, the 70's and 80's tribute group Flashbacks, and the six-voice contemporary acapella group Voiceovers at Purdue University. He also served as a Creative Consultant, Vocal Arranger, Orchestrator and Script Writer for the Purdue Christmas Show, attended by more than 18,000 people annually and broadcast nationwide on public television and radio stations.
As a singer, he has performed with such diverse groups as the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Cornerstone Chorale and Brass (MO), the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme (UK), The Orchestra of Saint Luke’s (NY), Roanoke Island Historical Association (NC), Cayuga Vocal Ensemble (NY), Ithaca Opera (NY), The Newton Community Orchestra (MA), and at the Capitol Theatre (NY). He has appeared at Chicago’s Symphony Center, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall (Boston), Saint Mark’s Basilica (Venice), the Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris), and has sang in choirs under such distinguished conductors as Bernard Haitink, Michael Tilson Thomas, Richard Egarr, Simon Carrington, Sir John Scott, and Duaine Wolfe. He has participated in master classes with internationally renowned coaches Martin Katz, Della Jones and Pierre Vallet, and in concerts, recitals, and competitions throughout the United State and Europe.
As a music director and arranger, vocal coach, and show co-creator, he worked extensively with Royal Caribbean Productions for eight years, contributing to hundreds of productions shows, concept shows and musical events throughout their fleet. He continues to work privately as a voice teacher and vocal coach for professional actors, including Tony and Grammy Award winner Heather Headley.
Orchestrating and arranging work began with his early involvement with Music Theatre International, where he worked on the 1994 re-orchestration of West Side Story, the Paper Mill Playhouse premiere of Stephen Schwartz’ Children of Eden, and the early development of Broadway Junior, the world’s largest catalogue of author-approved musicals tailored to the needs and abilities of young performers. Equally proficient in Finale and Sibelius notation software, he has arranged and orchestrated scores of all sizes and configurations for recital, concert, and theatrical performance.
He also continues an active career as an actor. Recent credits include a guest spot on NBC's Chicago Med, commercial work with The Onion Labs, performing the role of Sam in Breathe With Me (Erasing the Distance), and readings with The Other Theatre (formerly known as The Other Theatre Company).
Originally from New York, he holds a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College, where he studied voice with Patrice Pastore, conducting with Lawrence Doebler and Janet Galvan, acting with Barbara Anger, and opera and musical theatre with Patrick Hansen. He received his Master of Music with Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied voice with Helen Hodam and Michael Dean, opera and art song with John Moriarty, and musical theatre with Marc Astafan.
He is proudly represented by Gray Talent Group, and is an ensemble member of the Griffin Theatre Company.