(Level IV) From Across the Street - Rooted on the folkloric tradition of Dominican Palos or Atabales, this movement is rich on multi-layered patterns and includes lyrics at the beginning of the piece. It offers the possibility for the entire band to sing a simple repetitive phrase while a lead vocalist sings the main tune. The soloists are the soprano sax (on the alto sax 1 chair) and the percussion/drummer. An authentic rendition would require additional percussion instruments including Dominican panderos and atabales, but only the drummer could also perform it. A great closing piece for any concert! 8 Brass

View all charts by Socrates Garcia

SOCRATES GARCIA is a composer, arranger, producer, recording engineer, guitarist, and educator from Dominican Republic. Garcia's credits include the album “Yo Por Ti” by Puerto Rican artist Olga Tañon, Grammy Award winner of Merengue Album of the Year 2001; musical director/keyboardist for Los Ilegales in their 1997-1998 Latin American tour; keyboardist for multi-Grammy winner Juan Luis Guerra; and guest performer with the Dominican Republic’s National Symphony Orchestra, among others.

As a guitarist or keyboardist, Socrates has performed in many Latin-American countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Aruba, and throughout Dominican Republic. As an arranger/producer and recording engineer his work is found on more than 30 albums and a myriad of projects.

Garcia's first first solo album, Sueños (Dreams), fusion of rock, jazz, and Latin styles, features an all-star group of Dominican musicians such as Peter Nova, David Almengod, Leo Pimentel, and Sandy Gabriel.

Garcia studied the Dick Grove’s Composing and Arranging Program (CAP), under the direct tutelage of Dick Grove, and has also studied composition with Jamey Simmons, David Caffey, Fred Sturm, and Paul Elwood. He served as Adjunct Music Professor at Middle Tennessee State University and as the Jazz Harmony and Theory teacher at the Santo Domingo Conservatory of Music, position he held for five years until he moved to the United States in 2004.  

In the United States, Garcia's music has been performed by the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, Colorado Jazz Orchestra, MTSU’s Jazz Ensembles I and II, UNC Jazz Lab Band I, Luther College Jazz Orchestra, and the Celebration Iowa Jazz Band 2005.

Socrates holds a Bachelor degree in Theory and Composition from Luther College and a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from Middle Tennessee State University. Currently he is pursuing a Doctoral degree in the Jazz Studies program (emphasis in Composition) at the University of Northern Colorado, where he is also the Interim Director of Music Technology.