Laurie Marino Sears

About Laurie

Laurie Sears has been on the faculty of Interlochen Center of the Arts since 2000 teaching saxophone in several programs including the Arts Academy, Summer Arts Camp and College of Creative Arts.  Since 2005 Laurie has been a faculty member of the Adult Band Camp/Symphonic Band Camp program.   Laurie is the retired Director of Jazz Bands and Instructor of Saxophone and Woodwinds at Northwestern Michigan College and also taught saxophone at Grand Valley State University. While in Chicago, she taught at Columbia College, Concordia University, the American Conservatory of Music and Triton College.

As a performer on saxophone, flute and clarinet, Laurie works with numerous jazz groups, with the Grand Rapids Symphony,  Traverse Symphony Orchestra and Traverse Symphony Jazz Orchestra.  Some of the national jazz and popular artists that Laurie has shared the stage with include Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Liza Minelli, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Johnny Mathis, Henry Mancini, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and The Four Tops. While in Chicago, Laurie performed on the Chicago Jazz Festival, with orchestral pops presentations at Ravinia, with entertainers at the Chicago Theater and at numerous musical theaters venues.  She has maintained an active private teaching studio for over forty years.

Degrees and awards include a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone, a Master of Music in Woodwinds and a Performer’s Certificate from the Indiana University School of Music. Teachers include Eugene Rousseau, Fred Hemke and David Baker.