Join Dr. Colleen Clark, newly appointed assistant professor of jazz studies at USC, as she presents her newest band, The Southern Pines, featuring Ranky Tanky’s Quiana Parler. In collaboration with some of the Southeast’s finest jazz musicians, Clark debuts this brand-new, all-female collaboration with inspiration from life in South Carolina and work from Our Own Work Our Own Way: Ascendant Women Artists from the Johnson Collection.

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Dr. Colleen Clark is the first and only drummer to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts from the world-renowned University of North Texas. She is now an assistant professor of jazz at the University of South Carolina, where she coordinates small ensembles, conducts a big band, and teaches drum set studio and jazz history courses. Clark is the founder and artistic director of USC’s Jazz Girls Day.

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Quiana Parler began her professional career singing for Calvin Gilmore of The Carolina Opry. In 2003 she parlayed a placement in the Top 48 of season two of American Idol, where she shared stages with artists like Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5, Keith Sweat, Clay Aiken, and Miranda Lambert. In addition to recording with some of the industry’s most respected producers, Parler can be heard on albums by Clay Aiken, Bianca Ryan, and Renee Olstead, and has performed at numerous regional festivals and events including Piccolo Spoleto and Moja Arts Festival. She has performed on Saturday Night Live, The View, NBC’s Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, Tyra, and numerous other national television programs. Parler is lead vocalist for the Grammy-Award winning, Charleston-based quintet Ranky Tanky.

The Baker & Baker series is devoted to highlighting diverse musical performances, ranging from baroque music with harpsichords to avant-garde music played with nontraditional materials, and showcases musical excellence in its many forms.

Left to right: Colleen Clark, photo by Loren Wohl. Quiana Parler, photo by Sully Sullivan.