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Mark A Miller
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About our Minister of Music, Mark A Miller
Besides being Minister of Music at Christ Church,
Mark currently serves on the faculty at both Drew University
and at Yale University where he teaches sacred music and worship.
Between 2002 and 2007 he was Director
of Contemporary Worship at the Marble Collegiate Church in New
York and from 1999 to 2001 he was Music Associate and Assistant
Organist of The Riverside Church in New York City.
Mark received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Yale and his
Master of Music in Organ Performance from Juilliard.
Composing is one of Mark's passions. In 2002 Abingdon Press launched
the Mark Miller Anthem Series which has since become some of the
most popular music at the United Methodist Publishing House. Mark's
organ work, Toccata on “God Rest Ye Merry” (recorded
2000 on Gothic's label) was featured on National Public Radio's
program Pipe Dreams. James Earl Jones was the narrator of his
original work, Let Justice Roll: Song from a Birmingham Jail, which
was also featured on NBC's program Positively Black. Mark is also
the Composer-in-Residence for the Harmonium Choral Society, based
in Morris County, New Jersey. Harmonium recently premiered a major
commissioned work by him which appears on their new cd Whitmania
available at
www.harmonium.org.
Mark is well known throughout the United Methodist Church as a
worship leader, teacher and performer of sacred music. Since 1997
he has performed concerts and directed conferences at churches both
across the United States and internationally. In April 2008 Mark
was the Director of Music for the General Conference of the United
Methodist Church in Forth Worth, Texas.
Mark and his band, The Brooklyn Collective recently recorded a new
CD Grace Abounds.
Recordings of several of Mark's works by groups he has directed are available
at his website,
www.markamillermusic.com.
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Daniel Rufolo
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About Daniel Rufolo, 2nd Service Jazz Pianist
Daniel Rufolo is a pianist, composer and arranger with a diverse
repertoire and a vibrant transmittable energy.
When Daniel arranges his hands to play, you can feel the room ready
with him. His perceptiveness is revealed through his get-to-the-soul
meditational compositions. Other tunes he writes are invigorating,
and you find yourself holding your breath not to miss a note. His
light spirited, easy to laugh nature combining with a relentless
drive makes him the person you look to work with.
Daniel participated in pre-college studies with the Wachovia NJPAC
Jazz for Teens program for 5 years, earning the JFT International
Groningen Award to study at the Prins Claus Conservatory, Hanze
University in Holland.
In 2010 he received a Bachelor of Music in jazz performance from
William Paterson. Throughout his studies there he received instruction
from musicians such as Mulgrew Miller, Armen Donelian, Harold Mabern,
and Rich Perry. He studied jazz arranging with Rich Derosa. While
attending William Paterson, Daniel discovered his passion for
classical and new music while studying piano under professor Elka
Kirkpatrick.
Daniel has completed an honors thesis under the guidance of Dr.
John Link, where he developed a new microtonal system to compose
with using CSound. Daniels music is constantly stretching the
boarders and limits. Currently, Daniel is studying music composition
in the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, and producing
two albums. He is completely obsessed with music.
At Christ Church where Daniel has long been a member, he
has organized and performed original compositions at annual concerts
benefiting such causes as Katrina relief, Darfur, and
rehabilitation of US soldiers.
He believes that music is a powerful art form and can change our world.
For more about Daniel and his music, visit
www.danielrufolo.com.
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Alison Vidal Caravano
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About Alison Vidal Caravano, Director of Children's Choirs
Alison Vidal Caravano has been the Children's Choirs Director at
Christ Church in Summit, NJ, since 2007. Ali graduated from Mason
Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 2008 double
majoring in Vocal Performance and Music Education. Ali has performed
at such esteemed venues as: Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Avery
Fisher Hall, Basilica of the National Shrine, The National Cathedral,
and the Rutgers Stadium for his holiness, the Dalai Lama. Ali has
performed in eight different countries, given a number of recitals
and has been seen in seven operas. Some of her stage highlights
include: Jenny Hildebrand in “Street Scene,” Witch 1
in “Dido and Aneas,” Jenny Reefer in “The Mother
of Us All,” Prashkowia in
“The Merry Widow,”
and Bard Summerscape
Opera's production of “Genoveva,” under the direction
of Kasper Bech Holten.
Ali Caravano is currently a middle school choral and general music
teacher in the Fair Lawn School District where she oversees three
choirs. Recently, Mrs. Caravano musically directed Thomas Jefferson
Middle School's production of “Annie” which was declared,
“A middle school masterpiece,” by Cornell Christianson.
In 2011, Ali Caravano musically directed Fair Lawn High School's
production of
“Bye, Bye, Birdie”
in which her chorus and featured
vocal ensembles were both nominated for a Metropolitan High School
Theater Award. Additionally, she has been teaching private voice
and piano lessons since 2006.
Ali resides in New Providence, NJ, with her wonderful and supportive
husband, Vinny, and their dogs, Lady and Charlemagne.
