ePress Kit ‹ Winslowdynasty

Bio:

WinslowDynasty is quickly becoming one of the hottest, most talked about musical experiences in the industry. From the impressive vocal range of her sultry voice, to the award-winning auditory perfection achieved by his trumpet, WinslowDynasty is a group on a mission to change the world and inspire a renaissance in creative art.

WinslowDynasty is comprised of two professionally trained musicians. Dontae Winslow, master trumpeter, music producer/arranger songwriter, and Mashica Winslow, whose dynamic, angelic voice, songwriting and stellar arranging abilities are pure magic conveyed with a passion that is infectious. Their formidable alliance encompasses styles of Jazz, Soul, Hip-Hop and Rhythm and Blues music, with elements of honesty, sincerity and fearlessness, which makes for a truly unique musical experience.

Musician/Producer, Dontae Winslow, grew up in a tough neighborhood in West Baltimore. He was raised by his God loving grandparents and a single mother, who tragically fell into drug addiction. Music was not only a passion for young Dontae, it served as a release mechanism. Releasing him from a grip very few are ever liberated from. Giving Dontae the opportunity to soar!

His early music studies began at The Baltimore School for the Arts, where he met and was encouraged by the late, great, Tupac Shakur, who would become very influential his music. Dontae went on to The New School for Social Research in New York City, where he was mentored by the great, young jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Next, Dontae attended the Peabody Conservatory of the John’s Hopkins University. In three years, he attained a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Classical Music Performance. Dontae continued his studies, attaining a Master’s degree in European Classical Music Performance just two years later.

In 2003, Dontae Winslow was awarded a full-fellowship to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at USC, where he studied and performed with legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and Hollywood film composer Terence Blanchard. He has been considered an elite trumpeter ever since.

As a musician Dontae is hotter than ever and remains in very high demand. He has toured the world, playing with the bands of Jill Scott, Queen Latifah, Common, D’Angelo, Christina Aguilera, Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dog, Gary Bartz, Gary Thomas, Raphael Saadiq, and The Soulful Symphony. Recently, Dontae has made repeated appearances on the 10^th season of American Idol, performing songs with Idol hopefuls. He also performed in Las Vegas with Jamie Fox before the Mosely vs. Pacquiao fight.

As a music producer/songwriter/arranger, Dontae is just as acclaimed, having worked with multi-platinum artists such as Keyshia Cole, Kelly Price, Avant, Beyonce, Dr. Dre, David Banner, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Chantee Moore, Mary Mary, Kierra Sheard, and Snoop Dog.

In 2011, Dontae added Hollywood Film Composer to his list of titles, scoring his first featured film, In The Hive, directed by Holloywood-Icon, Robert Townsend starring Michael Clarke Duncan, Loretta Devine, and Vivica A. Fox. Film set for release in the fall of 2011.

Vocalist/Songwriter/Arranger, MaShica Winslow is one of Baltimore’s greatest singers. Her voice is a unique combination of the smooth rhythm of jazz, the bold, true pitch, sound of classical, with the penetrating depths of gospel. Mashica has an accomplished performance track record, consistently singing many genres of music at a very high level.

MaShica, also from West Baltimore, she also attended The Baltimore School for the Arts. She spent her spare time listening to gospel and R&B music. Mashica is a professionally trained, classical vocalist, holding a classical music performance degree from Morgan State University. While at Morgan, MaShica served as a section leader and featured soloist on many selections with varying degrees of difficulty and stylistic approach. The Morgan State University Choir has toured extensively and afforded MaShica the opportunity to perform with world-class orchestras throughout Europe and North America.

Mashica has performed/recorded with multi-platinum artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Karen Clarke, Mary Mary, Dr. Dre, Anthony Brown, Jay-Z, Xzibit, Kim Burrell, Richard Smallwood, Kathleen Battle, Denyce Graves, Gary Bartz, Roy Hargrove, The Soulful Symphony and Jesse Norman. Her debut CD, The Real Thing, and the groups latest single, Mama are both available now for download here and on iTunes

Musical Influences:

Both Dontae and Mashica, being trained musicians with classical backgrounds, WinslowDynasty’s musical inspirations are vast. “Artists ranging from Ashford and Simpson to Tupac, from John Coltrane to Aretha Franklin all have touched WinslowDynasty’s strong music history. “We have a unique ability to perform and produce multi-genre music. We offer a truly unique musical experience, but if I had to describe our sound it would be the Longing of Miles Davis with the Sincerity of a John Coltrane wrapped in Aretha Franklin’s Soul.”

What Makes Us Different:

They are WinslowDynasty and they have something to say. “We go hard or we just don’t go! We dream big for ourselves and others and you hear it in our music.” Real, hard -hitting content inside of driving beats and intelligent grooves, WinslowDynasty definitely delivers musical genius. “We care about Love, Life , and People and aren’t afraid or ashamed of expressing our humanity and uplifting others. We don’t follow trends we set them.”

WinslowDynasty musical performances are more musical experiences and a journey. “In one concert you may hear all musical genres, ranging from an Italian Aria to Jazz standard.” Resulting in performances you’ll remember and music that stands out from the rest.

Requirements/Additional Info:

A typical WinslowDynasty set requires a piano, bass, drums, and mics. Power source for amps and monitors. But it truly all depends on the performance environment. With experience soothing an intimate theater, wowing audiences in a festival setting, or rocking a major club, or performance venue, WinslowDynasty delivers live music at a high level.