Ruth Naomi Floyd Appointed as Director of Jazz Studies

The School of Music at Cairn University is pleased to announce that Ruth Naomi Floyd has been appointed as Director of Jazz Studies.
An adjunct professor at Cairn since 2006, Floyd will be directing the jazz studies program, in addition to teaching jazz voice and jazz history, coaching combos, and directing Cairn University’s gospel choir. With over 20 years of experience in the music industry, Floyd is an accomplished vocalist and composer. She has a discography of five CDs dedicated to a jazz expression of her Christian faith.
Floyd has recorded and/or performed with notable instrumentalists including James Newton, Gary Thomas, James Weidman, Jay Hoggard, Bryan Carrott, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ralph Peterson, Jr., Uri Caine, Charles Fambrough, Julian Joseph, Craig Handy, Reggie Washington, Matthew Parrish, Mark Prince, Ed Howard, Tyrone Brown, John Patitucci, Byron Landrum, T.K. Blue, Bobby Zankel, Aaron Graves, Greg Tardy, and many others.
“We are honored to have Ms. Floyd as a faculty member here in the School of Music. Her passion for teaching, artistic achievements in the field of jazz, and her heart for her students elevate our vision for what is possible here at Cairn in the art of jazz,” says Dr. Benjamin Harding, dean of the School of Music.
To learn more about Ruth Naomi Floyd, check out her website or read Jazz Gospel Central’s interview with Floyd.