P L A Y B I L L
Richard Wright School's Presents the
5th Annual R.O.X.I.E. Celebration of the Arts
Mr. Roger Murray, M.Ed - Music Director
Born and raised in Baltimore City, Maryland, Mr. Roger Murray serves as Music Director of the Richard Wright Public Charter Schools for Journalism and Media Arts. At Richard Wright, Mr. Murray has written the school song as well as the proposed theme song for the DC Public Charter School System, "DC Charter Proud." During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Murray was named the 2020-2021 Richard Wright Schools’ Teacher of the Year. He is an active member of NAfME (The National Association for Music Education), OAKE (The Organization for American Kodály Educators), MMEA (The Maryland Music Educators Association), DCMEA (The DC Music Education Association) and The Alpha Nu Omega Christian Fraternity, Inc. Mr. Murray has earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Morgan State University, a Masters of Education Degree from Loyola University Maryland as well as a Certificate in Kodály Music Education also from Loyola University Maryland. Currently, Mr. Murray is currently in pursuit of his Doctoral Degree in Education with a focus on Urban Educational Leadership at Morgan State University.
Mrs. Summer Johnson, Wright Dancer's Director
Summer Johnson is a dancer, choreographer and teacher with over 25 years of experience. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, she has performed on stage and in videos for many artists including Michael Jackson, Brandy, and Outkast. She was the captain of Morehouse's "Mahogany In Motion" dance team and studied under Kenneth Green and Veta Goler at Spelman College where she graduated with a minor in Dance. She is the founder and creative director of "Summer Johnson Choreography" and has provided choreography for many school and company dance teams around the country. She touts multiple national championship-winning routines. Summer offers choreography services for Wedding First Dances, Bridal Party Routines, Quincenears, Debutante Balls, Competition Choreography, and more. She began teaching dance at Richard Wright Public Charter School in December of 2021 and founded the Wright Dancers Dance Team.
Ms. Jessica Featherson, Wright Dancer's Assistant Director
Jessica Featherson is a graduate of Temple University BFA dance degree program, with a minor in Latin American Studies. She performed with Kariamu & Company: Traditions during her undergraduate tenure and continued working with the company on various projects including the national tour of the theatrical production, The Clothesline Muse. While in Philadelphia she also trained under the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco) working closely with artistic director Kim Bears-Bailey. Jessica has performed with NYC based companies, Laurie M. Taylor/Soul Movement and Eyrc Taylor Dance at festivals such as Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, Harlem Stage E-moves, and the International Festival Avante Garde in Merida, Mexico. She has studied abroad in Mexico and Brazil, and is especially focused on the relationship between music and dance in specific cultural regions. She has also traveled to Havana, Cuba, with choreographer Ronald K. Brown, to study folkloric and contemporary dance under the auspices of the Joyce Theater Foundation travel program. Jessica is a part of the inaugural MFA in dance cohort at Rutgers University/Mason Gross School of the Arts where she also served as Part-Time Lecturer of Dance. She has served on faculty at Ballet Hispanico in New York City and currently serves as adjunct faculty at Prince George's Community College. She is honored to work with the beautiful and talented Wright Dancers and serve as one of dance instructors in the ROXIE department at Richard Wright Schools.
Mr. Dwayne Charlton - Choral Ensemble Director
Dwayne Charlton, a native of Miami, FL., has been singing since the age of five. Growing up in a musical family, he naturally took to singing and performing. Dwayne’s vast array of musical influences stem from genres such as gospel, R&B, Neo-Soul, hip-hop, and classical, which all appear in his vocal style and ability. Dwayne received his B.A. degree in Music Technology from Bethune Cookman University, where he performed and toured with the nationally acclaimed Bethune-Cookman Concert Chorale, under the leadership of the legendary Dr. Rebecca Walker Steele. Dwayne studied classical vocal training under the direction of The American tenor himself, Opera Singer Curtis Rayam Jr., who served as an advisor for the National Music Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Inc., which he currently serves as a member of. Dwayne began his professional career when he connected with the rock-infused soul gospel band, SENSERE, as one of the lead vocalists. Throughout his 13 year tenure with the group, Dwayne was awarded the opportunity to tour the country and share the stage with a host of mainstream artists and perform on national platforms. With four albums released, Sensere was able to reach #13 on Billboard's Top Gospel Album charts in 2015. Dwayne currently serves as Co-Music Director at the Richard Wright Public Charter Schools in Washington, D.C. There he teaches General Music and Music Production as well as serves as Choral Director of the RW Choral Ensemble.
Ms. Jillian Uzuegbu - Strings Ensemble Director
Jillian Uzuegbu is a NYC-born, Greenbelt, MD-raised violinist, who is classically-trained in piano, violin, viola, cello and flute. Ms. Uzuegbu began training in piano and violin at the age of four. She concentrated her musical studies in violin and attended conservatory studies at Catholic University throughout her early training. She went on to join the New England Youth Ensemble at Washington Adventist University, where she made her orchestral debut at Carnegie Hall, NYC, under Mid-America Productions at sixteen.
Ms. Uzuegbu studied under violin pedagogue and Suzuki Method-pioneer, Dr. John Kendall before attending Washington Adventist University. She is now a performing and teaching artist with nineteen years of teaching experience, based in the Washington D.C. area.
Ms. Uzuegbu has been performing with DC Strings as a member of the Accord
Symphony Orchestra since 2017 and teaching under the DC Strings Workshop, LLC since fall of 2021. She is also currently an ensemble coordinator and contractor with DC Strings. At home, she is Mom to fifteen-year-old twins; Maxwell, a violinist and buddingdrummer, and Jordan, a fantastic artist.
Miss Lauren Harris - Summer Intern
Lauren Harris is a proud artistic citizen hailing from the nation's capital and a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Here she honed her skills and developed a deep appreciation for various artistic disciplines. Lauren continues her academic pursuits at George Washington University, where she is a proud recipient of the Stephen Joel Trachtenberg scholarship.
Lauren deeply values her involvement with the Richard Wright Public Charter School and cherishes the experiences she has had as part of the 2023 summer experience program. She considers it an honor to contribute to the school's mission and engage with its students.
Mr. Danzell Bussey - Richard Wright Summer Experience Principal
Danzell C.H. Bussey is a native Washingtonian and has spent most of his 15 year educational career in Washington, DC. Mr. Bussey is currently the RW Summer Experience Principal and also serves as the Assistant Academy Director for Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts. He is also the co-founding creator of the ROXIE’s journalism curriculum and instruction they have used to serve students for the past 10 years. He remembers the influences of his childhood and wants to help create positive life experiences for his students. Given an early opportunity to work with young people, he has grown a reputation for delivering a genuine creative instructional style as well as putting emphasis on the importance of the area’s culture, and the growth of its students, making them better today than yesterday.
Bussey is a graduate of Florida A&M University with a B.A. in journalism and media arts and currently serves on the Washington, DC Alumni Chapter executive board as Vice-Preident. He also has done graduate work at Florida State University where he received his teaching certifications in broadcasting media production. He resides in Southeast Washington, DC, with his family who have been Washingtonians for over 3 generations. Bussey’s advice for those interested in pursuing a career in education is to master your teaching style, take full accountability of every student you teach and to learn the most you can.
Mr. Anthony Carr - Guitar Club and Art Teacher
Mr. Anthony Carr is a native of Kinston North Carolina and has lived in the DMV area for some years now, Has a Bachelors in commercial Art and a minor in music from St Augustine University In Raleigh NC. He has grad school training in special education from Trinity college in Washington DC and has been teaching for more than twenty years as an Visual Arts teacher and guitar club instructor. Mr.Carr is also a book illustrator with more than 11 books to his name. His illustrated books have sold over 500,000 copies. Along with hundreds of paintings and murals. Have been teaching at Richard Wright for 10 years.( I like to teach the students how to dream with their eyes open)
