Shadowlands Performance at Orpheum Theatre Highlights Mirza Jazz Residency

If quality music and memorable experiences were the goals, the 13th annual Jerome Mirza Jazz Residency was a complete success. The residency united Knox students and the Galesburg community with renowned artists for a week of immersive workshops and collaboration, culminating in a free concert at the historic Orpheum Theatre. 

The week was organized and led by Andy Crawford ’00, managing director of the Knox College music performance program.

“I have been organizing the Mirza Residency since its inception, and while all of them have been memorable, this one truly stands out,” Crawford said. “John (Raymond) and Sean (Carey), along with the rest of the Shadowlands band, are genuinely generous human beings who connected with the students on so many levels. Jazz Night was magical, with a double band on stage—two drum sets, two basses, a keyboard and a Rhodes, and three vocalists—and the students absolutely loved it. And to cap off the week, Shadowlands gave an absolutely stunning concert.”

John Raymond and Sean Carey, co-leaders of the band Shadowlands, served as artists-in-residence, leading class lectures, workshops, and rehearsals, and highlighting the week with performances during Thursday's Jazz Night and Friday's Orpheum Theatre finale. Shadowlands melds indie folk, forward-thinking jazz, lush pop, and atmospheric electronic textures into a truly one-of-a-kind musical experience.  

“It's been really great. John Raymond and Sean Carey have been really nice to us and really welcoming,” said Eileen Sheetz ’26, who plays tenor saxophone and is a member of the Cherry Street Combo. “I feel like we learned so much from them, and it was a blast working with them.”

Raymond and Carey hosted workshops and classes for students and the public, sharing insights on music and life. A roundtable on health and wellness was a highlight of the workshops.

"It was a good example rooted in personal experience," Raymond said. "I teach at Indiana University and see how much we connect beyond performance or technique. This week, we're playing, running a digital audio production session, visiting other classes, and touching on many topics."

The week let artists and students work and learn side by side, something both Raymond and Carey valued. 

“I’ve never done anything this long,” Raymond said. “I think the best part of this is, you’re not under a time limit, you can build relationships with students. You’re not just checking a box. You’re having a much more immersive experience and building a cultural experience.”

Building this experience is meaningful for Raymond and Carey, as they had similar opportunities in their past when they were college students at Wisconsin-Eau Claire and participants in the Eau Claire Jazz Fest. Raymond and Carey valued time spent with visiting artists—an experience they drew upon in leading Mirza Jazz Week.

“It was very influential for us to play with artists we followed and learned about for a few days,” Raymond said. “We wanted to keep the jam sessions very similar to that because we have so many memories of those days.”

“To be able to spend time with the kids, learn what kind of player they are, there are exponential possibilities with a week like this,” Carey said. “You not only learn about the musician, but the person. You get to know somebody in a week like this.”

Students appreciated the classes and workshops, but the highlight was playing with the Grammy Award winners and their entire band at Jazz Night and at the Orpheum Theatre.

“Cherry Street (Combo) did a whole set with Shadowlands. The whole band was there, so it felt like all of us had our own mentor,” Sheetz said. “It was one-on-one and so interactive. Honestly, Thursday was the most fun I’ve had at Jazz Night. We jammed out with the band; they showed us so many new things.”

The Orpheum Theatre show featured the Knox Jazz Ensemble, directed by Justin Haynes ’04, and the Knox Cherry Street Combo, directed by Andy Crawford ’00, with Raymond and Carey joining, before a closing set by Shadowlands band.

“It was awesome,” Carey said. “The whole week really ramped up to this, playing in such a beautiful space.”

This residency is funded by a grant from the Jerome Mirza Foundation, which was created by a bequest from Jerome Mirza. He was an attorney and served as president of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. The foundation supports programs in education and the arts. Mirza was a passionate jazz aficionado. Knox College is pleased to honor his memory by sharing jazz with the campus and Galesburg communities. His daughter, Candace Mirza of Wilmette, Illinois, graduated from Knox in 1981.

For more photos from the Mirza Jazz Residency, visit the Knox College Flickr page.

Published on February 02, 2026

Scott Holland, Knox College Office of Communications