THE TRI-CENTRIC FOUNDATION
Board of Directors

Mike Heffley (ensemble trombonist) is also Braxton's graduate teaching assistant at Wesleyan University in the Ph.D. program in Ethnomusicology. His association with Braxton dates to their 1989 musical collaboration in Heffley's former home state of Oregon, a project documented on their coproduced CD Eugene (1989) . Heffley incorporated and directed his own similar organization, Pacific Rim Players, Inc., for the three years prior to joining Braxton at Wesleyan in September, 1993. He has a double Master's Degree in Music and Arts Administration from Antioch University ('93), and serves as the Board's President.

Melinda Newman (ensemble oboist)--primarily a professional musician and scholar with numerous honors, awards, scholarships and fellowships to her name--is also Co-Artistic Director and Board member of the Cygnus Ensemble, a New York based contemporary chamber music ensemble. She has been, with Fonda and Braxton, active in pulling in musicians for the group and securing its rehearsal and performance schedules and venues. Newman currently serves as the Board's Vice-President.

Laura Arbuckle (ensemble vocalist), longtime Development Director for Meredith Monk's House Foundation for the Arts, brings a current working knowledge of fundraising, publicity/promotion and marketing, and board and corporate development to Braxton's Board. She has worked in similar positions for the Performing Arts Center at Suny Purchase (NY), the Hudson River Museum of Westchester (NY), the Artists Collective, Inc. (CT), New Mass Media, Inc. (MA), and has a degree in Arts Communication Management (University of Connecticut, 1987).

Ted Reichman, upon entering high school, began his studies in jazz piano at the New England Conservatory in Boston with Barry Shapiro, accordionist of the Klezmer Conservatory Band and a student of Ran Blake and Jaki Byard (actually for the first year, Ted's piano lessons were in Ran Blake's office). Shapiro encouraged Ted to explore the world of music in the Conservatory record library and in the Boston concert scene, where he would first experience the music of Anthony Braxton, Sun Ra, Anton von Webern and so many others. Ted has recorded with Anthony Braxton on his most recent Black Saint release Four (Ensemble) Compositions 1992 and has performed live with Braxton, Roland Dahinden and others.

Joe Fonda (ensemble bassist) brings to the Board a history of involvement with nonprofit corporations formed for similar purposes. An in-demand freelance musician/bandleader and independent producer since 1978, Fonda is Founding Director of Kaleidescope Arts and Musical Director of the Kaleidescope Performance Ensemble since 1982. He has also worked with trumpeter/composer Leo Smith's Creative Musicians Improvisers Forum and Orchestra.

John Szwed , professor of African American Studies, Anthropology, American Studies, and Music at Yale University, is also a widely published author and scholar in Braxton's genre (currently working on a book about Sun Ra). His relationships with the New York and national music media and critical figures make him key in the organization's communications with its community and audience.

Mark Palermo is a New York attorney (and actor and vocalist) who also served on the board of Black Sheep Repertory (NY). He is Director of PolyGram Special Markets' Business Affairs (NY), and brings a general background in entertainment and corporate finance.