Alonzo “Zo” Harris is making his mark as a prolific educator, musical director, arranger and musician. Harris has earned both a Bachelors of Music in Creative Music Technology (LaGrange College) and Master’s of Music in Contemporary Improvisation (New England Conservatory of Music) with concentration in the aural traditions of music deeply rooted within the African Diaspora. As an advocate for education and a music scholar in his own right, he yet finds the time to also share his knowledge of such contexts with students in understanding the conceptual connection between both theory and practice - the “written word” and “spoken word.” As an educator, his professional work extends over a decade of higher education instruction, including the position of Adjunct Professor at New York University Steinhardt School of Music and Performing Arts, professor of music for Berklee college of Music, State University of New York Oneonta, Northeastern University, Suffolk University, and Apollo Theater Education series. Harris also recently joined the VH1 Save the Music Foundation’s Music Industry advisory board. Using his extensive industry experiences, musical directing and performing with a plethora of artists, he has dedicated his daily life to mentoring and providing resources that enhance the versatility of musicians.

 

As a performer, his work includes performances for the Grammy Awards, “Aretha! A Grammy Tribute to Aretha Franklin,” as well as “Let’s Go Crazy! A Grammy Tribute to Prince” and the 93rd Oscar Awards with artist and 26-time Grammy nominated, 5-time Grammy award and Oscar winning artist, H.E.R. As a musical director, arranger and programmer, he has collaborated with Rickey Minor, Sheila E, Diane Warren, Adam Blackstone, Onree Gill, Kim Burse, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. In addition to the Grammy performances, his work has been heard and seen on the former David Letterman Show, The Late show with Jimmy Fallon, NAACP Image Awards, iHeart music festival, MTV Video Music Awards, Global Citizens Festival, The Today Show, Apple Music Festival, BET Awards, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Coachella, the Late Late Show with Seth Meyers, Sesame Street: The Not So Late Show with Elmo, Live with Jimmy Kimmel, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Black Girls Rock, Good Morning America, James Corden, NBC’s SNL (Saturday Night Live), Superbowl LV (America The Beautiful) and Superbowl LVIII halftime show with Usher.

 

In addition to his developments with H.E.R. Music touring, Alonzo’s credits also include industry collaborations with RCA records, Atlantic records, Voltron Records, RedBull Music, Interscope, Netflix,CBS, Def Jam, Universal Music Group, Spectrum Music Group, NBC, CBS, Showtime at the Apollo, and Progressive Musik Group with artists, such as Sting, Janelle Monae, the late Betty Wright, Lenny Kravitz,Teyana Taylor, 21 Savage, Dej Loaf, Travis Barker (Blink-182), Dr Bobby Jones Gospel, K. Michelle,Tyrese, Mario, Dorothy Norwood, YBN Cordae, SWV, Shirley Caesar, Skip Marley, Wale, Chris Brown,Dram, ColdPlay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour, as well as two off Broadway musicals (“Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical” and “An Evening With Phyllis Hyman”) that both enhance the importance of health and wellness (AIDs and Mental Health awareness) within collaborative arts’communities.

 

In addition to traveling, directing, arranging and performing, Alonzo continues to interest himself with developing resources and intensive training programs to offer help to those on similar paths of success.Therefore, it is his mission to continue to share his heart through his music, knowledge and expertise: a language that transcends musical genres, social barriers and educational divides.