GREAT SOUNDS PROMOTIONS
Bringing You The Best in Smooth Jazz and More . . .

 
 
 
 
About Great Sounds Promotions

Great Sounds Promotions mission is to promote music, education, and entertainment offerings that offer sound positive values to our community.

Over the years, the committees and boards that served Great Sounds Promotions, the local non-profit organization Ms. Davis founded, have served as bridges between local African-American and white community leaders, by driving people of varying ethnic and economic backgrounds, and different cultural and religious affiliations to work side by side to produce events. Over the years that these team experiences have been extremely beneficial to our community, have created long-lasting friendships, social and professional acquaintances across cultural and racial boundaries that otherwise would not have been breached. For the many people that have served in this manner over the years, GSP has been a common denominator to bridge these gaps.

Through GSP, Ms. Davis has brought many wonderful concerts to community churches, schools, auditoriums, and parks. She has brought affirming dramatic and musical programming in support of Black History Month. She has brought to the Quad City area church community over a decade of annual gospel concerts; featuring gospel recording artists that otherwise would not have been available to our community. Through benefit concerts, she has raised funds for local families in need, such as in one instance, a local family with two cancer-stricken babies.

The Smooth Jazz Concert s that has been so successful in our Quad City area was started in 2004, but quickly grew to a strong contingent of dedicated volunteers that bring a multitude of jazz concerts to a wide variety of local venues..

In addition to providing concerts for the public, Ms. Davis has also dedicated her events to creating performance opportunities for local talent, both adults and youth. In the lion’s share of her concert events over the year, Ms. Davis has striven to include local adult and youth talent in the shows, sharing the same stage with professional artists, both to showcase and to encourage local music talents. Getting this type of allowance from professional recording artists is rare; normal appearance contracts forbid these types of arrangements. But in the interests of better serving her community and sharing these types of performance opportunities with local talents, Ms. Davis had to insist repeatedly for these allowances in the course of her appearance negotiations, and even write these allowances in the appearance contracts in order to safeguard them for our public.

In addition to creating valuable showcase opportunities for local music talents, Ms. Davis has also focused on educational opportunities for disadvantaged area youth. In our many QC Gospel Music Festivals, area youth were invited to participate in choral workshops with visiting guest choir directors, including recording artists. Ms. Davis has sponsored and assembled local Adult and Youth Mass Choirs in her many events. Ms. Davis has brought affirming and educational programming to area schools, churches, and civic centers in support of Black History Month events over the years. Area events produced by Ms. Davis have raised needed funds for scholarships for disadvantaged youth to learn music skills and community service application for them. Ms. Davis has sponsored and provided workshops and performance opportunities for dance teams and mime teams as well as youth and mass choirs over the years.

In addition to providing prime performance opportunities for local adult and youth talents in the area of dance, mime, instrumental and vocal music performance, and choral performance, and in addition to sponsoring and producing educational seminars and programming in support of these creative outlets, Ms. Davis has also sponsored local awards for Adult and Youth talents. Over 30 Golden Note Awards have been giving out to area talents, to encourage them, and to provide needed recognition and thanks for those who have served the community with their talents.

All of these efforts, from concerts and seminars to fundraisers, workshops and scholarships, have realized fruition by and large due to the per
sonality and character of Ms. Valerie Davis, whose vision has always been to serve the community through events that benefit the community. Today, Ms. Davis is more widely known in the community for her event work. This, again, is merited by her personal drive and persistence to further her goals, and her vision to serve the underserved segment of our community
 

Executive Staff

Melvin Bibbs
Event Assistant

Melvin Bibbs has served as a volunteer for 2 years. Melvin helps with marketing, arranging ground transportation, being the lead usher, and helping in other areas as needed.

Timm Dalman
Production Manager
 
Timm, has been with GSP for more then 12 years. Timm handles all Artists riders, Sound Equipment, Backline etc. We are grateful to have Timm apart of our team.  
 

Kari Hoffman
 
Merchandise Coordinator
 
Kari has been with us for 2 years.  She performs in various roles as our Volunteer Director, Greeter, and Ticketing and takes care of anything that needs to be done. She has also been our Marketing, Coordinator in the past. Anywhere something needs to be done; Kari is there and handles the task. 
 
Judy Kelly
Hospitality Director
 
Judy is our Hospitality Director. Judy has been with GSP for 12 years. She handles all of the guest food arrangements and Artists.  In addition to those tasks, Judy also assists with ticketing, seating, CD sales, and just as Kari, Judy can also be counted upon to jump in where needed.  
 

Melvin Bibbs

Timothy Dalman

Kari Hoffman

Judy Kelly