Aja comes to Great River from the American Heart Association, where she worked as a Development Coordinator in Michigan before moving back to her home state of Minnesota. Aja is new to Great River this year in her role as Communications Coordinator. She is working daily on finding ways to improve the past communication processes, and discover ways the communication between the GRS community and the School can best serve the needs of all our families at Great River! She has some great ideas and is excited about 2023! She is looking forward to knowing more about Great River through her role. Get to know Aja!
Biography provided by Aja Parham, Communications Coordinator
Hi there! My name is Aja, pronounced [Ay-zhuh] and if you ever need help remembering or pronouncing my name, my parents named me after the 1977 titled album “Aja” by Steely Dan. I may be biased, but it is a pretty great song :-) Take a listen here: Steely Dan's "Aja"
I joined Great River in August and was thankful that the former Communications Coordinator set me up for success in my role. Since starting I have learned more about the GRS community, the history and it makes me so happy to be in an environment where everyone helps out as a community so all others can succeed. As the Communications Coordinator, I plan to get a better understanding of what the GRS families and faculty need to better communicate the great things going on at GRS. I love writing as well as learning new things so I am happy to be here in this role.
My Background
After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance, I went on to perform with the Minnesota Opera, Skylark Opera, Penumbra Theatre, and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. After a time, I rekindled my love of Jazz, R&B, Funk, and Motown, and started performing as a freelance vocalist throughout the Twin Cities. In addition to performing, I have taught voice lessons since 2010.
In addition to being Communications Coordinator, I am mom to 1st year student, Asa in Minnesota River. Asa, also new to Great River, is excited everyday to go to school, has learned so much, and is very supported here. I love the fact that he is thriving and comes home everyday wanting to talk about friends, activities, and those adults that have helped him throughout the day. He loves it here and I look forward to watching him grow in the GRS community.
Lastly, on top of being a mom and being Communications Coordinator, I am also all things entertainment! I am a singer, voice teacher, actress, vegan baker, photographer and a Photoshop and graphic design enthusiast. Singing since I was little and both singing and acting professionally since 15 years old, music is very important to me. I like to bring creativity into each of my workplaces, so you may catch me at my desk listening to or humming any number of songs. Currently, I’m a freelance vocalist often singing with various artists and groups in the Twin Cities. If you like live music, try to catch me at some of my shows in the Twin Cities singing with the Capri Big Band, Kashimana Ahua, Lake Harriet Bandshell, or The Twin Cities Jazz Festival. In addition to performing, I have been a clinician for 3 years and co-conducted a Vocal Jazz workshop in 2014 and 2015 with the former Dakota Jazz Foundation for Education. If you want to know further about my music, please catch me in the halls of GRS.
For some fun things about me, please check out my websites below:
Babyshopped website (My Graphic design + website)
https://aja-parham.squarespace.com/
My Youtube Channel: Aja Darrah
https://www.youtube.com/user/babyleontyne13/videos?view_as=subscriber
