Kael Clark – Tefft Foundation Jazz Music Award 2024

Kael Clark had started playing trumpet in elementary school and enjoyed it. He continued to play from his sophomore year through his senior year.

His junior year, he took up the tuba apparently following in the footsteps of Allan Jaffee who played the tuba with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. That suggests that he really likes New Orleans jazz. He was establishing a low brass section for the jazz band. That’s pretty sophisticated for a high school musician. His interest in low pitched instruments led him to add a bass guitar to his repertory.

Last summer, he went to UNH to attend their syms program. He is serious about becoming a jazz musician and helping others. He returns to the middle school after his classes to share his skills and knowledge with students just starting out and to show them the joy and freedom that music provides to both the musician and listener.