Grace-Mary Burega

I love jazz because it is so social. I love being able to communicate with such a broad range of people and personalities and share stories with so many loving, passionate people through music. I was first exposed to jazz when a music teacher told me that I had a solo on "Yardbird Suite" and I went home to look up "Bird" and "Dizzy". I met Herbie Hancock at a lecture. The best show I ever attended was seeing Kenny Garrett. The first jazz record I bought was probably Charlie Parker's Savoy recordings. My advice to new listeners is to go out to see jazz live. There is so much excitement in a live show- there is so much energy, and the solos are in the moment. I am a teenage interested in spreading my love of jazz to my teenage friends and peers.