Shortly after I started playing trumpet, my great-grandfather, a WWII veteran, was in
hospice care. My family talked about how great it would be if I could play Taps at his
funeral. Sadly, he passed away before I had the chance to learn the notes.
After I'd been playing the trumpet for five years, I heard that many veterans receive a
recorded playing of Taps instead of a live performance and this moved me to found
the Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps.
I'm an Oklahoma Youth Orchestras alum and I currently play trumpet in the Mannes
Community Orchestra at the New School in New York City. I'm grateful to the music
teachers that I've had over the years, including Ashley Ray, Tom Rye, Ben Fast,
Dr. Kyle Vanderburg, Jay Wilkinson, and Jeffrey Grogan.
There is nothing more rewarding than to serve our veterans and their families.
I joined the Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps as a student member in 2015. While in high school I worked with
my state representative to draft a bill allowing Illinois students to have school absences excused when
playing Taps at military funerals. HB 4432 passed unanimously and was signed by Governor Bruce Rauner
in August 2016.
I'm currently attending Western Illinois University, majoring in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration.