Benjamin Kaufman - Guitar
Teen Jazz Artists Online
Hosted by Sax Player Shannon Kennedy
Name: Benjamin Kaufman
Instrument: Guitar
Years of Experience: 7 years
The reason he started performing::
I began playing music because I loved the way it made me feel. It allowed me to express myself on a level that was unmatched by anything else. With my introduction to jazz and the unlimited about of creativity and improvisation, I was hooked. I began playing guitar because I wanted a challenging and versitile instrument. Guitar allows me to play constantly. Other instrumentalists are often taking turns. I also noticed how tightly knit the rhythm section players were and that was appealing to me.
What he is doing musically right now::
I have become very serious in my Jazz Studies. I am practicing on an average of 3 hours per day. However, I practice so much because I love learning new music and expressing new ideas. Currently, I am playing in the Cherry Hill East Jazz Big Band and the Jazz Standards Band. The Jazz Standards Band is made up of the lead players from each of their sections. I love the bond that I share with the other musicians and the music that we create
What he plans on doing in the future::
For the future, I plan on playing with old and new jazz standards members. I am attending hofstra university in the fall where I will be majoring in Jazz+commercial music. I will be studying with Teachers Dave Lalama and Rick Stone, just to name a few. I plan on playing in the Jazz band and any other jazz ensembles that are available. Another goal I have is to create something similar to the jazz standards band at Cherry Hill East. My goal with that group is to play out at universities, clubs, and other places as much as possible. My ultimate goal is to be a professional performer. I love jazz, and I'm going to make a career of it.
