JAZZ PROGRAM

JAZZ DIRECTOR

Drew Hansen is a Chicago trumpet player making a name for himself as a thoughtful composer and adventurous improviser who combines seemingly disparate influences into a cohesive musical statement.

Drew earned his degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he studied with Chicago trumpet luminary, Tito Carrillo, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Charles Daval, and founding member of the Canadian Brass, Ronald Romm. Drew was a member of both the Concert Jazz Ensemble under Chip McNeil and the Latin Jazz Ensemble under Tito Carrillo.

As a bandleader, Drew leads several ensembles of varied instrumentation. “Room Full of Chairs,” featuring Drew on trumpet, vocalist and bassist Katie Ernst, and saxophonists Artie Black and Dustin Laurenzi, is inspired by the haiku of Chicago poet, John O’Connor. Freely improvised compositions lend a soundtrack to O’Connor’s evocative poems. Drew’s quintet, the primary outlet for his more traditional compositions, alternatively features Artie Black and Katie Ernst (singing Drew’s original lyrics), alongside guitarist Sam Hasting, bassist Mike Harmon, and drummer Matt Carroll of Ohmme.

Drew’s debut album, "Stone Forest/Sun Shower," combines these various groups into one musical amalgam. The resulting record is full of lyrical compositions inspired by chamber music, haiku, free jazz, and folk music. Drew’s deep interest in harmony, texture, and melody inform the album’s rich sounds, carrying the listener from one track to the next.

Aside from a busy career as a freelancer, Drew also maintains an active role as an educator both privately and in various schools across the Chicagoland-area, teaching brass technique, music theory, and improvisation.

JAZZ COMBO COACH/THEORY TEACHER

Brent Griffin Jr. first arrived to the Chicago music scene in 2011 when he began his music education studies at DePaul University. He wasted no time getting involved with unique musicians in various musical contexts to sharpen his skills.

In 2022, Griffin, along with co-leaders Pat Mallinger and Lenard Simpson, released their album titled, “Perspectives.” As a sideman, Brent recorded on pianist Bradley Williams’ double album “Investigation,” blues guitarist and vocalist Guy King’s “Truth,” J-Livi and the Party’s “Come & Share My Life,” “Mixtape,” jazz trumpeter Marques Carroll’s “The Ancestors’ Call,” “Foundations,” and bassist Jeremiah Hunt’s “33.”

Griffin also enjoys writing and leading horn sections in various genres of music. In 2014, he led the horn section for the 1st Annual Chicago Gospel Music Awards. He has also written and recorded horn sections for artists Joshua Griffin, H.A.N.K, and ConSoul.

In addition to teaching independently, Griffin is also a faculty member at Stevenson High School. Griffin’s first exposure to MYAC’s jazz program was as a student during his senior year of high school. He is devoted to using his experiences as a performer as well as an educator to share the knowledge that was passed to him to all of his students.

JAZZ COMBO COACH/THEORY TEACHER

Emily Kuhn is a jazz trumpet player based in Chicago, IL, described by the Chicago Jazz Magazine as having “a charismatic style and a sophistication that belies her youth.” Originally from Charlottesville, VA, Emily has made a name for herself as an active bandleader, sidewoman, composer, and educator. She released two albums via BACE Records, "Sky Stories" (2020) and "Ghosts of Us" (2023), to numerous accolades. She was named a Luminarts Fellow in Jazz in 2020.

Emily leads two bands: a jazz quintet and a nine-piece chamber jazz ensemble, Helios. Outside of these projects, Emily plays regularly with a wide variety of ensembles across the jazz and Latin scenes in Chicago, including Latin fusion band Son Monarcas, Kitt Lyles’ Real Talk Collective, Gustavo Cortiñas’ Kind Regards, Sam Pilnick’s Nonet Project, Erik Skov’s Liminality, John Dorhauer’s Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, and Christy Bennett's Fumée. She has brought her original music to festivals including Hey Nonny’s Women’s Jazz Festival, the Festival of New Trumpet Music, the MCA's Tuesdays on the Terrace, and the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series, and she has performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival and Stanford Jazz Festival among others. Emily is currently the Jazz Combo Director and Improv Instructor at Hersey High School, and she has taught throughout Chicago and nationwide through MUSIC Inc., Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, and Stanford Jazz Workshop.

Emily has a BM and BA in Jazz Trumpet Performance and Environmental Studies from Oberlin. She studied with renowned trumpet players Eddie Henderson, Sean Jones, John D’earth, and John Henes.