Jared Kluttz
Jared Kluttz, Abingdon, Virginia, began his musical journey in elementary school music class. It has since become his life’s goal.
“I didn’t get really interested in music until joining my middle school’s band in sixth grade. My older sister Katie was in band, so I decided to give it a try as well. I ended up playing the trombone, and my love for it continued to grow throughout the years through marching band, honor bands and lessons. In college I made the switch to bass trombone after realizing I have a really impressive low register,” he says.
His high school marching band won grand champion twice during his time in the program. He was chosen for All County honor band every year from seventh grade to 12th grade and All District honor band every year from eighth grade to 12th grade. He qualified for an All-State audition in his junior year. He played at Solo and Ensemble festival three times and received a superior rating each time.
As a student at Emory & Henry College, he participates in a variety of ensembles including the marching band, symphonic band, trombone trio and concert choir. He also plays in the Heart of Appalachia Community Orchestra, a local community orchestra that rehearses in Lebanon, Virginia.
It was through the Heart of Appalachia Community Orchestra that he met his private teacher, Dr. Harold McKinney.
“I’ve had many teachers, professors and guest conductors influence me throughout the years. They’ve all taught me different things that I can take with me to use to improve my musicianship and my teaching style. However, my biggest influence is definitely my private lessons teacher, Dr. Harold McKinney. When I started taking lessons from him, it made me realize that I had barely even scratched the surface of trombone playing. I’ve improved tremendously under his guidance, and he has helped me realize what I love about music. He’s also the person who encouraged me to play bass trombone, a decision that I’m very happy I made. I truly cannot thank him enough for everything he’s done for me; it’s such a privilege to be able to play with him and learn from him.
“There are a few different things that draw me to music, one of which is being able to take the notes written on a piece of paper and really turn it into music. It’s one thing being able to play what’s written, but I really like adding in the little details such as articulation, dynamics, general musicality and emotional energy. Another aspect of music I really enjoy is playing with small groups of people. In settings like that, you’re really able to listen to the people around you, and you’ll have these moments that just click and sound incredible. This is especially nice when everyone is improvising and once everyone gets into the groove it just creates something really special.
“Music to me is a way to connect with other people as well as yourself. This can be in a physical sense, as in playing with other people in an ensemble, and it can also be less personal. When performing for someone, you’re trying to elicit an emotional response from them, connecting with the audience in that sense. When you listen to music, whether it be live or recorded, you are connecting with the artist as they share their emotions and experiences with the listener. As far as connecting with yourself, making music is a great way to express yourself and have an emotional outlet. Moreover, when you listen to music, you can often find a way that you relate to it, and it helps you understand yourself better and think introspectively,” Jared says.
Jared is a music education major at Emory & Henry College, Emory, Virginia. He plans to pursue a master’s in education and become a middle or high school band director. He also plans to continue playing bass trombone and taking lessons, as well as learning other instruments.
Jared is the son of Stephen and Debra Kluttz who are from Abingdon, Virginia.
