2017 Duke Madison Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Thomas Kikuchi awarded the 2017 Duke Madison Memorial Scholarship

The Jazz Arts Foundation has awarded its 2017 Duke Madison Memorial Scholarship to Thomas Kikuchi. The son of Ken and Paige Kikuchi, Thomas is currently a Senior at Lafayette High School and is a member of the Central Kentucky Youth Jazz Arts Orchestra (CKYO JAO). His primary focus is the piano, but he is also accomplished on the drums. After graduation Thomas plans on majoring in engineering at Northwestern University.

By accepting this award, Thomas will be granted tuition and lodging at Jamey Aebersold’s Summer 2017 Jazz Workshop in Louisville, KY. This workshop has the well-deserved reputation for producing the best in intensive programs for learning jazz improvisation. Staff members there are dedicated to providing an intensive learning experience in Jazz. A Certificate of Congratulations was presented to Thomas at the April 13 Jazz: Live at the Library! concert at the Central Library in Downtown Lexington.

The Duke Madison Memorial Scholarship was created to honor legendary Lexington saxophone icon, Clarence “Duke” Madison. The board of directors of JAF created this scholarship in 1992 to preserve his legacy. Mr. Madison is remembered for sharing his musical genius with the Lexington community for over 50 years.
by Brenda Stratman, JAF/CKYO JAO Liaison

Click HERE for more information about Duke Madison, the scholarship, and a list of past recipients.

Thomas has returned from the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop and here are his reflections on the week in his own words:
Reflecting on My Week of Jazz Camp, July 2017

I first want to thank the Jazz Arts Foundation for this scholarship. Without their help, I would never have truly experienced one of the best weeks of my life. Furthermore, I want to thank Raleigh Dailey and the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra Jazz Arts Orchestra for suggesting me to receive such a wonderful opportunity. Both Mr. Dailey and CKYO JAO have done a wonderful job of spreading Jazz education throughout Central Kentucky, and it has been a pleasure being a part of their program.

When I found out I received the scholarship to go to the world-famous Jamey Aebersold Jazz Camp, I was ecstatic. An entire week spent focusing on Jazz seemed almost too good to be true. This week would be perfect to leave my stresses and worries at home, and solely focus on improving my skills. However, this week turned out to be serendipitous, as I would quickly find out the depths that this music has to offer.

I was first astonished by the amount of talent that populated the camp. There were so many skill levels across so many different ages, that it was impossible not to be inspired. From my assigned combo, to the late-night jam sessions, being able to play with these musicians truly was eye opening. While it may seem intimidating at first, when you get lost in the music, skill level doesn’t matter. There is a certain visceral feeling of connection and enjoyment that is achieved only by playing Jazz. The uniqueness of this feeling is almost addicting, and is what drives me to seek other musicians to play with, and to improve my skills.

While I only was at camp for a week, the trivial things I was doing, whether it was my posture on the drum throne, my dynamics, or my grip of a stick, instantly improved. The faculty was not only very informative, but were the friendliest people, and one could tell that they only wanted to see an improvement in all players. The drumming masterclasses I was a part of really helped in understanding specific questions that I had when I played. Having professionals critique your playing is priceless, as it’s essential to find out what you otherwise would never have known by practicing alone. Of course, I cannot become the next Elvin Jones in such a brief time, but I was still able to gain valuable resources, and a new-found passion to study them.

Being around such a diverse group of musicians has really impacted how I think about the world. Playing Jazz has taught me how to communicate and interact with people from a multitude of backgrounds. My combo, specifically, had both young and older musicians, some even from different countries. Yet, it didn’t matter what our background was, as we were still able to play the music we love. Coming away from this camp, I realize how important the message of Jazz is to our world, especially during such troubling times. Your background doesn’t matter if you share the same love for music as others do, which is a lesson that should be applied to other areas in our lives.

The Jamey Aebersold Jazz Camp has truly been an experience like no other. This week has taught me so much, and I enjoyed every second of it. There is still much work, practice, and listening that I need to do, but I know that it’s something that I strive to do. This week has inspired me to keep working at my craft, and I hope that I reach a point where I may pass it on to others.