Two Jazzy UWEC Alums Pull Down Prestigious Awards
Two recent UWEC alumni – Aaron Hedenstrom (saxophone) and Keith Karns (trumpet) – were honored this year for national awards in the jazz studies realm. Hedenstrom, who finished his degree in 2011, won the Herb Alpert ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, the Jazz Education Network Student Composer Showcase, and the Downbeat Magazine Student Music Award for “Best Graduate Jazz Soloist” on saxophone. He currently performs and teaches in the Dallas area. Karns, a 2008 grad, was awarded the same Herb Albert ASCAP Young Composer’s Award, as well as the Downbeat Student Music Award for best large ensemble composition. He’s currently working on his doctorate at North Texas as an assistant, teaching jazz development while directing the 6 O’Clock Lab Band at the university.
