Ravinia 2022, Issue 6

Good thing, as she has been spending an increasing amount of time on stages around the globe. As the world emerges from the pandem- ic, Kelly is back on the road. She is calling from St. Louis; next stop: Oslo, Norway. “The joy and emotions the arts bring is very special,” she says. “I love performing in front of wonder- ful audiences. Music is meant to be shared. There is nothing like looking into somebody’s eyes and seeing how they’re receiving the music, and getting to speak with them after. Last night, I saw some fans of mine who have become friends, and just to be able to give them hugs and catch up; it’s a great feeling.” Kelly, 30, has been described as “a Millennial musical phenom,” but musically, she is an old soul. The arts loomed large in her household. Her aunt attended Juilliard and played classical violin. Her grandmother taught classical piano. “My mom grew up loving the arts, and she was hip to a lot of jazz,” Kelly says. “I was most excited, growing up, when my family would all go to a Broadway show or a jazz club.” Her radio stations were WGBH, an NPR affiliate and home of Eric Jack- son (“the dean of Boston jazz radio”), and contemporary music station Mag- ic 106.7. “But my parents controlled the radio until I was in high school,” Kelly says with a laugh. She basked in her parents’ record collection with its eclectic offerings of Broadway cast recordings ( Thor- oughly Modern Millie was a childhood favorite), Stan Getz, Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, James Taylor, and Claude Debussy, to name just a sampling. But jazz (in particular, Getz), she says, “grabbed my ear as far as wanting to play it. I listened to contemporary music, but jazz was the thing that I remember when my teacher first said to me to go ahead and improvise; to play whatever I wanted to play. That felt so exciting and fun. That was really the hook. It opened up so many things to me of being able to feel creative and spontaneous in the moment.” Kelly’s journey to find her musical voice took a cue from the retail busi- ness her parents owned for more than 30 years. “It was fine American crafts from independent artists around the world,” she says. “I learned how to create my own style from watching my mother curate and share great artists she liked.” Jazz programs were instrumental in her journey. Enter Ravinia. Nathan Davis, the late saxophonist and RSMI jazz co-director and faculty member, heard Kelly when she performed as part of the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program in Washington, DC. “Nathan said I would be perfect for the Ravinia program, so he brought me in,” Kelly says. “I had not heard of it, but I was blown away while I was there.” She was 13. “I have such great memories of Ravinia,” Kelly says. “There were very few programs where you got to work so closely with the faculty. Just getting the opportunity to play my original compositions and to work with amaz- ing musicians and the incredible guest artists they brought in; it was an intensely focused week to get world-class coaching. For a young musician [and Kelly was the youngest at the time], I was grateful they brought me in based on my playing, that they thought I was ready and could make a great addition to the program. It was my first time playing with people in their 20s and 30s. The music con- nected us; I made great friendships. It really helped shape my bandleading skills and musicianship.” RAVINIA MAGAZINE • AUGUST 29 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 12