Jared grew up in northwestern Wisconsin. Beginning the saxophone in the fifth grade, Jared was content just to play in band even through high school. In his upperclass years however, jazz music really began to come alive leading to the formation of a combo and gigs at a local cafe. It was not until the very end of his junior year that he began to seriously think about music as a potential future, and get his first pro horn, an old Selmer Super-Balanced Action. Jared also began studying privately his senior year with a pro from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
In the fall of 1998 Jared began attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a music education major although really being interested in the jazz program which was and still is one of the best in the nation. Due to the size of the saxophone studio lessons were not available to him his entire freshman year, leaving him to his own limited devices. It was a somewhat frustrating year, but progress was able to be made in areas such as music theory and history. Sophmore year was pivotal as he began studying with Nancy McMillan, a student of Frederick Hemke and a new member of the faculty at UW-Eau Claire. Finally, Jared would begin to build a solid foundation for playing and begin to gain exposure to the saxophone as a classical performance instrument. By his junior year Jared was involved with a saxophone quartet, had plans for his first recital, and was finally a vital member of the large performance ensembles at the university. Over the next two years his musical growth became rapid and his performance schedule not only included his own solo and chamber recitals, but those of his peers and faculty including the comission and premier of Michael G. Cunningham's Duologue for Alto Saxophone and Marimba.
In May of 2003, following graduation from UW-Eau Claire with a degree in Music Education, Jared encountered his biggest performance to date and brought Cunningham's Duologue to an international stage at the 13th World Saxophone Congress in Minneapolis, MN. The performance was well-received with the composer in attendance.
In the fall of 2003 Jared entered Northwestern University to study with his teacher's mentor and world-renowned performer and master teacher Frederick Hemke. This was an extremely challenging endeavor entering one of the most competitive saxophone studios in the country. It was also clear now that the undergraduate degree was not a destination but simply a foundation for the fast-paced demands of this environment. The year was amazing both in the classroom and on stage. One of the most rewarding classes was an advanced study in conducting with Mallory Thompson. Other influential classes included Russian Opera and an analysis class that studied melodic, harmonic and rhythmic patterns in music.
In the performance arena Jared joined three others in the studio to create the Hyacinth Quartet. Within a couple of months the quartet performed a full recital and made a demo recording that would qualify them for the finals of the Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition. The Quartet also premiered Dr. Hemke's transcription of the Third String Quartet by Bela Bartok. The Hyacinth Quartet was a very successful group, also making the finals of the Coleman Competition and performing at venues such as the NASA Biennial Conference and Chicago's Roosevelt University.
Apart from the quartet Jared could be heard with an area orchestra on pieces by Rachmaninov and Gershwin. In March of 2004 he gave his masters recital performing the works of Berio, Bolcom, Debussy, Finney and Maurice. He was also sought after by his peers to take part in additional concerts.
Presently, Jared resides in the Milwaukee, WI area teaching K-8 general music at St. John Vianney School in addition to teaching saxophone. He has been on the faculty of summer camps such as the Performing Arts Institute in Pennsylvania and, currently, the Summer Music Clinic at the Univesity of Wisconsin-Madison where he teaches saxophone and classes in theory and jazz. He has also remained active as a performer and clinician most notably presenting a recital and masterclass at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and performing with the Minnesota Opera in their production of John Adams' Nixon in China.
