"Keep On Keepin' On" With Justin Kauflin QueenLatifah.com Join the Conversation Tickets Giveaways Be on the Show Send Queen the Funny WHERE TO WATCH MON TUE WED THU FRI GO Zip Code January 6, 2015 LISA LING Full Listing here VIEW ALL QUEEN LATIFAH VIDEOS PHOTOS MUSIC FOOD LIFESTYLE FUN Home / Music / Interviews / Keep On Keepin On With Justin Kaufin KEEP ON KEEPIN ON WITH JUSTIN KAUFLIN PUBLISHED ON: December 22, 2014 Article by: AUDREY UCHIMOTO Move over Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, the next big musical prodigy is here, Justin Kaufl in! Despite losing his eyesight at the young age of 11, Justin has gone on to become an award-winning jazz pianist. Justin has even been called one of the best piano players on earth and after Justin s performance on The Queen Latifah Show, we have to agree! http://queenlatifah.com/music/interviews/keep-on-keepin-on-justin-kauflin-clark-terry/[1/6/15, 12:09:20 AM]
Justin began his musical journey at age 4 with Suzuki violin and by age 6, was performing in concerts, nursing homes and weddings, eventually becoming concertmaster for several orchestras. However, it was during this time he also endured numerous trials, particularly losing total vision by a rare eye disease. After a decade of playing the violin, Justin switched to jazz piano at the Governor s School for Performing Arts where he received top honors in jazz festivals across the U.S.
In 2004, Justin graduated in the top 1% of his High School alongside his sighted peers, and valedictorian at the Governor s School, receiving a Presidential scholarship to attend William Paterson University. It was then in one of Justin s college classrooms where he met legendary trumpeter Clark Terry and an unlikely friendship blossomed. While I was in college. He [Clark Terry] came to my school and there was just a bond that came from my piano playing and him on the trumpet, says Justin. I went to his house a lot to help him out and Clark asked me to just hang out and we started jamming together and that s how it started.
Terry, now 93, was music legend Quincy Jones fi rst teacher and is one of the most infl uential men in the world of jazz. After meeting 23-year-old Justin, the two have formed an inseparable bond and have helped each other tackle some of the toughest challenges in their interwoven lives. Their story is captured in one of the best movies of this year, Keep On Keepin On, an inspiring documentary that invites viewers into the lives of these two extraordinary people. For more information on Keep On Keepin On and to fi nd tickets, visit http://keeponkeepinon.com/. Tags: CLARK TERRY, DOCUMENTARY, MUSIC, PERFORMANCES, PIANO, QUINCY JONES YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Why I Don't Wear Makeup The Truth About Tilapia 9 Must-Know Tips For Walking in Heels 5 Amazing Cooking Hacks That'll Make Life So Much Easier
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