Jazzy tunes filter into the hallways near the band room. Curious students peer in the room in passing whilst their friends and them sway to the rhythm. While they watch and listen for a few minutes, their feet tap to the beat. Christian McGhee, eighth grader, drums in WCA’s high school jazz band and is involved in two jazz bands at WCA. McGhee is already a star in his music classes in school and outside of it.

When he was just one year old, McGhee would beat on pots and pans. After a year, he graduated to a drum set that his father gave him when he saw his budding talent. From that time on, he started playing drums.

“Drums come naturally for me and so do things I can beat with my hands. It is also something I’ve been playing for twelve years. Yet, piano is becoming my favorite because it is new,” said McGhee.

Hugh Jones, middle and upper school orchestra and band teacher, invited McGhee to join the high school jazz band because of the talent and passion he was displaying in his classes.

“Christian is a very joyful person who has that rare ability to make a person feel his joy through his music, “That’s talent. I’m really happy that someday I’ll get to say, ‘I knew him when…!’” said Jones.

As a musician, McGhee always wants to improve his skills. To achieve this, he ventures out to hear other musicians play in the St. Louis area. In the past, McGhee had the privilege of playing with renowned St. Louis saxophone musician, Willie Atkins, at Robbie›s House of Jazz onstage. After this performance, Atkins invited young McGhee to other locations to play with him and his quartet.

Along with this legendary St. Louisian musician, McGhee enjoys listening to Buddy Rich, Horace Silver, Stanton Moore, and Vince Guaraldi.

Participating in high school and concert jazz band, McGhee enjoys when his friends are working together and having fun producing music. Wednesday after school from 3:30 to 4:30, McGhee practices with the high school, seven-member jazz band accompanied and directed by Jones.

“When we play songs, I think of what I can do to make everyone sound better. If everyone is showing out and no one collaborates, then we will sound bad,” said McGhee.

Learning from contemporaries and an exemplary teacher, Mike Johnston, McGhee takes online lessons together with classes at Webster community music school.

For the past few years, he has gathered accolades and praises from competitions and his community. In 2010, McGhee won the junior drum off. Coming in third at the 2011 junior drum off and second at the one in 2012, McGhee advanced to go on and win the Outstanding Musicianship award at the first annual Willie Akins Young Lions of jazz competition. More than a month ago, he went to Pasic, which is the largest drum conference in the world in Austin, Texas.

In the future, McGhee aspires to pursue his musical interests at Berkley School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.