Sax player just wants to keep playing

Connor Henry is a sixth-grader at Centennial Middle School, and he has big plans.

He begged his mother, Shannon Henry, to let him play an instrument. He wanted to play the saxophone. Shannon decided to test his determination and bought him a clarinet, a less expensive alternative. In a short amount of time, Connor got the hang of the clarinet. Proving his willingness to work hard and practice, he was given an alto saxophone last March.

Connor is a member of the Centennial Middle School Jazz Band. Blowing tunes on his saxophone, he has already won an outstanding soloist award at the Jazz Unlimited Festival at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.

“He is very willing to put in the time and hard work that it takes to excel,” said Kyle Bosch, director of bands for Centennial Middle School.

He comes from a musical family. His father and grandfather both played the sax and his mother likes to sing. She also motivates Connor to stick with it.

“I’m not sure how I got so good at the sax so fast,” Connor said, “I just was really excited to have one and was always practicing after I got it.”

Connor plans are to play, play and keep playing and, if he joins the Navy, which he might, he will play for their jazz band as well.

“It’s given him a sense of purpose, responsibility and accomplishment,” Shannon said.

Connor enjoys playing for an audience; the applause is motivating as is the thought of a future as a musician.