I was 16 years old when I first heard Grace Kelly play the saxophone. I was attending a concert for The Grammy High School Band at The Vic in Los Angeles. I was there to see my friend, classmate, and singer extraordinaire, Lauren Desberg.

I was a junior at LOS ANGELES COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS so I had heard skilled young musicians before. What I hadn’t heard was a musician my age play with such sophistication and soul. I was floored by Grace. She showed me that we might be young, but we didn’t need to play like kids. Grace was a seasoned veteran, lifting up the entire band. Her passion for music was genuine and infectious.

Since then she’s been tearing up the music world. From performances at The Newport Jazz Festival to the Hollywood Bowl, being part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and being a featured soloist with the Boston Pops.

She is a blast to be around and one of the great educators of our generation. I’m blessed to call her a collaborator and a dear friend.

Grace joined our Playbook Ambassador, Trista Ford on our weekly IGTV show, Playbook Interviews full interview here).

Enjoy!

Sammy Miller